Noble Academy (Chicago)


The Noble Academy is a public charter high school located in the Near North Side neighborhood in Chicago, Illinois, United States. It is a collaboration between the Noble Network of Charter Schools and Phillips Exeter Academy of New Hampshire and brings small group, student-centered Harkness instruction to Chicago. The Noble Academy is a Level 1+ school, based on Chicago Public School rankings.

School History

The Noble Academy was founded in 2014 and is located in the heart of Chicago's Lincoln Park/Old Town neighborhood. The Academy's exclusive partnership with Phillips Exeter Academy, a private school in New Hampshire, gives rise to a range of opportunities for The Noble Academy students. All classes are taught using the Harkness Method of instruction. Seated around oval tables, students engage in discussion-based, student led learning. Exeter is committed to extend the reach of Harkness beyond Exeter's campus by partnering with Noble to implement Harkness teaching in Chicago.

Student Body

The Noble Academy has 442 students enrolled for the 2018–2019 school year and is one of the most diverse Chicago Public Schools in the city, attracting students from 47 different zip codes and over 100 elementary schools. 51.8% of the students identify as Hispanic, 41.9% of students identify as Black, 2.9% identify as Asian, 1.6% as White, and 1.8% identify as another race.

Student Programming

Athletics

The Noble Academy is a part of the Noble Athletic League and has 11 varsity sports. This includes cross country, soccer, football, cheer leading, volleyball, baseball, and softball.

College Support

The Noble Academy has a full-time college counseling department on staff, and also partners with Chicago Scholars, a college access program. In 2017, twin brothers who were students at The Noble Academy were recognized for both being accepted to the same Ivy League school, the University of Pennsylvania. The Noble Academy also partners with Summer of a Lifetime, a program that allows students to participate in summer academic enrichment programs on college campuses nationwide. The Noble Academy sends over half of the sophomore class to experience a college campus over the summer.