POWERFUL PARTNERSHIP

Whow Working Together Expands Our Collective Impact

ITHIN WEEKS of becoming head of school at Lakeside, Kai Bynum began reaching out to other heads of school around Seattle and scheduling in-person meetings. To those meetings he carried a learned belief in the positive power of relationships, a sense that tapping into shared knowledge and experience could improve the job he was starting to do here — and perhaps improve the work that the others were doing in their schools, as well. Throughout his first year, he frequently referred to the importance of individuals working with others to expand our collective potential.

The leveraging of individual strengths and perspectives — that synergy — shows up in the partnerships that Lakeside has established over its long history, from LEEP, the Lakeside Educational Enrichment Program (1965) to our Global Service Learning Program (2000) to the creation of The Downtown School (2018).

Illustrations

BY FRED BIRCHMAN

Some of Lakeside’s most important partnerships go without saying, notably the collaborative work we do with our students’ families, both directly and through our robust Parents and Guardians Association. Or the professional relationships that benefit our faculty, staff, and administrators through annual conferences and engagement with organizations such as the National Association of Independent Schools and the Council for the Advancement & Support of Education.

This issue’s cover story offers a multifaceted glimpse into the work Lakeside does in partnership: into the institutional, educational, professional, and personal collaborations that enrich the Lakeside student experience and expand one school’s collective potential for its impact on the community and the world.

LAKESIDE EDUCATIONAL ENRICHMENT PROGRAM (LEEP)