Our Past & Future

Our Past & Future

A hundred years ago, we were founded by a woman who believed in girls’ empowerment. Today we are educating girls who can (and do) change the world.

The world held a much different view of women when our founder Mary Lowther Ranney opened a school for girls. It was 1913 and women were still denied the right to vote in U.S. elections. But two Pasadena mothers who believed in more for their daughters urged Ranney, an architect and teacher, to create a school that could prepare girls for college and to make a difference in the world.

We have a saying at our school today: as Westridge changes girls, so do girls change Westridge. This has been true for the past century, as we have empowered generations of students to challenge the status quo, improve their school and the world around them, and look for ways to lead and serve their community. We believe in innovation—it is at the core of who we have been since that day in 1913 when Miss Ranney opened our doors. 

In the 21st century, our graduates are thoughtful leaders and courageous changemakers, collaborative learners and independent thinkers. We continue to teach our students that every girl has something unique and powerful to contribute to the conversation and the larger world, and we support them in their pursuit of knowledge, self-discovery and expression, and goodness.  

Our Chosen Path: A History of Westridge School

As Westridge changes girls, so do girls change Westridge.

Our Strategic Plan: 2020-2025

Development of the Westridge 2020-2025 Strategic Plan was a two-year labor of love as our community came together to think critically about how to best serve our students’ interests in the coming years. After a year-long self-evaluation by our entire faculty and staff for the school’s California Association of Independent Schools accreditation, we spent a second year conducting research with faculty, staff, administrators, parents, students, alumnae, and our Board of Trustees. Our community thought big, and with their hearts, for this plan.

We have chosen to focus on four areas that we think will have transformational impact on our students and program.

Student Well-being and Social Emotional Development
Academic Excellence & Innovation
Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
Leadership & Agency

 

We encourage you to view the full plan for further explanation and details on above priorities, and to read about the strategies we have outlined to assist us in reaching our goals.

Read Full Strategic Plan (PDF)