About Carden Academy
Carden Academy is a co-educational, non-sectarian, independent school with a student body of approximately three hundred students in Preschool through Grade 8. Our main campus in Santa Clara is situated in a lovely neighborhood setting on the corner of Homestead Road and San Tomas Expressway. At this location, we share the campus (but are not affiliated with) the First Presbyterian Church of Santa Clara. Our spacious Almaden campus, near Meridian Ave and Highway 85, is currently accepting Kindergarten enrollment only.
Mae Carden established the first Carden School® in 1934 in New York City. She developed the Carden Method in response to what she perceived as a decline in understanding in progressive education. She demonstrated that children can gain an understanding of their own language and attain the ability to use it correctly when reading, listening, speaking, or writing. Her goal was to teach children to think; her main techniques were analysis and rhythm. There are over 80 schools in the United States currently utilizing the Carden Method as their educational foundation; they all use “Carden” in their names to signify their teaching philosophy.
The original Carden school of Silicon Valley was founded in 1973, called Carden El Encanto Day School. Over the years, a number of other Carden Method schools were also opened in the area, including Carden Preparatory Academy of Santa Clara, founded by our current school President Kristin Rao. In 1985, Mrs. Rao merged her school with Carden El Encanto, renaming the combined school Carden School of Santa Clara, which is now known as Carden Academy of Santa Clara. In 2011, she opened her second location, Carden Academy Almaden, for Kindergarten enrollment with the goal of adding subsequent grades as students matriculate through the curriculum.
The Carden Educational Foundation
The Carden Educational Foundation, organized in 1962, is a non-profit organization dedicated to teaching and publishing the Carden Curriculum to over 80 schools in the United States as well as numerous tutors and home-school educators. The Foundation engages in an ongoing program of development in keeping with current advancements in education, providing a Carden credential program for teachers and overseeing the integrity of the curriculum taught in schools across the country. Each Carden School is independently owned and operated. Carden is not a franchise. For more information on the Carden Educational Foundation, please visit their website at www. cardenschool.org.
Carden Academy’s current President and former Vice-Principal Kristin Rao was recently elected as Vice President of the Carden Educational Foundation. Mrs. Rao, a Carden graduate, had the honor and privilege of being taught by Miss Mae Carden, who was the founder and creator of the Carden Method.
Carden Academy is a co-educational, non-sectarian, independent school with a student body of approximately three hundred students in Preschool through Grade 8. Our main campus in Santa Clara is situated in a lovely neighborhood setting on the corner of Homestead Road and San Tomas Expressway. At this location, we share the campus (but are not affiliated with) the First Presbyterian Church of Santa Clara. Our spacious Almaden campus, near Meridian Ave and Highway 85, is currently accepting Kindergarten enrollment only.
Mae Carden established the first Carden School® in 1934 in New York City. She developed the Carden Method in response to what she perceived as a decline in understanding in progressive education. She demonstrated that children can gain an understanding of their own language and attain the ability to use it correctly when reading, listening, speaking, or writing. Her goal was to teach children to think; her main techniques were analysis and rhythm. There are over 80 schools in the United States currently utilizing the Carden Method as their educational foundation; they all use “Carden” in their names to signify their teaching philosophy.
The original Carden school of Silicon Valley was founded in 1973, called Carden El Encanto Day School. Over the years, a number of other Carden Method schools were also opened in the area, including Carden Preparatory Academy of Santa Clara, founded by our current school President Kristin Rao. In 1985, Mrs. Rao merged her school with Carden El Encanto, renaming the combined school Carden School of Santa Clara, which is now known as Carden Academy of Santa Clara. In 2011, she opened her second location, Carden Academy Almaden, for Kindergarten enrollment with the goal of adding subsequent grades as students matriculate through the curriculum.
The Carden Educational Foundation
The Carden Educational Foundation, organized in 1962, is a non-profit organization dedicated to teaching and publishing the Carden Curriculum to over 80 schools in the United States as well as numerous tutors and home-school educators. The Foundation engages in an ongoing program of development in keeping with current advancements in education, providing a Carden credential program for teachers and overseeing the integrity of the curriculum taught in schools across the country. Each Carden School is independently owned and operated. Carden is not a franchise. For more information on the Carden Educational Foundation, please visit their website at www. cardenschool.org.
Carden Academy’s current President and former Vice-Principal Kristin Rao was recently elected as Vice President of the Carden Educational Foundation. Mrs. Rao, a Carden graduate, had the honor and privilege of being taught by Miss Mae Carden, who was the founder and creator of the Carden Method.