Incarnate Word Academy

Incarnate Word Academy A Catholic college preparatory for young women in the heart of Downtown Houston The Sisters arrived from France and settled in Brownsville in 1853.

Incarnate Word Academy has been owned and operated by the Congregation of the Sisters of the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament since 1873. Sisters from a foundation made in Victoria came to Houston in April of 1873 and months later, they opened the doors to Incarnate Word Academy, the oldest Catholic high school in Houston. In 1878, a state of Texas charter empowered Incarnate Word Academy to i

ssue diplomas. Today, the Academy is fully accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools and the Texas Catholic Conference Education Department. The Academy is also a member of the National Catholic Education Association. The Congregation appoints and authorizes the president and the principal of the high school to carry out this responsibility. The Incarnate Word Academy's Board of Advisors assists in the continued growth of the high school. For Alumnae:
https://www.facebook.com/IWAAlumnae

Happy Feast of Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta! 💙 🕊️
09/05/2026

Happy Feast of Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta! 💙 🕊️

At IWA, the hallways occasionally transform into a bowling alley! 🎳Dr. Daponte takes a unique approach to teaching his l...
09/04/2026

At IWA, the hallways occasionally transform into a bowling alley! 🎳

Dr. Daponte takes a unique approach to teaching his lesson on constant velocity: the girls line up in the hallway, armed with stopwatches, to time when the bowling ball passes by. All of the stopwatches are started when the ball begins to roll down the hall. As the ball passes each checkpoint, they stop their timer. ⏱️

The girls then compile the data on a distance/time graph, where the graphed line indicates constant velocity and zero acceleration. This hands-on approach helps make an abstract concept much easier to understand! 📈

Say hello to our new Principal, Chrissy Gensheimer! ❤️Mrs. Gensheimer has been working in education for 29 years, and in...
09/04/2026

Say hello to our new Principal, Chrissy Gensheimer! ❤️

Mrs. Gensheimer has been working in education for 29 years, and in private education for 25 years. She has been married to her husband for 27 years, and they have two sons. Mrs. Gensheimer is an active member of her parish, Holy Ghost, and has been singing at 5 p.m. Mass for 30 years—and her father has been the guitarist for 40 years! 🏫 🎤

“I have been really impressed with the faculty and staff here at IWA!” She says, “Everyone has been so positive and excited for the year; everyone wants to do amazing things for the girls. I am really looking forward to learning something new every day and challenging myself to grow this year!” 🧑‍🏫 🍎

“Two of my role models are my father and my grandmother. My father taught me to have an incredibly strong work ethic and do anything I can to take care of my children, like how he took care of me and my brother. My grandmother taught me to always serve other people, which I try to do every day at work.” ❤️

Some fun facts about Mrs. Gensheimer are: zebras are her favorite animal, she loves Disneyworld, Star Wars, and likes to visit the Houston Zoo on Sunday mornings! 🦓

Welcome, Mrs. Gensheimer, we are so excited to have you join IWA as our new Principal!

Maya R., ‘27, spent part of her summer at Boston College, participating in the Sports Management Institute program! Duri...
09/04/2026

Maya R., ‘27, spent part of her summer at Boston College, participating in the Sports Management Institute program! During her 2-week session, she took a handful of courses, including Business and Leadership; Finance; Government; Creative Writing; Intro to Psychology; and Design Thinking. 🏀 💸

“I learned how the sports industry operated through topics like marketing, promotions, how to manage athletes and teams, and about brand management. I also learned the business strategies behind professional and collegiate athletics—it was really cool! We had incredible guest speakers from the NCAA Division 1 Boston College Athletic Department, toured the athletic facilities at Boston College, and we even got to tour Fenway Park!” Maya shared. ⚾

What an incredible summer experience—more stories like this coming soon! ❤️

This summer, Kara B. ‘27, Leah H. ‘27, Madeline P. ‘27, and Ashlynn R. ‘28, attended LYS - Louisiana Youth Seminar, a we...
09/03/2026

This summer, Kara B. ‘27, Leah H. ‘27, Madeline P. ‘27, and Ashlynn R. ‘28, attended LYS - Louisiana Youth Seminar, a week-long leadership development camp in Louisiana founded by Ms. Jo Pease, a former IWA Board Member and one of the Academy’s biggest supporters. IWA students have been attending LYS for more than 8 years and have loved their experiences: “LYS was a transformative experience. I will always value the friendships I made and the new ways I learned how to be a leader.” Madeline P. shared. ❤️ ⭐

Kara B. said, “At LYS, I learned how to become a better communicator, how to set realistic goals, how to effectively run a meeting, and many other skills. It was so much fun and I learned a lot!”

“My favorite activity was the mock election, because it was so fun to see everyone really get into the role of a political candidate and use what we learned on how to campaign successfully and give good speeches,” Leah H. said. 💬

Through this year’s theme, No Man is an Island, attendees discovered the impact they can make by leading and serving others, which ties in perfectly to IWA’s Young Leaders Program! “At LYS, I found a community that fulfilled my desire to put myself out there and grow in my confidence,” Ashlynn R. shared.

IWA is the Heart of Leadership! ❤️

Chloe B., ‘27, participated in the Level Up Summer Internship, under the guidance of Harris County Precinct 2 Adrian Gar...
09/01/2026

Chloe B., ‘27, participated in the Level Up Summer Internship, under the guidance of Harris County Precinct 2 Adrian Garcia’s Commissioner's Office, where she worked in Internal Affairs and Communications! 💬

“During this internship, I was able to meet Lina Hidalgo and other commissioners for Harris County, including Rodney Ellis and Adrian Garcia, which was really exciting! I was able to gain a good understanding of how these leaders help take care of Houston, especially by spending time in their Risk Management Department and sitting in on meetings with them.” Chloe said. “I also learned a lot about how people at Houston TranStar facility monitor storms and possible threats to the city, it was super interesting!” 🤝 ⛈️ 🏙️

“This was an amazing opportunity to learn things about Houston that I didn’t know, and to see how many people contribute to keep Houston great!”

Incredible summer experiences like these are all thanks to our College Counseling Department and the hard work of Dr. P-D here at IWA—her work with our students is invaluable! ❤️

The 2026–2027 Annual Fund is underway! ❤️By supporting the Annual Fund, our students will be prepared for college and to...
08/31/2026

The 2026–2027 Annual Fund is underway! ❤️

By supporting the Annual Fund, our students will be prepared for college and to live a life of purpose, leadership, and faith. Every gift, regardless of size, makes a difference—donate to the Annual Fund today! 🫶

🔗 bit.ly/IWAAnnualFund26-27

On Wednesday evening, our beautiful campus was filled with excitement and energy as Falcon parents came together for Fol...
08/28/2026

On Wednesday evening, our beautiful campus was filled with excitement and energy as Falcon parents came together for Follow Your Daughter Night! They followed their daughters’ schedules, met their teachers, and got a closer look at the various projects and experiences that their daughters will participate in throughout the year. 🎒📚

The strong turnout was a wonderful reminder that when families and our school come together, students are empowered to learn, grow and thrive! ❤️

📸 Photos by Olivia D., ‘27, and Sadie M., ‘28

This summer, Camila S., ’28, attended the NSLC - National Student Leadership Conference for Business and Entrepreneurshi...
08/27/2026

This summer, Camila S., ’28, attended the NSLC - National Student Leadership Conference for Business and Entrepreneurship at Columbia University! 👩‍💼

“At NSLC, I had the incredible opportunity to explore New York City, Columbia University’s campus, tour companies at the World Trade Center, and attend lectures led by real CEOs and business professionals,” Camila said. “Throughout the program, I learned about finance, marketing, negotiations, entrepreneurship, and how to create professional connections. I also connected with students from all over the world and formed lifelong friendships, making the program both educational and unforgettable! This was one of the best opportunities I have ever experienced!” 💸 💼

More Summer Experiential Learning stories are coming soon—stay tuned! ❤️

Address

609 Crawford Street
Houston, TX
77002

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 3pm
Tuesday 8am - 3pm
Wednesday 8am - 3pm
Thursday 8am - 3pm
Friday 8am - 3pm

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