Best practices in curriculum and pedagogy for gender-inclusive STEM courses and classroom
Presenter: Carolina Artacho Guerra | Instructor, Phillips Academy Andover
STEM classrooms are often perceived as neutral spaces, yet the STEM higher education and professional arenas continue to lack diversity. Can we make our entry points into scientific endeavors more inclusive? This workshop will provide a framework to understand and classify our science practices through the lens of gender inclusion. We will also generate specific tools and skills to use in a STEM classroom to challenge the notion of neutrality and create more inclusive learning environments.
The Stress of College Admissions: A Discussion between Schools and Deans
Moderator: Douglas L. Christiansen, Ph.D | Vice Provost for University Enrollment Affairs & Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid, Vanderbilt University (USA)
Panelists:
- Christopher Watson | Assistant Vice President for Student Outreach & Dean of Undergraduate Admission, Northwestern University
- Zhang Nan | Head of College Counseling & Head of High School English Department, Shanghai High School International Division
- Dennis G. Manning | Headmaster, Norfolk Academy
- Megan Harlan | Director of College Counselling, Groton School
- Yvonne Romero da Silva | Vice President for Enrollment, Rice University
The admissions process to selective colleges is complex, filled with uncertainty, and extraordinarily stressful for high school students to navigate. As a result of the ups and downs of this process and the inherent competition, students often experience a loss of self-confidence and self-esteem. This session will be an honest and open discussion between school leaders, college counselors, and deans about how students can be best supported during this process, and what can be done to make the admissions process more inclusive of soft skills, such as vulnerability, risk-taking and embracing failure.
The Creation and Implementation of a K-XII Student Life Program to Complement a Rigorous Academic Program
Presenters:
- Jane Fried | Head of School, The Brearley School
- Maria-Anna Zimmermann | Assistant Head of School for Student Life; Head of Lower School
Schools like ours are well regarded for their academic excellence. We attract bright students who go onto world class colleges and universities, and contribute to society in meaningful ways. However, a student – a child, is far more than the sum of their academic efforts. With anxiety and depression reaching unprecedented levels evident at the higher education level and ever-creeping into younger grades, it is imperative that schools support the learning of their students beyond the three R’s. We must care for them socially, emotionally, and in terms of their mental and physical health.
Brearley has developed a three-strand program in the areas of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; Social-Emotional Learning; and Sexuality and Health Education for all students in our K-XII girls’ school. Hear from our Head of School and Assistant Head of School for Student Life talk about Brearley’s K-XII Student Life program and the structures in place which support it. Speakers will focus, in particular, on the opportunities and challenges of implementing the K-XII sexuality health education program.
