To be truly visionary we must root our imagination in our concrete reality while simultaneously imagining possibilities beyond our reality.
bell hooks
De Paul Scholar Program
The De Paul Scholar Program offers a vibrant four-year academic and enrichment program informed by the charisms of St. John Baptist de La Salle and St. Vincent de Paul. De Paul Scholars are passionate about the life of the mind and about framing questions and seeking solutions to real-world challenges of injustice or inequity. De Paul Scholars demonstrate leadership in and beyond the classroom, learning with joy and with one another while pursuing academic achievement. The De Paul Scholar curriculum includes summer workshops; service opportunities, field trips, and enrichment courses (Academic Explorations); dedicated sections of ninth grade English and World History; access to a wide array of Honors and Advanced Placement courses; and a culminating, college-level course, Senior Seminar.
For more information, please contact De Paul Scholar Program Director Mr. Nick Hren or Associate Director, Ms. Maria Apablasa, or follow us on Instagram @depaulscholars.
Students chosen for the De Paul Scholar Program are expected to:
- Achieve a 3.5 GPA every semester or a year-end cumulative GPA that places them in the top 10 percent of their class
- Model engaged learning and leadership for their peers
- Actively pursue cocurriculuar and service opportunities
- Maintain the highest standards of behavior as prescribed by the school and affirmed by the Deans of Students
- Participate in summer workshops, service and enrichment activities
- Enroll in Academic Explorations
The capstone of a DePaul Scholar's learning journey is the January Project in Senior Seminar in which DPS seniors explore ideas that intrigue them. Scholars using a design thinking approach to resourcing and understanding an idea, finding resources and mentors, and then teaching their idea to their classmates. January Projects have included Artificially Intelligent: The Search for Computer Intelligence & What It Means To Be Human, A Sweet History, How Maps Influence Politics, and Siren Song.
