IVA’s mission is to create and sustain an atmosphere that inspires significant growth in “intellectual character virtues,” which are the personal qualities of an excellent thinker, inquirer, or student. Intellectual character virtues include curiosity, wonder, attentiveness, intellectual carefulness, intellectual thoroughness, intellectual autonomy, creativity, open- mindedness, intellectual humility, and intellectual perseverance.
IVA’s vision is for a small, intellectual virtues-based learning community that is uniquely personal, relational, reflective, active, and academically rigorous. This community will equip all students to think carefully, critically, and creatively. IVA graduates will be on their way to becoming lifelong learners, having productive and successful careers, and living lives of meaning and wisdom.