She will thrive.
our mission
Columbus School for Girls empowers girls to discover their distinct potential as learners and leaders.
Dear Columbus School for Girls Community,
For more than 125 years, Columbus School for Girls has been the premier educational institution for central Ohio’s most promising young women. We have maintained this position of strength through a steadfast commitment to our mission, by living our core values, and by embracing our belief in the endless capacity of girls.
It is fitting that as we imagine the future of our beloved school, that we remain centered on our delivery of an excellent, and world-class, academic and co-curricular experience for the girls and young women we serve. She Will Thrive: Leading With Excellence, CSG’s new strategic plan, is our vision for the future of our school. In these pages, you will see our collective commitments to equipping our students with the knowledge, tools and skills they need to thrive in an ever changing world.
To thrive means being prepared for whatever comes your way, believing in your own efficacy to impact change and recognizing your own agency to use one’s voice to create the world as it should be. Thriving does not mean the absence of hardship, but rather it articulates the stick-with-it-ness that our young women need to navigate a world that is ever evolving.
We commit to developing girls who thrive–who confidently put their wellbeing first; who are curious about the world and embrace opportunities for deep intellectual challenge; who operate with integrity and have the discipline needed to realize their goals; who embrace the productive struggle of meaningful learning and recognize the inherent value of a community of sisters; who believe in the power of diversity, equity and inclusion, acknowledging the strength that comes with embracing difference with empathy; who persist through challenge with optimism and courage, and know that there are always opportunities to grow. These are the CSG thrivers of tomorrow–what a bright future ahead for all of us as they come to know their power and use it to change the world.
She Will Thrive is our commitment to our students, to our school, to our community and to our work in relentless pursuit of our mission to empower girls to discover their distinct potential as learners and leaders. She Will Thrive not only represents our vision for our students, but it is also our commitment to CSG. CSG will thrive and we will work together, as a community, towards ensuring that She remains the crown jewel in education in Columbus for many generations to come.
This plan is both comprehensive and collaborative for it was developed through the collected voices of our full community. Thank you for your thoughts and ideas, for your questions and for your participation in creating this shared vision for CSG. We look forward to going on this exciting journey with you!
We embrace this challenging and invigorating work with the spirit of our founders, and with the strength and grace required to answer the difficult questions, to seek the innovative solutions, and to create an inspiring future for not only our school, but for girls and women in our community, and for central Ohio as a whole. We step into this new dawn of our school’s story, anchored in a rich legacy, and confidently embracing a bright and bold future.
In Strength & Grace,
Camille Seals P’30’35 Head of School
thrive. She will
An Anchored Legacy
Core Values
Since 1898, CSG’s core values and mission have helped generations of girls and young women find their voice and know their power. They are at the heart of a CSG education.
Girls First
We prioritize the needs of girls and young women and keep them at the center of everything we do.
Academic Excellence
We create premier programming to empower girls to think critically, lead confidently, and innovate courageously.
Lifelong Learning
We continuously evolve our curriculum and augment it with ongoing professional development to best meet the needs of tomorrow’s students.
Community
We build a supportive sisterhood that celebrates the innate power and potential of girlhood.
Inclusivity
We commit to ensuring that all our community members feel safe, connected, and respected.
Growth Mindset
We challenge ourselves and our girls to achieve beyond expectations and persevere through difficulty.
For a Bold Future
Our Vision
To realize our future where every girl will have the knowledge and the tools to learn, lead, and change the world, these are the commitments we make.
we commit to
bolster institutional excellence
We commit to bolster CSG as a model of institutional excellence in girls’ education.
develop global leaders
We commit to develop globally-minded learners and empathetic leaders to thrive in the 21st century.
nurture minds & bodies foster connections
We commit to nurture vibrant minds and bodies to know and fully realize their power.
cultivate belonging
We commit to foster connections within CSG, our alumnae, greater Columbus, and the world beyond.
We commit to create a culture that cultivates a profound sense of belonging.
1
Bolster Institutional Excellence
We commit to establishing CSG as a model of excellence in girls’ education. Our vision is rooted in the belief that every student deserves an environment emphasizing individualized attention and plentiful opportunities. We achieve this through our comprehensive enrollment plan, which balances these elements to ensure each girl will thrive. By promoting our distinctive academic approach and investing in future-ready facilities to meet evolving student and faculty needs, we’re setting a new standard for leadership, learning, and success.
Priorities
Implement a comprehensive enrollment plan that allows CSG to operate efficiently and balances individualized attention and plentiful opportunities.
Articulate and share CSG’s distinctive approach to academic excellence to increase the school’s visibility as a first-rate institution and a thought leader in girls’ education.
Develop a comprehensive financial plan to ensure CSG’s long-term sustainability.
Develop a multi-phased plan to ensure CSG’s campuses, facilities, and infrastructure meet the evolving needs of our students and faculty.
2 Develop Global Learners & Leaders
We commit to developing globally-minded learners and empathetic leaders. Our plan achieves this by offering balanced academics, enhancing innovation programs, and investing in our incredible people. CSG devotes itself to supporting exceptional faculty who model collaboration and innovation, preparing our girls for global success.
Priorities
Cultivate a balanced academic and co-curricular offering that equips girls to thrive among a global peer set.
Bolster programming within the Institute for Innovation and Leadership and its centers to foster dynamic, forward-thinking changemakers.
Recruit, retain, develop, and support exceptional faculty and staff who model collaborative ways of teaching and innovating.
We commit to nurturing vibrant minds and bodies and empowering girls to realize their full potential. Bringing together a balanced curriculum, a supportive environment, and wellness initiatives can empower girls to reach their fullest potential. By investing in minds and bodies, we can promote intellectual growth, physical health, and emotional well-being.
3 Nurture Vibrant Minds & Bodies
Priorities
Integrate social-emotional learning needs into the curriculum and facilities master plan, prioritizing wellness in CSG’s ongoing work.
Equip family members and caregivers with tools and knowledge to support girls in their educational journeys and beyond.
Create a comprehensive professional development program for our educators emphasizing best social, emotional, and physical health and wellness practices.
4 Foster Connections
We commit to fostering connections within CSG, with our alumnae, and beyond. Our remarkable history was developed by the trailblazers and changemakers who have walked our halls. Through our shared mission, we’ll build a strong community, enhance alumnae engagement through shared programs, and forge partnerships that offer students hands-on learning and leadership opportunities globally.
Priorities
Cultivate a strong sense of community within CSG by ensuring students, family members, and educators have numerous opportunities to connect and engage.
Increase engagement with our esteemed alumnae through mutually supported and mutually beneficial programming.
Establish relationships with local, national, and global organizations to provide students with a variety of hands-on leading, learning, and serving opportunities (beyond the walls of CSG).
5 Create a Culture of Belonging
We commit to creating a culture that cultivates a profound sense of belonging. CSG is the best place for girls, built on a foundation that honors their unique needs and broadens their perspectives. To support this, we will attract a diverse, mission-aligned community of students, faculty, and staff dedicated to implementing our diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging initiatives. Together, we will engage all CSG members in developing and strengthening this inclusive culture.
Priorities
Promote an ethos that honors and serves girls’ unique needs and experiences.
Integrate opportunities throughout the curriculum in which girls see themselves and are challenged to broaden their perspectives.
Develop a comprehensive plan to attract and retain a diverse missionaligned faculty, staff, and student body.
Design diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging initiatives that invite all CSG constituency groups to engage and participate in establishing an inclusive culture.
Our Process Research
& Discovery
Fall 2023
Mission Minded and Columbus School for Girls (CSG) kicked off the strategic planning engagement in September of 2023 by agreeing upon goals, a process, and a work plan. The process was guided by a carefully selected Steering Committee, with each member contributing a unique perspective to the work.
After a comprehensive review of CSG’s strategic documents, Mission Minded conducted 12 in-depth interviews with members of the CSG community. Building on the qualitative insights, Mission Minded developed and fielded an online survey to better understand the community’s current perceptions of CSG. In total, 729 students, staff, alumnae, and families shared their opinions. At the end of this phase, Mission Minded shared the key strategic opportunities that emerged based on the discovery work.
Development
Winter 2023
In December 2023, during two days of work sessions on campus, the Steering Committee affirmed the strategic commitments enabling the broader CSG community, including faculty, staff, parents, and guardians to ideate about the initiatives needed to realize them. Subsequently, the entire CSG community was invited to participate in a second survey to prioritize the initiatives they hope the school will set forth. Based on this input, the final strategic plan was endorsed by the Steering Committee and presented to the Board of Trustees. It was unanimously approved on March 8th, 2024.
With Gratitude
Strategic Plan Steering Committee
Camille Seals P’30’35, Head of School
Carey Collins Krug P’29’33, Steering Committee Chair, Trustee
Anne Jeffrey Wright ’70, Steering Committee Chair, Trustee
Joseph Danielewicz, US Faculty
Aman Garcha P’23’27
Nicci Hicks P’32, Trustee
Jess Ketner ’02 P’30’34
Jen Li, PYC Faculty
Taylor Lint ’11, Trustee
Cesar Lopez P’32’35
Angie McLarty ’94 P’23’25, Administrator
Nikki Mesnard P’29
Lisa Meuse ’99 P’25’30, LS Faculty
Wynne Overton, Administrator
Joel Pizzuti P’37
Harshaw Satyapriya P’30’30, Staff
Cindy Skaruppa P’33’35, Legacy Council
Mindy Snyder ’93 P’24
Lynn Sweeney P’28, MS Faculty
Kamaya Prince Thompson P’30’37, Assistant Head of School
George Zarebski P’27’34
Board of Trustees
Liza Kessler ’86, Board Chair
Chris Olsen P’30’32’37, Treasurer & Finance Chair
Brandi Slaughter ’95, DEIB Committee Chair
Anne Jeffrey Wright ’70, Nominating & Board Governance Chair
Dr. Frederic Bertley
Lacey Greenwalt ’04
Nicci Hicks P’32
Honorable Denise Page Hood ’70
Carey Collins Krug P’29’33
Taylor Lint ’11
Partner with us to Realize the Vision
Partner with Columbus School for Girls to bring our strategic vision to life. Together, we can make a lasting impact in our community, central Ohio, and beyond. Join us in shaping the future for the next generation of leaders.
volunteer
Offer your time to our students and school. From classroom visits to events, your involvement is valued.
partner
Believe in the vision of Columbus School for Girls and help us give our students a brighter, bolder future.
participate
Join us and actively engage in our community programming and events. give Provide financial support that benefits our students and school. By giving back, you carry our legacy forward.
Help us identify partnerships and ways to be involved in the central Ohio community and beyond.
“This plan will bring CSG forward into a birghter, bolder future for girls.”
“It’s exciting to know that my voice mattered when creating this plan—that I will have a lasting impact on CSG when I graduate.”
—Sammy Kleinman ’25 Upper School President
“Through the Strategic Plan, we’re actively shaping the next generation of learners and leaders at CSG.”
—Kamaya Prince
Thompson P’30’30’37, Assistant Head of School
—Harshaw Satyapriya P’30’30, Assistant Director of
Admission
“The growth of CSG’s enrollment and endowment mean that the school has the opportunity enhance its programming around strengthened strategic initiatives. I’m thrilled to see Camille and the Administration aligning our resources to the school’s values and setting us up for a continued positive trajectory in the coming decade.”
—Chris Olsen P’30’32’37, Chair of the Board of Trustees
Columbus School for Girls