HATHAWAY BROWN - LEARNING FOR LIFE

Learning for life

Hathaway Brown’s signature approach inspires students

By SHANNON SMITH

Crain’s Content Studio-Cleveland

Since its inception in 1876, Hathaway Brown School has worked to maintain its original mission, “Non scholae sed vitae discimus,” which translated from Latin is “We learn not for school but for life.”

This motto has served for the last 146 years as the guiding principle of the school’s education methods, which focus on preparing students with dynamic academic and social opportunities that will lead to success in and out of the classroom.

Located in Shaker Heights, the school grounds feature an IDEA (Innovation, Design, Engineering, Art) Lab, performing arts center, adventure learning obstacle courses and more. However, the appeal of the 16-acre campus goes beyond its exterior, according to students and school leaders.

HB’s Learn for Life Approach has four core pillars: Distinguished Academics; Fellowships in Applied Studies; Celebrated Community; and Empowered Girls.

The pillars are intended to highlight a collective experience that encourages a student’s individual development along with academic success.

“The Learn for Life Approach has made me confident to lead as a young woman,” said HB senior Desi Neal. “It has enhanced my communication skills and helped me gain the confidence to believe that I can achieve goals in both local and higher education settings.”

Distinguished academics

The core of this approach is rooted in encouraging young women to explore multiple areas of education through diverse courses and experiential learning.

HB — which is an all-girls’ school serving kindergarten through 12th grades, along with a coed infant and childhood center and early childhood program — offers a variety of classes for different age groups in subjects ranging from computer science and engineering to world languages and more. The goal is to provide a solid foundation of knowledge for students to enhance not only their skills, but their confidence. “Whether it’s a challenging history debate, literary discussions or science labs … you see how much our students are able to explore and create, and the incredible levels they are able to reach,” said Middle School director Sharon Baker.

Fellowships in applied studies

HB’s nationally recognized high school program also offers elective fellowships in business and finance, global citizenship and social justice, engineering and creative arts, to name a few. Students have the freedom to choose the fellowships they want to pursue and are then matched with a mentor to guide them through the four-year program, with a maximum student to mentor ratio of 5:1.

“We really encourage students to just try out different things,” said Scott Parsons, who is a part of HB’s Upper School English Department and director of Osborne Fellowships in Writing, director of Fellowships and Applied Studies and the William McKinley & Jessie M. Osborne Chair for the Writing Center.

“You might think of yourself as a poet but why not try a business and finance class one year just to see,” he said. “Even if you don’t love it, you’re still going to find some new tools and new ways of thinking.”

Celebrated community

Along with developing quality relationships among themselves, students are encouraged to become involved within their school community and beyond. One such example is the Young Writers and Artists Festival, which offers Cleveland-area high school girls workshops in poetry, fiction and creative nonfiction.

Students can work with a professional writer and other young writers in a small workshop setting.

Additionally, the student-founded foundation GROW (Girls Reaching Others Worldwide) puts girls in positions to lead community fundraising opportunities. Students oversee proposal writing, the awarding of grants and cultivating student philanthropic interests. students succeed academically, HB is devoted to providing girls with opportunities to grow as empowered young women and leaders. The academic and social environment is designed to encourage students to express themselves and their passions, whether it’s in the debate club, on the field or in the computer lab.

“This empowerment was possible because of the confidence that was demonstrated to me as an HB student,” said Desi, who was elected as class president. “I’ve been empowered through sports, various clubs, and the educational schedule, which caters to each individual student at the school. The staff and mentors at HB provide the tools needed to empower every student to be the best they can be.”

Address: 19600 North Park Blvd., Shaker Heights Grades Served: All-girls K-12, Co-ed Infant and Toddler Center and Early Childhood Program Total Enrollment: 830 Annual Tuition: $3,800-$35,200; Flexible tuition available in K-12 Average Class Size: 16 Year Established: 1876

TOP SCHOOL LEADERSHIP:

· Fran Bisselle, head of school · Sheri Homany, associate head of school · Valerie Hughes, chief financial officer · Elizabeth Pinkerton, director of enrollment management · Clarke Leslie, director of advancement · Kendra Davis, director of marketing

TOP BOARD LEADERSHIP:

· Helen Rankin Butler ’87, president · Elizabeth DeMarco Novak ’77, vice president · Edward S. Pentecost, treasurer · Margaret Roberts, secretary