Blueprint Workbook

3,2,1 3 words or phrases that jumped out at you 2 wonders you have 1 simile or metaphor for one of the targets or catalysts

OUR PURPOSE Mission Statement

We are a school of inquiry, innovation, and impact. Grounded in Christian values, we prepare all students to be college ready, globally competitive, and engaged citizen leaders.

OUR COMMITMENT Inclusion, Diversity, Equity & Action Statement

We commit to creating and sustaining a school culture where all members feel valued and safe, sharing their authentic selves to design a better world...together.

OUR STRATEGY Foresight & Strategic Plan

We cultivate and inspire growth through a strategic response to the disruptive shifts in the literacies, skills, attributes, and relationships required for current and future, local and global contexts.

OUR APPROACH Teaching & Learning Program

We design relevant, transformational curricular and learning competencies from Preschool through Upper School, explored through an inquiry-based approach and assessed on levels of proficiency.

https://bit.ly/impactreadyblueprint

We believe that learning should involve inquiry, innovation and impact. We want our students to be ready to act on what is meaningful to them and consequential to others.

We define our strategic objectives in 4 targets:

1. Literacies, Skills and Attributes

2. Relationships, Networks and Social Capital

3. Research and Innovation

4. Culture and Connection

We aim to create the conditions for a regenerative, inclusive community. 6 mantras define the behaviors needed to thrive in this community. The Impact Ready Project unites all of us on an intentional path forward as we level up our approach to designing a better world.

MANTRAS

How our Norms have Leveled Up

Former Norm New Mantra

Why? Start with Questions Start with Questions Who we are!

Assume the Best Help Me See What You See

Understanding > Assumption Share the Well Grow & Give

Growing & Giving > Sharing Lead From Where You Are Readiness, Self-leadership

Fail Up Be Brave to Try (and Try Again)

Bravery > Failing; resilience Have Fun Have Fun

START with questions

Calls one to begin with a careful construction of active inquiry, which requires self-reflection free of preconceived notions

LEAD from where you are

Expressing one’s capacity to lead and influence regardless of position; the ability to meet the moment of one’s circumstances

help me SEE

what

you see

An empathy-building mantra that acknowledges one’s own perspective may be incomplete and seeks to understand the view point of someone else

GROW & give

Expressing the willingness to learn to achieve, and the willingness to serve to make others better

be BRAVE to try (and try again)

Focused on confronting fear, taking a risk, overcoming a setback, failing up, and persevering through

have FUN

Reminding all learners in our community to enjoy the moment, and celebrate each other

(2012-2017) (2017-2023)

• Design & Demonstrate

• Connect & Collaborate

• Invest & Impact

• How might we make school more reflective of real life?

• How might we empower all learners to be seekers and explorers?

• How might we inspire one another — and the larger world — through the work we undertake together?

(2023 - )

• Target 1: Literacies, Skills & Attributes

• Target 2: Relationships & Networks

• Target 3: Research & Innovation

• Target 4: Culture & Connection

network

LITERACIES, SKILLS & ATTRIBUTES

Discover where knowledge searches for maximum impact

MAIN IDEAS:

• Literacies - solid foundation

• Skills - doing, activating

• Attributes - ethics of how; situational applications

• Relationships - better together

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES. Focus on impact readiness, capability building, and learner agency.

• “Impact ready” outcomes for learners in advance of graduating from respective campus

• Cultivate capability … timely feedback and self-reflection

Literacies Skills Attributes Relationships

Reading & Writing Numeracy Scientific Inquiry Humanities

Maker, Art & Design Global & Cultural Proficiency Digital Fluency Behavioral Health & Wellness

Critical Thinking Solution Seeking Connecting Innovating Communicating

Self-Leadership Empathy Adaptability Integrity Curiosity Creativity Grace

Diverse, social, professional, and innovation network across multiple dimensions –quantity, quality, structure, and ability to mobilize relationships

• … Purpose-driven projects … and experiences that require discovery, teamwork, and application of knowledge to achieve impactful, viable solutions

• Support the positive identity development and agency of learners

TARGET 2

MAIN IDEAS:

RELATIONSHIPS & NETWORKS

Traverse all dimensions of community

• Building Social Capital

• Multi-generational, multiverse (in-person, blended, and virtual)

• Connected - quality, quantity, structure, mobilize

• Global

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES.

• Engage learners…meaningfully serve their communities …

• Expand … opportunities … examining issues of local, global, and cultural significance; recognizing and empathizing with the perspectives … of others; and communicating ideas effectively …

• Empower learners to build … social capital needed to effectively navigate … the world

• Assist learners to form their own social and professional network -- quantity, quality, structure, and ability to mobilize relationships.

NORTH NEED TO KNOW

What else do you need to know or find out about this idea or proposition? What additional information would help you to evaluate things?

EAST EXCITED WEST WORRISOME

What do you find worrisome about this idea or proposition? What’s the downside?

What excites you about this idea or proposition? What’s the upside?

SOUTH STANCE OR SUGGESTION FOR MOVING FORWARD

What is your current stance or opinion on the idea or proposition? How might you move forward in your evaluation of this idea or proposition?

https://bit.ly/impactreadyblueprint

TARGET 3

MAIN IDEAS:

RESEARCH & INNOVATION

Leverage emerging innovation in education

• Agile to new ideas

• Leveraging emerging innovation

• People-centered design principles that guide teaching & learning

• Robust partnerships within a diverse network

“We choose to experiment with extraordinary ideas that one day might become the norm.”

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES.

• … foresight and futures practice by scanning for signals of change, stress testing existing plans, gaining deeper insight into research areas …

• Organize, develop, and deploy new technologies to automate data resources … and … dashboard … enable personalized pathways…

• Transform School into “smart” campuses …

• Conduct research on relevant, data-driven teaching and learning models …

CULTURE & CONNECTION

Cultivating an inclusive, regenerative school culture

MAIN IDEAS:

“Plenty of people are good, but you can’t just be good, you have to do good." (MV Student)

• A readiness disposition

• Strengthen our identity

• Resolve as we transform into a better version of ourselves

Relationships and trust are foundational to our community. We grow, fail, and progress together.

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES.

• Examine the current … paradigm … to determine where limitations … to … thrive in this changing world exist … regrow a more learnercentered, network-era paradigm …

• Deepen the School’s engagement with underrepresented members of our community … advance inclusion, diversity, equity, and action at the School

• … committed to the mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual health in our community and … upholding the School’s values and norms through dialogue, empathy, and appreciation of perspective

• Apply … ESG (environmental, social, governance) criteria … for continuous improvement, transformation, and sustainability

THE CATALYSTS

The fuel for the targets

CATALYST 1 CORPS OF IMPACT

The Corps of Impact - engaged students, high performing faculty & staff, connected parents, diverse networks and adaptive organization will steer our navigation through calm seas and turbulent flight paths, will cause us to slow down, stop, and reflect at outposts along the way and will celebrate the progress and achievements of reaching monumental heights. We grow, fail, and progress together.

CATALYST 3 FUNDING & RESOURCES

With a people-centered approach, mapping our bold visions will require the funding and resources necessary to support the Corps of Impact, fulfilling our mission, achieving our strategic objectives, identifying and responding to the shifting, dynamic circumstances in the world. The Impact Ready Project will invest in our Faculty & Staff, Capital Projects, Technology, and Business Development.

CATALYST 2 MANTRA MAP

Relationships are foundational. Culturally and collectively, the Mantra Map reflects the conditioning and fuel required for sustained growth, performance, and accountability over time. They are the behaviors that thrive in this culture. Remaining committed to utilizing and following our Mantra Map will allow us to achieve our bold vision and design an incredible future together.

CATALYST 4 BRAND & STORYTELLING

The Mount Vernon Brand is not based on any one symbol, product, promise, or impression. While we are one school with many voices, the Brand is the transformational story of living out our mission, our commitment, our strategy, and our approach more fully. Our Purpose is our Mission Statement. Our Commitment is our IDEA Statement. Our Strategy is our Foresight and Strategic Plan. Our approach is our Teaching and Learning Program.

LMNTS

In the opening story of The Impact Ready Project, about our Class of 2039, we read that “We must ask new questions. We must create new insights. We must design new ideas with integrity and quality.” LMNTS defines the competencies faculty and staff will need to do this important work, and serves as a much needed wayfinder for helping us all lead the way to our four targets that call for us to:

TIMELINE

Jan 25 Late start intro session for all faculty & staff

Feb 7 Faculty sessions with Literacies, Skills & Attributes: Target 1

Feb 14 Faculty session with Relationships & Networks: Target 2

Feb 17 Speaker Series, all day conference with Research & Innovation: Target 3

Apr 26 Faculty & staff session with Culture & Connection: Target 4

May Divisions & Teams review The Impact Ready Project

June Post-planning: Reflection according to targets with story capture!

WHAT IS YOUR ACTION PLAN? WHAT DO YOU NEED TO LEARN MORE ABOUT?

IN FRONT OF US OVER THE MOUNTAINS BEYOND THE TREES

REMINDER

Until August 2023, The Impact Ready Project is an internal, confidential document.

PLEASE DO NOT SHARE OUTSIDE OF OUR ORGANIZATION.

Instead, let’s share inside our organization.

1. We are creating an #ImpactReady slack channel for open dialogue and questions as we learn together during the spring.

2. Take laps with Glossary words. If you see examples of targets in action, please use #hashtags with glossary terms, mantras and big ideas (#regenerative, #social capital, #attributes, etc).

WONDERS?

Personal playlist of what you want to learn more about …

SEEKING CLARITY AROUND WORDS?

Behavioral Health & Well-Being: a set of behavioral health and well-being learning competencies in PS-12 focused on recognition, knowledge, attitudes, and action

Connecting: a people-centered skill cultivated to maintain healthy relationships along with the ability to create spaces where people from different backgrounds come together, collaborate, and connect the dots to create something meaningful to self and consequential to others

Grace: an attribute giving yourself and others the space to grow; disposition to show kindness and compassion

Regenerative: relating to the improvement of a system, especially by making it more active or successful, or to build on by generating patterns of growth

Self-Leadership: an attribute focused on self awareness and self management (understanding one’s own emotions, selfcontrol and regulation, understanding own strengths and areas of growth, self-motivation and wellness, self confidence), entrepreneurship (courage and risk taking, energy, passion, and optimism, driving innovation) and goals achievement (ownership, grit and persistence, achievement orientation, coping and uncertainty, and self-development)

Social Capital: access to, and ability to mobilize, relationships that help further their potential and their goal; relationships that offer resources that drive access to opportunity; diverse, social, professional, and innovation network across multiple dimensions

VIEW THE FULL GLOSSARY