About

Capital Improvements

List of 4 items.

  • 28,000

    Additional Square Feet in Fitzmaurice Hall

  • 10

    Additional Classrooms in Fitzmaurice Hall

  • 4,800

    Square Feet of Makerspace for Innovation

  • 685

    Amazing Students
Our vision for Saint Joseph Academy in the 21st century is rooted in what has always defined and distinguished us as a leading all-girls high school: we will support innovation and academic excellence in a community where faith thrives.
We stand at the forefront of exciting changes in high school education, making Saint Joseph Academy a school of choice in the city we call home. The strength of our education is reflected in our strong enrollment and our students’ exceptional academic performance.

Maintaining the spaces and technology that our faculty and students need will build on the strengths that set Saint Joseph Academy apart - a beautiful campus where ingenuity, artistry and spirituality can truly flourish.

Fitzmaurice Hall

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  • Fitzmaurice Hall

    Renovations to Fitzmaurice Hall created 10 additional classrooms, open study areas, prayer/reflection rooms and administrative offices. The re-adaptation of this building was completed for the start of the 2020 school year.

    Thanks to a generous donor, we were also able to create a true pathway, allowing students to pass by the St. Joseph statue each time they move to and from the Academy building and Fitzmaurice Hall.
    The building is named Fitzmaurice Hall, in recognition of Mother Theresa Fitzmaurice, CSJ. Elected Mother Superior three different times during her lifetime, Mother Theresa Fitzmaurice was a visionary leader who purchased the property that the campus has been sharing with the Congregation and the Academy since 1898. 

    The adaptive re-use of this storied building enables students to attend classes in the building where the Sisters lived, worked and prayed for more than 100 years. This space is a living testament to the ways the history of the Sisters and the Academy are intertwined. The renovation preserves the building’s rich history and distinctive architecture while updating it to support 21st-century learning dynamics. Renovation of the lower two floors includes 10 large classrooms as well as various staff and administrative offices. The top two floors of the building are reserved for the future, as the landscape for Catholic education continues to evolve.

Howley Makerspace Innovation Lab

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  • Howley Makerspace Innovation Lab

    The creation of an expansive Howley Makerspace innovation lab in the Academy building resulted in a space four times the size of the original lab. As the renovations to Fitzmaurice Hall were nearing completion, the Academy was presented with the unique opportunity to retain our quality construction team to relocate and expand our Howley Makerspace innovation lab.
    This expanded space of 4,800 square feet creates a larger hands-on area for students to activate their imaginations and bring their ideas to life through 3D printers, laser engravers, vinyl cutters, an embroidery machine, digital cameras, a green screen and much more. 

    Students in the Engineering & Design Honors Program use this space often, working on class and service learning projects. Many departments outside of engineering and science often take their classes into the Howley Makerspace innovation lab to create projects that tie back to the lessons taught in the classroom.

Construction Academy Creates Hands-On Learning Opportunities

Twenty students involved in the Academy's "Construction Academy" had the opportunity to have contextual educational experiences through the renovation efforts at Fitzmaurice Hall. This educational piece provided students an innovative, hands-on experience. Students worked with architects, engineers, electricians, plumbers and other construction professionals during this exciting renovation.

The construction project was completed by Regency Construction Services, one of Ohio's largest female-owned construction companies. Regency's Principal, Founder and President Tari Rivera is a role model in an industry dominated by men. Ms. Rivera is a Saint Joseph Academy Medialle Shield honoree and previously served on the Saint Joseph Academy Board of Directors as the Chair. She is also a source of inspiration for female students interested in fields including architecture, math, engineering and sustainability.

“The purpose of Construction Academy is to advocate for young women to get involved in building and construction careers. Many of our team involved in this project were female,” stated Project Manager Janelle Heinle. “This really was a great opportunity to show the young women that you can grow up in construction, engineering and other STEM fields even if there aren’t a lot of women in them right now. By using all of the skills they have learned in the classroom, such as math and physics, we can show young women that there are a lot of opportunities for them in fields they wouldn't otherwise consider.”

Recent Capital Improvements FAQs

List of 4 items.

  • When did the spaces open?

    Fitzmaurice Hall and the Howley Makerspace innovation lab renovations were completed in August 2020 for the beginning of the 2020-2021 school year.

  • What is in Fitzmaurice Hall?

    The adaptive re-use of this storied building preserves its rich history and distinctive architecture while updating it to support 21st century learning dynamics. Renovation of the lower two floors include 10 large classrooms as well as various staff and administrative offices. The top two floors of the building are reserved for the future, as the landscape for Catholic education continues to evolve.

  • What classes are in Fitzmaurice Hall?

    On the ground floor, the CORE Ministry/Theology Program has a new home where teachers will guide our students’ spiritual growth. In addition to five large classrooms, a quiet area for prayer and reflection and two open study rooms are included.

    On the first floor, there are five large classrooms for our Humanities/Social Studies Programs, infusing our students’ learning about the world with the values that will help them make a difference in it. Additional common areas where students gather to collaborate or spend time together between classes have been created, as well as a quiet area for reflection.

  • What is the Howley Makerspace Innovation Lab?

    The Howley Makerspace innovation lab is home to our Pre-Engineering and Programming department. It was moved to an area that underwent extensive renovations during the summer of 2020. The massive new hands-on space is four times the original size! Students are encouraged to explore their creativity through the use of state-of-the-art equipment including 3D printers, laser engravers, vinyl cutters, sticker makers, embroidery machine, t-shirt and mug printer, two dye-sublimation printers, heat transfer presses, a green screen, a photography light box and much more.