An Institute for Teaching and Learning Expanding our role as a global resource in education Carolina Friends School has for five decades built an educational program that honors the authentic voice of children in their own learning and supports teachers in honing their craft — and leaders in the educational field have taken note. In addition to impacting over 500 students and their families each year in our learning community, we have also created programs expanding our outreach into the community, through both our Extended Learning and Peaceful Schools, NC programs. The time is now ripe to create a unique hub for teaching innovation and the development of global citizenship, guided by the years of experience and driven by the mission of Carolina Friends School. As part of our strategic vision, we will develop a new institute for teaching and learning. It will gather and grow existing efforts in Extended Learning (including Summer Programs and enrichment courses), Peaceful Schools NC, staff professional development, and global learning. It will also serve as an incubator for new signature educational programs. This will make elements of our extraordinary educational approach
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We & Thee | Winter 2020
more visible and accessible to other schools and organizations, provide new and deeper experiences for inquiry and leadership for our students and staff, and enhance revenue for the School. Our teachers will benefit from a support structure for the incubation of new ideas and initiatives and intercultural exchanges. Our current students and families will benefit from new opportunities for travel, learning, and leadership. The institute will afford our alumni and other community members new avenues for engagement. It will also strengthen our ability to attract prospective families by communicating the value of our educational model through visible leadership in the educational community. Work to create this institute has already begun. A full-time position was created this year to provide administrative support for the existing initiatives now gathered under the umbrella of the institute and to coordinate our Summer Programs. Ruthie Allen, a UNC-Chapel Hill graduate and summer Leadership Team veteran has brought a deep respect for Quaker values, abundant energy, and creative new ideas to the role. In addi-
Extended Learning
Innovation Incubator
Institute for Teaching and Learning Professional Development
Peaceful Schools
Global Initiatives
60 Last year, around 60 educators visited Carolina Friends School, from as far away as China, Ecuador, and Germany.
