Kolbe Academy offers a number of awards to recognize student achievement in the breadth and depth of their studies. The St. Ignatius and St. Maximilian Kolbe awards are based on a completion of a comprehensive and rigorous course of study across multiple subject areas, while the St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Albertus Magnus and St. John Paul II awards are based on mastery within the fields of the humanities, math and science, and foreign language, respectively.
The St. Maximilian Kolbe Award is the highest of our awards, given for the completion of a rigorous, 4-year course of study that includes our core classical sequence in Theology, Literature and History, as well as 4 years of Math, Science, and Foreign Language. Courses taken prior to 9th grade do not count towards this award.
The St. Ignatius Award recognizes the completion of a rigorous and comprehensive course of study across multiple disciplines. Students who complete the entirety of Kolbe Academy’s recommended track using only courses with the C, K, H or Kolbe AP® designations will have met the requirements of the St. Ignatius Award. Courses taken prior to 9th grade do not count towards this award.
In honor of St. Thomas Aquinas, one of the greatest Doctors of the Church, the St. Thomas Aquinas Award is awarded for excellence in the humanities. It requires completion of our core humanities courses in Theology, Literature and History, at least half of which must be done at the Honors or AP® level. Courses taken prior to 9th grade do not count towards this award.
In honor of St. Thomas’ famous teacher who was renowned for his work in the natural sciences, the St. Albertus Magnus Award is awarded for excellence in math and science. It requires completion of 4 years each of math and science, up through at least Calculus in math, and including Biology, Chemistry and Physics, all with labs, as well as an additional upper-level science elective. Courses taken prior to 9th grade do not count towards this award.
In honor of Pope St. John Paul II, famous for his fluency in at least 8 languages, the St. John Paul II Award is awarded for excellence in the study of foreign languages, requiring a completion of 4 levels of one language and 2 levels of a second language. One of these two languages must be Latin.
The National Honor Society elevates a school’s commitment to the values of scholarship, service, leadership, and character. Chapter membership not only recognizes students for their accomplishments but challenges them to develop further through active involvement in school activities and community service. NHS students are seen as leaders within the school and recognized as top candidates for admissions to colleges and universities. Kolbe’s chapter of NHS has established the following minimum requirements for students to qualify to apply for NHS membership:
Students meeting these minimum requirements will receive an invitation to apply via email prior to the new school year. New member induction is held in the early fall. Students with homeschool courses should be sure to have all previous year’s course materials sent in by end of June to make sure they are included when Kolbe runs a report for students that qualify.