Advent Episcopal School Receives AISA Blue Ribbon and President’s Awards for 2025–2026

Advent Episcopal School has once again been recognized for excellence by the Alabama Independent School Association (AISA), receiving both the Blue Ribbon Award and the President’s Award for the 2025–2026 school year.

This year’s recognition marks the 10th AISA President’s Award Advent has received in the past 11 years. Director of Finance and Operations, Gil Brandon, accepted the awards on behalf of the school from Executive Director Michael McClendon at the AISA Annual Meeting.

While each award recognizes a different aspect of school excellence, together they reflect the work that takes place across Advent every day. The AISA Blue Ribbon Award recognizes schools with exemplary educational programs, with consideration given to scholastic achievement, professional learning, student engagement, and community involvement. The President’s Award recognizes one school in each academic classification for accomplishments in academics, professional development, extracurricular programs, and school improvement.

For Advent, that work begins in the classroom. Our faculty and staff are committed to creating an environment where students are challenged academically while also encouraged to ask questions, pursue new interests, collaborate with others, and take ownership of their learning. From the early grades through eighth grade, students have opportunities to grow as thinkers, communicators, creators, and members of their community.

That approach is part of a tradition that stretches back to 1950, when Ouida McWhorter founded Advent with seven students in the basement of the Cathedral Church of the Advent. Seventy-five years later, the school remains rooted in downtown Birmingham while continuing to evolve with the needs of today's students and families.

Advent's educational experience includes a broad range of opportunities beyond traditional academics, including visual and performing arts, French language learning, and experiential learning through Discover BHAM, which connects students with the city around them. The school's intentional approach to technology, including its longstanding cell-phone-free environment, reflects a continued focus on meaningful engagement and the relationships that support learning.

Receiving the Blue Ribbon and President's Awards for another year is an opportunity to recognize the people behind that work. Faculty and staff bring expertise, creativity, and care to their classrooms. Students contribute curiosity, energy, and a willingness to take on challenges. Families and the broader Advent community help make the school's mission possible.

As Advent looks to its next 75 years, the goal remains much bigger than earning another award. It is about continuing to provide an education that helps students discover their strengths, engage thoughtfully with the world around them, and grow into confident and compassionate members of their communities.

We are grateful to the faculty, staff, students, families, and alumni who continue to shape Advent and make this recognition possible.

Learn more about Advent Episcopal School, our 75-year history, and the vision guiding our future through the links below.