IMPACT Wednesdays Blog Series:

Shaping the Future at Hampstead Academy

Part One: The Fundamental Principles

"Seeing the students so engaged speaks to the heart of true education."
- Stuart Robertson
Upper School Teacher

At Hampstead Academy, we believe that education should do more than prepare students for exams—it should prepare them for life. That’s why we’ve developed IMPACT Wednesdays, a weekly program designed to give our students the time and space to pursue meaningful, real-world projects that ignite their passions and foster personal growth.

The roots of IMPACT Wednesdays trace back to Albany Senior High School in Auckland, New Zealand. In 2014, Robert Landau, the founder of IMPACT, visited Albany Senior High and was deeply inspired by their Wednesday program, where students worked on IMPACT Projects with real-world mentors. These projects allowed students to develop skills and dispositions necessary for future success while fostering a sense of agency. Four fundamental principles guided the program:

• Student ownership and agency
• Substantial learning beyond the classroom
• Quality product and process
• Participation and contribution to the community

Inspired by Albany’s success, Robert introduced IMPACT Wednesdays at Maui Preparatory Academy in Hawaii. This program was met with an overwhelmingly positive response, with 80% of parents and 85% of students expressing approval. But success was not just measured in numbers—many students were offered jobs after internships or apprenticeships through the program. This experience reinforced a critical insight; students need prolonged periods to engage deeply in rigorous, relevant learning opportunities.

The theme for this year’s IMPACT Wednesdays is Water. 

“The driving question that informs our IMPACT work this year is—how does water impact our lives?”  explains Head of School, Rebecca Cummings. “This question shapes all of our projects as the students are discovering all the different ways in which they can make discoveries and problem solve around the topic of water usage.  From working with how sound is carried through water, to ways in which water cycles through the environment, the ideas and creativity energize our campus every Wednesday.”

Students will continue to investigate this theme throughout the academic year, sharing insights with each other, their families, and the community.

Hampstead Academy IMPACT Exhibition: 3:00-5:00 pm, November 20th, 2024.