EnVision SA 2024 Update
At its third meeting, the Strategic Planning Steering Committee focused on understanding the major themes from the surveys that were conducted in December.
The committee broke into smaller working groups based on constituents (faculty and staff, students, parents, and alumni) and examined what the data revealed about what issues are of particular interest to each stakeholder group. Of additional interest were the number of places where there was significant congruence of views among all stakeholders – e.g. the importance of Educational Vigor as a Core Value of the school.
It is worth noting that the Steering Committee includes students from both the Middle and Senior Schools who have dazzled the adult members of the group with their thoughtfulness, insights, and cogent and elegant articulation of their thinking. They have truly represented what a Sewickley Academy education strives to achieve: engagement, curiosity, thoughtful problem-solving, and the power to communicate effectively both orally and in writing.
The conclusions of each of the break-out groups were recorded so that our consultant will be able to share them with the participants of the Visioning Conference in March. In the next several weeks, our consultant will also be conducting focus groups around four emerging areas of interest:
- Centers for Excellence: developing signature programs and finding, investing in, and capitalizing on the differentiating aspects of SA
- Connected Campus: advancing partnerships for learning beyond the campus bubble
- Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: shaping, communicating, and living a commitment to diversity
- Community Outreach: cultivating community engagement and strengthening community outreach
These sessions will conclude the data-gathering component of the overall process, which has included community forums for faculty and staff, students, parents, and alumni; interviews with key thought-leaders in the community; and the surveys. All of the information gathered will be distilled and shared with the participants during the Visioning Conference on March 1 and 2.
An additional update will be shared after the conference.
