Virtues in Practice (VIP) Award - Honoring Diane Jacobus
On October 8, 2016, Intellectual Virtues Academy (IVA) hosted its Annual Benefit Gala Event to over 150 Long Beach community partners. This Gala is intended to raise the essential funds needed to maintain optimal class sizes, attract and retain exceptional faculty including a full time counselor for under 200 students (unheard of in secondary schools), and enhance its first-rate curriculum for all grade levels. IVA needs to raise $60,000 a year in order to provide this level of excellence to our families.
This year we gave a Virtues In Practice [VIP] Award, an annual award given by Intellectual Virtues Academy to a person or organization whose contribution to our Long Beach community demonstrates the personal qualities of a good thinker or learner and reflect a thoughtful response to a challenge or opportunity. The goals of the award are to promote the intellectual virtues in leadership through recognizing their application and to honor a leader who epitomizes IVA’s mission - to foster meaningful growth in intellectual character virtues - the personal qualities of an excellent thinker or learner.
This year's Gala featured an introduction by Founding Principal Jacquie Bryant entitled 'Why IVA?', a story of student growth by English teacher Ian McCurry, and a memoir of her middle school years by 8th grade student Hannah Wells. These stories paved the way for our Virtues In Practice Award, this year given to Diane Jacobus.
Intellectual Virtues Academy of Long Beach is celebrating its fourth operational year with the inaugural presentation of the Virtues In Practice [VIP] Award. We are thrilled to present our first VIP award honoring the tremendous impact that Diane Jacobus has had on youth, families, and education in Long Beach.
Diane embodies intellectual tenacity, to embrace intellectual challenge and struggle when it means making life better for individuals. She described her own roles in empowering others to take on an intellectual autonomy, to be self-directed in their thinking and how to use their resources - and when the resources aren't there - to create them. Diana has given her life to individuals and the community with a continuous desire to learn from other cultures and to seek collaboration together.
Diana Jacobus is curious and our city is the better for it.
Through her long history in the city of Long Beach, Diane Jacobus served as Senior Advisor to Long Beach Mayor Beverly O’Neill, joining her staff in 1994. Diane was the Mayor’s lead staff member interacting with the League of California Cities, the Port of Long Beach, our Sister Cities, youth and education, homelessness, diversity, and the faith based communities. Among her many accomplishments and board positions, Diane is also the founding member of the Long Beach Public Library Foundation and the Long Beach Non-Profit Partnership. It is these shared values--the willingness to embrace intellectual challenges through a strong sense of community marked by collaboration, empowerment, and intentional openness and respect--that IVA honors in the work of Diane Jacobus. Intellectual Virtues Academy, is grateful to learn and live well in a city that values diversity, growth, and community.
If you were not able to attend the Gala but would like to contribute to IVA, please mail a check (payable to Intellectual Virtues Academy) to our main office or click to donate on our PayPal account below. Every gift you provide helps us to continue our quality educational program. All donations are fully tax-deductible, and we encourage our families to patronize these businesses who contribute to the success of our events.