Matteo Ricci Program
O’Dea High School has a longstanding history in partnership with Seattle University to offer College in the Classroom credits. Matteo Ricci Institute offers three Humanities degrees and a minor, with the purpose of forming more humane persons and to promote justice in our shared world. Students currently have an opportunity to earn 20 college credits with an official transcript from Seattle University. These courses are available at the 11-12th grades and taught by O’Dea faculty, with collaboration and oversight from Seattle University faculty. Current courses include Poverty in America Honors, English 12 Honors, and Calculus 1 & 2. O’Dea is the first area high school to offer STEM credits, beginning with College in the Classroom credits for Calculus 1 and 2 at Seattle University. To learn more about Matteo Ricci, click here. For questions regarding Matteo Ricci at O’Dea, please contact Lucas Dobbs, Assistant Principal of Academics.
Matteo Ricci Partnership Goals
Offering a model where students can earn college credit without taking a high stakes exam at the end of the class will allow teachers to tailor their instruction to meet the needs of our students. This also makes earning college credits more equitable, with more students having access to college credits before they leave high school. Our goal is to be in a place where all students attending O’Dea High School have an opportunity to earn up to 20 college level courses upon graduation. As we strive to reach this goal, we may offer fewer AP courses in an attempt to provide more options for Matteo Ricci courses.
Partnership Benefits
This model helps us provide a responsive education for our students. Teachers align the course objectives with the Seattle University course, and work with college professors to choose instructional methods that provide a high level of rigor while also meeting the needs of individual learning styles.