The Upper School
Signature Programs
At Academy of the Sacred Heart in Bloomfield Hills, we help students grow into collaborative problem solvers and transformational leaders. This commitment is reflected in our experiential learning programs, including Project Term, International Exchange, and weekly Service Learning.
Project Term
Started in 1975, Project Term is a one-of-a-kind program that helps students expand their worldview and explore their place and purpose on this earth. Each year, all students in grades 9-12 participate in this seven-month program, using design thinking to explore complex global issues in partnership with diverse organizations and experts around the world, from Pontiac to Peru.
The highlight of the program is a weeklong field study each March, when students travel to their partner site for an immersive experience that invites them to step outside their comfort zone, explore new cultures and communities, and work alongside nonprofit organizations and experts addressing issues such as climate change, homelessness, educational equity, and forced migration. After returning from the field study, students create a magazine, present to younger students, and develop initiatives to apply their learning at home.
Over their time in the Upper School, students have the opportunity to participate in four different transformational Project Term experiences. For many students, these experiences form the foundation for their future studies and chosen vocation.
Service Learning
The Service Learning program is an integral part of Sacred Heart education, helping students cultivate social awareness that inspires them to take an active role in the community. Each Thursday morning, students in Grades 10–12 head to their yearlong service placement. Service placements include local school classrooms, an animal shelter, a Hispanic outreach center, local farms, and area food banks. This weekly commitment to service helps students develop compassion, critical thinking, and leadership.
Freshmen participate in Grade 9 Seminar during the Thursday service block. As a group, they explore sacred spaces in our community, visit different service placements, and strengthen their bonds as a class.
International Exchange
For many years, the Network of Sacred Heart Schools has supported a unique student exchange program. The program offers educational, social, and cultural enrichment for both the visiting student and the members of the host school. The opportunity to live and study in another part of the United States or in another country can have a lasting impact on each student’s life. It provides an experience of personal growth in an atmosphere of wise freedom and advances the global Sacred Heart mission.
We invite you to explore the full range of Upper School opportunities—from our cross-age Mentor Program and future-ready Mobile Learning Technology Program to competitive athletics, creative performing arts, mission-driven spiritual life, leadership-focused student government, and interest-based student-led clubs. These programs reflect our commitment to developing confident, compassionate young women. We hope you’ll visit campus to experience our community in person.