Five years ago, a former Ida Crown Jewish Academy (ICJA) parent and board member approached the school with an idea to help increase student connection and engagement, as well as help with future enrollment. His recommendation was to focus on separate gender programming, specifically starting with the girls. He felt that this type of programming would create meaningful opportunities for involvement in leadership roles and activities, connection to other students and to the school, and pride in being an ICJA student. He also felt that this type of program would appeal to parents whose children had been enrolled in non-coed elementary schools, providing a more comfortable landing for them. What began as an experimental program has grown into a cornerstone of our culture, reshaping the student experience and strengthening the school communit