Breck’s strategic initiatives reflect the school’s values of school-wide innovation; integration of current research on mind, brain, and education; equity and inclusion; and financial aid. Philanthropic support will help meet critical needs and ensure transformational growth across the school. Donations may be directed to the following three priorities:
Peter Clark Center for Mind, Brain, and Education
Since 2016, the Peter Clark Center has been curating research in Mind, Brain, and Education (MBE), investing in professional development for faculty, and helping all Breck students understand how they learn. In four years, it has become clear that students who understand themselves as learners enjoy school more, perform better, and have a growth mindset about themselves as learners for life.
Beginning in Middle School, each student develops personalized learning strategies, documented in their Dynamic Learner Profile (DLP). The current DLP prototype is in the form of printed worksheets, shared Google documents, and other printed resource materials. This analog DLP has allowed us to model and test the process, develop curriculum, and think about desired functionalities.
Further investment will allow us to capitalize on the power of technology to greatly expand the function of the Dynamic Learner Profile. The digital DLP tools will improve accessibility and use, traveling with students across their years at Breck, supporting ongoing student assessment of skills and strategies with real-time feedback, and collecting and analyzing data. The digital tools will also allow integration with school-wide student information systems.
Support for this multi-year initiative will provide further development, scaling up, and measurement of our Dynamic Learner Profile. This is an amazing opportunity for Breck. In collaboration with Johns Hopkins Science of Learning Institute, we will align our programming and professional development with the DLP, hire a technology team to develop a digital platform to better facilitate the DLP process, and measure DLP outcomes.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Breck is committing to specific actions that will build a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive community where all Breck students can bring their full selves, feel a strong sense of belonging, and thrive as learners. Investments in this initiative will allow Breck to promote and maintain a culture of social and racial justice throughout the school. Targeted strategies include:
- Ongoing training for our community members on anti-bias, anti-oppression, and anti-racism.
- DEI assessment and analysis, and co-creation of cultural change with consulting firm Design Impact, to build a more equitable culture.
- Review and assess our curriculum, policies and pedagogical practices, working closely with our academic leadership and faculty.
- Continue to increase faculty diversity and enhance faculty mentorship programs to strengthen retention of BIPOC and LGBTQ+ faculty.
- Program Directors will collaborate to ensure that DEI work is an integral part of Community Life and Episcopal Identity, the Melrose Center for Servant Leadership, and the Peter Clark Center for MBE.
- Formalize structures for student affinity groups and faculty/staff affinity groups.
Financial Aid
Breck has always had a tradition of and commitment to ensuring that the school is accessible to students of all economic backgrounds. Having a strong financial aid program allows us to enroll highly motivated students, who could not otherwise afford a Breck education. The best way to maintain our commitment to socioeconomic diversity is through support of tuition assistance.
To learn more about supporting Breck’s Strategic Initiatives please email Stacy Glaus, Chief Advancement Officer, at stacy.glaus@breckschool.org.
