S T R AT E G Y T H R O U G H INQUIRY
www.germantownfriends.org | 215.951.2300 | 31 West Coulter Street, Philadelphia, PA 19144
CONTENTS 2
A LETTER TO THE FUTURE
4
A G U I D I N G C O M PA S S
6
INQUIRY LABS: A COMMUNITY DISCERNMENT PROCESS
8
QUAKER TRADITIONS MEET DESIGN THINKING METHODOLOGIES
10
A MAP OF MILESTONES
12
A CALL TO ACTION
14
BY THE NUMBERS
A LETTER TO THE FUTURE
WHY PLAN FOR THE
Future? W H Y DO A S T RAT E G I C V I S I ON I N G P R OC ES S AT A L L ?
Living organisms, unlike abiotic matter, share the ability to be adaptive and responsive, and it is this characteristic that has provided nature with the raw material to continue to adapt and respond, to ensure longevity and the future. Every healthy institution is in a constant state of inquiry and self-r eflection—examining its appr oach and raison d’etr e. Every so often, this pr ocess merits extra attention, coor dination and focus in or der to give all members of the community the chance to come together ar ound a shar ed understanding of the or ganization’s appr oach and dir ection.
2
S T R AT E G Y T H R O U G H I N Q U I R Y
GFS embarks on a for mal planning pr ocess using a framework for cr eative, community-wide r eflection that encourages us to think holistically about the educational experience we of fer while considering both our curr ent and futur e context. Our last strategic plan was completed in 2004, when our seniors wer e in Kinder garten. That was the year the tsunami devastated Southeast Asia, Howar d Dean’s pr esidential bid ended in a .96 second scr eam and Facebook was launched. Since then, climate change has pr ogr essed far faster than expected, the political stage has become dramatically mor e divided and Facebook has become a dinosaur in the social media ar ena. The pace of change is r emarkable and calls us to look mor e closely at the world in which our students will live and work. We begin this pr ocess on historical terra fir ma. For 171 years, GFS has pr ovided an extraor dinary education, gover ned and infor med by Quaker tradition. We will build on this history thr oughout our planning pr ocess, with the confidence that this context has consistently set us on the right track, seen us thr ough har dship and, most of all, pr ovided our graduates the foundation to lead fulfilling and meaningful lives. This will be a deliberative and inclusive pr ocess that is designed to draw on the wisdom of our extended community thr ough conversations about our strategic dir ection. IN DOING SO, WE WILL IMAGINE, ARTICULATE AND BECOME THE GFS OF THE FUTURE WHILE IMPACTING THE NATIONAL DISCOURSE ON EDUCATION.
Sincer ely,
Dana Weeks 3
A G U I D I N G C O M PA S S
WE WILL BE GUIDED BY OUR
Testimonies IN Q UI RY W I LL S I T AT T H E C EN T ER of our strategic
visioning pr ocess, and the Quaker testimonies will guide us in exploration and dialogue. The Germantown Friends School Faith & Practice booklet r eminds us that “our ef forts to live by these truths ar e a constant work in pr ogr ess,” and that “we continue to be open to seeing [them] evolve and change.” This is an opportunity to actively explor e how our testimonies can lead us in new dir ections.
4
S T R AT E G Y T H R O U G H I N Q U I R Y
P E AC E
Pe
S IMPLICIT Y
To stand against war and violence, pr omoting open
Si
To minimize the distractions that can draw our attention
discussion of dif fer ences,
away fr om what is important
understanding and tolerance.
in life, cr eating space for r eflection and balance.
INT E G R IT Y
In
Co
E Q U A LIT Y
To expr ess ourselves with openness and honesty in
Eq
To tr eat one another with mutual r espect and work against
pursuit of the truth.
pr ejudice and discrimination.
C O M M UNIT Y
S T E WA R D S H IP
To understand that many dif fer ent voices together bring forth wisdom that exceeds
St
To be r esponsible and pr oactive in pr otecting our world and one another.
any individual contribution.
Pe
Si
I N Q U I R Y I S AT St
I N Q UIRY
In
THE CENTER OF A PROCESS GUIDED BY OUR TESTIMONIES.
Co
Eq
5
INQUIRY LABS: A COMMUNITY DISCERNMENT PROCESS
INTRODUCING INQUIRY LABS We have identified thr ee primary ar eas of inquiry: our students, our composition and our context. Within each of these ar eas, we will explor e two specific topics thr ough a series of queries that encourage discussion, exploration and perhaps some pr ototyping or testing. This pr ocess will activate a pop-up laboratory of sorts, bringing members of our community together ar ound queries they find particularly r elevant or aligned with their inter ests.
WHOLE BEING
TEA CHI NG + L EA R NI NG
Si
S TU DE N TS
Pe St
In
EX
6
CO
T PU BLIC IMPACT
A CCESS + AF F OR DA B I L I T Y
MP
NT
OS
ITI
CO
LIVIN G SYSTEMS
ON
I NQ U IRY
Co
Eq
DI VER SI TY + I NTEG R ATI ON
S T R AT E G Y T H R O U G H I N Q U I R Y
OUR STUDENTS We begin with our students; they ar e at the heart of all we do.
WHO L E B E I N G
T E A CH ING + LE A R NING
Given that our students spend a significant portion
In considering the educational experience of our
of their childhood on our campus, their wellness
students, what ar e the pr ograms and practices
and well-being is, in lar ge measur e, our concer n.
we must explor e, enhance and cr eate in or der
We strive to help each of our students r ealize his
to pr ovide an experience that examines deeply
or her fullest physical, psychological, social and
and celebrates the human condition, such that all
spiritual potential. As a Quaker school, what
ideas, people and beliefs ar e worthily consider ed?
intentional practices, pr ograms, systems and vehicles must we cr eate and implement to ensur e this optimal state of well-being for our childr en as they gr ow, develop and matur e at GFS?
OUR COMPOSITION A diversity of voices r equir es a diversity of backgr ounds, and we want to ensur e that the GFS experience is accessible to all.
A C C E S S + A F FO R DAB ILIT Y
D IVE R S IT Y + INT E GR AT ION
Is GFS truly available to students of varied economic
What would a fully integrated, diverse
means? What r evenue model or tuition structur e
GFS community look like? What operating
would best support access to a GFS education for
methodology should be in place to set us on
childr en fr om the full range of economic strata?
a course to r ealize and sustain this vision?
OUR CONTEXT We ar e committed to making a distinctive contribution to the gr eater societal and envir onmental conditions.
LIVING S Y S TE M S
PU BLIC IMPA CT
How do we encourage, pr omote and pr otect
As an educational or ganization, how can we
the health of our physical spaces for the
enhance, cr eate and implement pr ogramming
better ment of the GFS and Ger mantown
to dir ectly serve our Ger mantown neighbors?
communities? How can we include envir onmental
How can we develop and institute exchange,
stewar dship in the educational experience
understanding and collaborative action between
of our students such that it r emains dynamic
our school and the br oader community?
and central to our school’s mission?
7
QUAKER TRADITIONS MEET DESIGN THINKING METHODOLOGIES
Activating INQUIRY LABS
Each of the six inquiry topics, or “Inquiry Labs,� will be facilitated by co-clerks. Together these 12 clerks for m the Working Gr oup, and will be r esponsible for or ganizing and hosting an ongoing series of small gatherings, discussions and meetings ar ound their queries. These conversations will be guided by many of the same principles employed by Meeting for Business or Meeting for Worship: r eflection, open-mindedness, listening and consensus building. The co-clerks will bring the findings, insights and r ecommendations gleaned thr ough the conversations they host to the Working Gr oup, wher e they will synthesize and codify their lear nings. We will then open up this conversation, inviting br oader participation fr om our community, and perhaps beyond, in a series of lar ger-scale events. These events will serve to shar e our thinking and dir ection on each of these queries within our community, as well as of fer an opportunity to test and r efine our ideas outside of our immediate community. To participate in a particular Inquiry Lab, please reach out to the co-clerks to join the conversation or request more infor mation via an email to InquiryLabs@ger mantownfriends.org.
8
S T R AT E G Y T H R O U G H I N Q U I R Y
CLE R KS W H O LE BEI NG
TEA CH I NG + LEA R NI NG
WITH A WORKING GROUP OF 12, THERE WILL BE TWO
LIVING SYSTEMS
A CCESS + A F F O R DA BI LI T Y
PUBLIC I M PA C T
DI VER SI TY + I NTEGR ATI O N
CLERKS LEADING EACH QUERY
EMPOWERED BY DESIGN THINKING TRA I N I N G F O R C LER KS
PILOT PR OJE CT S
Members of the Working Gr oup will
Pr ototyping is a part of the design
be given pr ofessional development
pr ocess and a way to test ideas quickly.
training on meeting facilitation,
We will take what comes out of the
clerking in the Quaker tradition and
discer nment pr ocess and begin to
Design Thinking befor e initiating
build mini models and pr ograms in
the Inquiry Lab pr ocess.
or der to lear n fr om their viability.
I N QU I RY LAB T O O LKIT S
ID E A S S A LONS
These boxes will be filled with
We will use these social R+D gatherings
design thinking tools, including
to accelerate new thinking, for m
pr ompts, exer cises, games and
strategic collaborations and launch
sets of car ds to encourage ideation
new opportunities. They will pr ovide
and new perspectives.
an opportunity to bring our ideas to a br oader national discourse.
9
A MAP OF MILESTONES
SLOW DOWN IN ORDER TO
Speed Up THIS I S A LO N G V I E W
Investing in the long view is the best way to bring r esilient new models to fruition. Thus, we ar e embarking on a jour ney that will draw on our community’s collective wisdom to define our strategic dir ection and open the
If I had 60 minutes to solve a problem and my life depended on it, I’d spend 55 minutes deter mining the right
way for us to begin to embody
question to ask. Once
a shar ed vision for the futur e.
I got the right question, I could easily answer it in five minutes. ALBERT EINSTEIN
10
A CALL TO ACTION
We cannot see what is “out there� merely by looking around. Everything depends on the lenses through which we view the world. By putting on new lenses, we can see things that would otherwise remain invisible.
PA R K E R J . PA L M E R The Courage to Teach: Exploring the Inner Landscape of a Teacher's Life
12
S T R AT E G Y T H R O U G H I N Q U I R Y
HOW TO ENGAGE
E N C A P S U L A T E W H O W E A R E T O D AY As we enter into this pr ocess of considering
community—perhaps artifacts that speak to our
and planning for our futur e, we would also like
times, even messages to futur e generations. The
to devote some time to r eflect upon who we
time capsule will r eside in a central location on
ar e today. Over the r emainder of the strategic
campus thr oughout the strategic planning pr ocess.
planning ef fort, the GFS community will be invited to contribute to a time capsule. The idea is to submit items that r eflect or r epr esent those things that we hold most dear about our school and
J O I N T H E C O N V E R S AT I O N OF TOMORROW One of the most important aspects of this particular
These forums will be managed by the Working
planning pr ocess is the involvement of all members
Gr oup clerks and accessible to our extended
of our community—students, par ents, faculty and
community. Stay tuned for instructions on how
staf f, School Committee members, alumni and
to join this platfor m, or feel fr ee to r each out
friends of the school. In addition to the in-person
to InquiryLabs@ger mantownfriends.or g to
conversations that Working Gr oup clerks will lead,
r equest mor e infor mation.
we have set up an online forum on a platfor m called Ryver, wher e those inter ested in engaging virtually can shar e articles, r esear ch, questions and ideas on the pr oject’s six inquiry topics.
13
BY THE NUMBERS
BY THE NUMBERS 6
TESTIMONIES
3
CORE AREAS OF INQUIRY
1
GUIDING PRINCIPLE
500 12
COMMUNITY MEMBERS WORKING GROUP MEMBERS
7
MONTHS OF DISCERNMENT DIALOGUE
6
QUERIES
2
FA C I L I TAT I N G C L E R K S P E R Q U E R Y
9
MONTH PROCESS
6
DESIGN THINKING KITS
3-6
IDEAS SALONS
3-6
DIRECTIONS FOR THE FUTURE OF GFS
1
14
O N L I N E P L AT F O R M F O R C O N V E R S AT I O N
S T R AT E G Y T H R O U G H I N Q U I R Y
A R E C I P E F O R I M PA C T
GUIDED INQUIRY
+
COMMUNITY DISCERNMENT
+
DESIGN THINKING W E W I L L I M A G I N E , A R T I C U L AT E A N D BECOME THE GFS OF THE FUTURE W H I L E I M PA C T I N G T H E N AT I O N A L D I S C O U R S E O N E D U C AT I O N 15
I nquiry L abs
18