Located on 47 acres of picturesque land in Calgary is Webber Academy, a young school founded in 1997 that produces Alberta’s highest academic achievers.

“[Dr. Neil Webber] has created a school environment that celebrates academics like some schools celebrate athletics,” says son Lorne Webber. “We put our academic achievers on a pedestal.”

Although it is a fairly young school, Webber Academy is proving to be a rising star in Calgary’s educational circle.

“The first grades that we opened were Grades 1 through 5,” says Lorne. “We added a year every year that Grade 5 group advanced, so the class of 2005 was our first year of graduates. 2010 will be our 6th graduating year.”

Webber Academy has been recognized by the Fraser report as the No. 1 school in Alberta for the past five years, based on examinations conducted over a range of grades. The school also boasts 99% student university participation.

“We go above the Alberta expectations for education,” says Dr. Webber. “For example, in our Grade 12 calculus course, students are learning at least the first year of university calculus.” An advanced placement program is also offered to students to allow them to take full university courses while still in high school.

The school’s mission is to prepare students for university and beyond, gearing the curriculum towards academics. “Many high schools have woodwork, carpentry and home ec. We don’t offer those options,” Dr. Webber explains. “If a student is going to be well prepared the core subjects take up all of their time, so our options are related to the academics.”

Along with a superior curriculum, Webber Academy offers enriching immersion programs that send students from Grades 9 to 12 across the world to locales such as Beijing, Shanghai, Argentina, Spain and France. This gives them ample opportunity to practice the languages they learn at the academy.

Webber Academy is in a constant state of evolution as it grows to meet the needs of its rising student population, which has increased tenfold in the past nine years. Construction has begun on a new performing arts centre to be completed by September 2011.

“It adds two drama class rooms, a band room, a choir room,” says Lorne. “Students can work on film documentaries in the multimedia studio as well as the actual 500-seat theatre itself.”

The academy strives to provide all disciplines with such practical exposure. Future biologists took a recent tour of a marine research facility and students also enjoy a “law day” where they are invited to court to take part in a mock-trial competition.

Webber students also excel at public speaking, a skill highly valued by the academy’s founder, who was an elected member of the Alberta legislature and cabinet minister in the Peter Lougheed and Don Getty governments. 

Young students are encouraged to speak in front of their classmates to develop these skills, which are fine-tuned in senior years in public speaking and debating clubs. Dr. Webber notes with pride Grade 12 student Veenu Goswami, a member of the 2010 World Schools Debating Championship team and ranked No. 1 on Team Canada.

“This experience [with public speaking] will allow our youngsters to have a successful career in almost any field,” Dr. Webber explains. “We teach them to think on their feet.”•

Photos courtesy of Webber Academy