One of my favorite expressions is “best idea wins.” When I
use it at faculty meetings, it’s not to challenge teachers to go beyond the standard
syllabus or class activity to try something different in the classroom. I
challenge them to really think outside the box, to find new and better ways to
teach and mentor our students.
This summer, that spirit of innovation has paid off for two
of our teachers who have been recognized outside of our own Rivers community for
their groundbreaking ideas. I am so proud that the programs they conceived of
and implemented at Rivers have gained the respect of top universities and
institutions.
In June, Kate Wade’s RISE program for 10th graders helped earn her a $20,000 fellowship toward her master’s degree from the University of
Pennsylvania. The Gardner Carney Leadership Institute presented her with their
first ever cgLi/Penn Fellowship in Pedagogy of Leadership, citing her “outstanding
work in building the RISE program at Rivers.”
Shortly after that, Julian Willard, founder and chair of our
Interdisciplinary Studies Department, was appointed a research fellow at Yale
University's Interdisciplinary Center for Bioethics as well as a visiting
scholar at The Hastings Center, the premier center for bioethics research in
this country.
These four institutions are the best of the best in the
fields of leadership training and interdisciplinary studies. It’s wonderful
that Kate and Julian will have the opportunity to expand their own horizons
among like-minded academicians (they’ll both continue teaching at Rivers!).
Kate and Julian are just two of our many teachers who thrive
on finding a better way to achieve their goals. Dave Burzillo’s BIG History
course was a prototype for the Gates Foundation’s curriculum for teaching
history online anywhere in the world. Our 21st Century Focus Group –
Rivers’ think tank – meets regularly to explore what’s new in education and to look for ways to take the best of those ideas and make them work even better at
Rivers.
So when I suggest “best idea wins,” I never know what might
happen, but I do know it will be exciting to watch it unfold.
