Building for Tomorrow

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An update on Lovett’s Strategic Plan: BUILDING FOR TOMORROW | by Katie Post, Director of Major Gifts

Last fall, when Lovett launched the Strategic Design Process, we asked ourselves: How does Lovett continue to cultivate character, emotional intelligence, and intellectual curiosity which is at the heart of the educational vision of our founder Eva Lovett? Little did we know that a global pandemic, economic crisis, and monumental social movement awaited us in 2020. However, the question and the pending answers feel more relevant and urgent as we launch into the most unusual start of a school year in Lovett’s 94-year history.

The purpose of Lovett’s Strategic Design Process is to reflect deeply on Lovett’s mission and discuss openly as a community where we are now and where we go from here. Building on Lovett’s enduring values, this process will clearly define our core beliefs and highest goals for our students, and the school’s future strategic initiatives will unfold from there. This work now comes with a heightened importance that we never could have anticipated 12 months ago.

To create a dynamic, succinct and compelling strategy that builds on our strengths and creates conditions for success at Lovett for generations to come, we have walked hand in hand with all Lovett stakeholders over the last year through the following activities: forming a Strategic Design Team, conducting a community-wide survey, forming four Learning Teams to study specific strategic questions, and developing and approving Core Values for the school.

The Strategic Design Team launched four “learning teams” to seek information and gather quantitative and qualitative data in response to these questions. They conducted interviews and market research, and held focus groups with internal and external stakeholders, and discussed and analyzed all that they learned. Their hard work and e orts were reflected in comprehensive reports back to the Strategic Design Team, and their insights will be at the foundation for the final strategy.

Our aim is to finish a draft of the strategy, so that we can engage in dialogues with the Lovett community in early 2021 and solicit feedback. The strategic design process will conclude at the end of this school year in June 2021, when our Board formally adopts the plan. Thus, as we near our centennial celebration, Lovett will have a clear and concise strategy that articulates our mission, core institutional values, and provides a road map for the years to come.

“How does Lovett continue to cultivate character, emotional intelligence, and intellectual curiosity which is at the heart of the educational vision of our founder Eva Lovett? ”