New 975-Student Private School Opens Doors for First Open House Wednesday

A new private school in Pasadena will open its doors to prospective parents Wednesday evening.

EF Academy Pasadena, operated by the international Education First organization headquartered in Switzerland, will host an open house for prospective students and their families at its 16.23 acre main campus.

The school plans to be operational for the 2022-23 school year, officials said.

The campus had been under construction since 2019 after EF bought the land at the former site of the William Carey International University at 1539 E. Howard St.

Now complete, it features two newly-built dormitories capable of housing up to 500 students and renovated classrooms throughout eight previously-existing buildings.

The school will be an international boarding school offering students “a robust American-style high school education in an international context, thorough preparation for university and a future that knows no borders,” said a statement on the school’s website.

Officials said earlier that a modest number of local students may be accepted.

“We aim to provide a stimulating learning environment where every one of our students will meet or exceed his or her own expectations,” the statement continued. “It is our goal to give students the space and encouragement to discover and pursue their passions.”

EF Academy will accommodate up to 975 students when it opens, company officials said.

Education First was founded in the early 1960s in Lund, Sweden, by Bertil Hult, a dyslexic who had traveled to England and became convinced that traditional classroom-based teaching was not always the most effective.

Hult started the company as Europeiska Ferieskolan (translated as European Holiday School), EF for short, that combined language learning with travel abroad. The initial program, called Language Travel, provided one of the world’s first hands-on learning experiences outside the classroom.

Now headquartered in Lucerne, Switzerland, EF is present in 114 countries and regions throughout the globe.

Wednesday’s open house will be at Franson Hall, entrance through 1555 E. Howard St., from 6 to 9 p.m. During the event, Education First representatives are expected to provide an introduction to the global leadership high school program the school will offer starting next year.

Sign-ups are required through www.efacademy.org/en-us/infomeeting/sign-up/?id=5105.

COVID-19 protocols are in effect inside the campus. Masks will be required for the entire duration of the open house. In addition, the campus has limited accessibility since it is still an active construction site. Visitors are advised to enter only supervised buildings and to proceed with caution.