“Be sure to rule your work and do not let it rule you, even though you love it and must do it well. Do not let it cramp you, and rise above the routine. Keep your interest in the world at large, enjoy life, enter into many of the interests. Be a real whole-souled citizen.” (Euphemia Creighton, founding Co-Principal of the Dwight School)
Dwight-Englewood School’s new strategic plan strengthens D-E’s position as a leading independent school, preparing its students, faculty, and alumni to “meet the challenges of a changing world and make it better.” Today, as at the time of its founding, D-E aspires to educate “whole-souled citizens” who thrive at school while also developing intrinsic interests and a sense of purpose about the work they hope to do in life. This is what makes D-E a distinctive institution, one that balances academic excellence with the well-being of its students, and one that prepares its graduates to live with the confidence they need to make a difference in a complex world.
The plan is organized into five areas of strategic focus, or pillars. They are: invigorating D-E’s Purpose, enhancing D-E’s Program, supporting D-E’s People, and improving the Place and Philanthropy that ensure D-E’s viability. Initiatives support each pillar, and integrate those areas into a coherent whole.
Purpose
Program
People
Place
Philanthropy
Purpose
How do we ensure that we are living our mission in a way that fosters a positive, inclusive school culture and communicates clearly who we are and who we aspire to be?
Program
How do we align our academic and co-curricular programs so that we deliver on the promise of our foundational documents and educate students to be “whole-souled citizens?”
People
How do we provide faculty, staff, and students with the support they need to engage in the kind of joyful, lifelong learning that cultivates a strong applicant pool, trusting family partnerships, ongoing alumni involvement, and enduring employee commitment?
Place
How do we enhance the campus to better serve our educational purposes while also reimagining the scope of our learning environment to expand student engagement and become a more visible and influential part of the communities we serve?
Philanthropy
How do we strengthen relationships with those who love the school and believe in its mission so that we are better able to build a culture of sustainable giving and ensure D-E’s continued impact in a “changing world?”