The Park School Strategic Plan
Creating and nurturing connections within, between, and among our Community, our Campus, and our Curriculum.
Updated November 2023
About The Park School Strategic Plan
A strategic plan serves as a compass for the future. The process gives us an opportunity to reflect on our current work as a school, our current world, and how we can imagine what can be different, unique, and better in the future.
Strategic plans challenge us to consider how we will prioritize future needs and wants, and express what we believe in and what we will invest in as we look to the future.
Over the course of the 2022-23 academic year, Park’s Board of Trustees, partnering with the Head of School, directed the process and approved the plan (May 2023). Our Strategic Plan Steering Committee comprised Upper School students, trustees, parents, administrators, alumni, and faculty members. Community events, including Parent and Employee Think Tanks and an all-community Design Day ensured input from a variety of perspectives. Currently, the Head of School and the administrative team have mapped out a process to use the plan — the compass — as a guide for their work.
Initiatives rooted in the plan are emerging, with more to come. Read on to learn more about Park’s strategic priorities and the ways they are coming to fruition.
Affirm, Amplify, Explore
For each of our strategic priorities, we set out to Affirm, Amplify, and Explore ways to create the best version of Park School — engaging students as full and active participants in the world. With every strategic priority, we acknowledge who we are, expand on what we do, and seek to challenge ourselves, innovate, and create anew.
Affirm — The Park School of today has been built upon more than a century of the best thinking about education, shared values that draw us together, and advancements made by our community that create an unparalleled learning environment. We seek to honor the essential qualities that make Park Park, building confidently upon this foundation.
Amplify — The things we do so well in service of our students deserve to be strengthened and shared, creating new opportunities for reflection and connection — and serving as inspiration for individual and collective excellence.
Explore — As an extension of our growth mindset at Park, we will take opportunities to elevate and innovate — forging new paths, making discoveries, and realizing the full potential of our community of learners in exciting ways. Our work reflects the latest research, best pedagogical practices, and a consistent mission-driven vision.
STUDENTS AT THE CENTER
Diversity, equity, inclusion — and belonging
Each of Park’s strategic priorities — STRONG COMMUNITY, SUSTAINABLE CAMPUS, and INNOVATIVE CURRICULUM — centers our students, their health, and achievement. In support of CONNECTION and GROWTH in every realm, our strategic initiatives bring focus and resources to our work across age groups and communities, provide leadership opportunities and support, ensure health and wellness, and recognize that Park employees’ distinctive talents are an invaluable community resource.
We recognize that ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE is achieved when people, program, and place connect in support of a common goal. Here at Park, we maintain a foundational expectation that keeps students at the CENTER of their learning. Further, we know that teaching and learning is most effective in a DIVERSE, EQUITABLE, and INCLUSIVE environment — one where each community member experiences genuine BELONGING and, therefore, can be their best, authentic self.
Strategic Planning Committee Members
Questions or comments about the Strategic Plan? Send a message to this email address and we will work to get you a response.
Connections: The Park School Strategic Plan
Click on a tab to review our strategic priorities in the areas of Community, Campus, and Curriculum.
Strong Community
[AFFIRM] Park is an intentional community — with everything we do being connected to immersive, personalized academic experiences.
[AMPLIFY] We will focus on the active support of the health and well-being of all community members — students, families, alumni, and employees — with an understanding of their integral roles, responsibilities, and needs.
[EXPLORE] We seek to further develop connections within and beyond our Pre-K through Grade 12 community, our parent community, and our alumni community — growing and strengthening relationships. An increasingly interconnected world provides opportunities to expand relationships and to create and experience community in a broader and deeper sense — locally, regionally, nationally, and globally.
As the individuals in our community grow to become their best authentic selves, how can we work best to understand, appreciate, and take an active role in the larger community/communities we are a part of?
• Strengthen our identity as The Park School of BALTIMORE through identifying new partnerships with mission-aligned Baltimore organizations to create opportunities for students, teachers, and families to build meaningful connections.
• Deepen community connections through research and design of new and enhanced co-created initiatives that provide opportunities to bring our community — students, families, employees, and alumni — together for learning, for friendship, and for service to all.
• Expand our understanding of community to include additional local, regional, national, and global relationships that yield authentic learning experiences and a lasting impact for all involved.
• Become an employment destination of choice for both faculty and staff through the completion of a comprehensive study of compensation, benefits, and employee wellness — and the development of programs that best support our employees’ needs.
Commitments that Affirm, Amplify, and Expand Strong Community
Watch the space below for Strategic Planning commitments developed throughout the months ahead and over the course of the coming five years.
| initiative | description |
|---|---|
| Partnerships with Baltimore City Schools | By building a coalition of like-minded institutions, we will create the framework that will allow for future professional development opportunities for faculty and staff, and student learning experiences. We will maximize shared interests in service. |
| Upper School Teacher Intern Program | Expanding community connections and fulfilling one of our roles as a leading educational institution, we will create partnerships with local universities to develop a student-to-teacher pipeline in support of the next generation of Park School and independent school faculty — with an emphasis on engaging and developing BIPOC teachers of the future. |
| Community Gatherings | Building upon Park’s longstanding commitment to community engagement, we seek to create new programming and approaches to expand our sense of belonging. |
| Family Gatherings | With Park at the center of families’ academic, athletic, and creative pursuits, many have expressed a greater desire to come together in community — socially — both on and off campus. |
| Pre-K – Grade 12 Connections | Building on the innovative and important programming of Park’s Writing Center/Writing Practicum, we will develop new leadership and learning opportunities through cross-divisional, cross-grade opportunities. |
| Individualized/Personalized Professional Development Pathways for Teachers in Early Career Stages | In support of our community now and into the future, we will develop methodologies to promote leadership capacity and commitment to the profession. |
| Retention of BIPOC Faculty and Staff | Responding to the full needs of our student community, as well as the specific feedback from our BIPOC students, Park commits to the constant retention efforts needed to keep BIPOC faculty and staff. |
| Park Employee Compensation and Benefits Study | As part of an overall effort to gauge, monitor, and support employee wellness, the school has undertaken third party consultation of compensation and benefits that included research, surveys, and data analysis. |
| Regional, Global, and Technology-facilitated Relationships (Modern Language trips, etc.) | Building on the explosion of interactive technologies (e.g. Zoom), we will consider the ways that students can have cross-cultural experiences that are not reliant on travel, making these experiences as accessible and authentic as possible. |
| Director of Auxiliary Programming | This position will support the Challenge Course renovation and programmatic expansion, efforts to further expand the use of outdoor spaces for school programming, reaching out to communities beyond Park to explore partnerships, and more. |
Click on the “Sustainable Campus” or “Innovative Curriculum” tab for additional information.
Sustainable Campus
[Affirm] Park’s 100-acre campus is an academic center, athletic facility, art studio, advocacy headquarters, community hub — and an ecosystem. We live and learn together at this remarkable place.
[Amplify] We will re-imagine our space to expand experimentation, co-creation, impact, and sustainability.
[Explore] Further, our goals reflect the essential work of ensuring that our campus resources are accessible — physically and financially — and are responsibly managed to ensure they will be available to inspire future generations of Park students.
understanding The benefits of time in the outdoors has been foundational since park school’s inception; how can we best utilize access to the natural world going forward — on-campus and beyond — to support the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of our students and greater community?
• Identify opportunities on our main campus, Sugar Campus, and the region’s resources to expand curricular and co-curricular programs that utilize our outdoor/natural environment.
• Strengthen and demonstrate our commitment to addressing climate change, including reducing the school’s carbon footprint in all new construction and any future campus renewal and renovation projects and other operational endeavors.
• Strengthen existing community partnerships — and build new partnerships — in order to connect organizations with our campus(es) and introduce more families to what Park has to offer.
Commitments that Affirm, Amplify, and Expand Sustainable Campus
Watch the space below for Strategic Planning commitments developed throughout the months ahead and over the course of the coming five years.
| initiative | description |
|---|---|
| Pre-K through Grade 12 Outdoor Education | Park’s first-of-its-kind Appalachian Challenge Course 📷 (located in the Park woods) will be renovated/redesigned to welcome students of all ages and potential partner organizations in and around Baltimore. |
| Science & Engineering Wing | The newly-opened Science & Engineering Wing features an energy efficient building envelope; it is solar ready; it’s the first net-zero energy designed building on campus; and is ushering in further sustainability-conscious construction and renovation on campus. Technology and flexibility are at the core of the interior design, promoting student collaboration and the dynamic use of dedicated learning spaces. |
| Multi-phase Energy Efficient Renovations | In recognition of Park’s responsibility to reduce its carbon footprint, we will plan for and implement building renovations and systems upgrades that prioritize energy efficiency. |
| Climate Change Curriculum | Build student programming that focuses on the science of climate change and the potential new technologies (e.g. alternative energies). Inspired by the successful completion of the Science & Engineering Wing, deepen opportunities/connections related to the study of sustainable building and campus operations. |
| The Park School Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Statement | Develop a school-wide ESG statement that will inform the decision-making processes of the Park School Investment Committee, the Campus Sustainability Committee, the Finance Committee, and additional operational functions. |
Click on the “Strong Community” or “Innovative Curriculum” tab for additional information.
Innovative Curriculum
[Affirm] At the heart of what we do are our students; and the sum-total of program that supports their endeavors is designed for each student to become their best authentic self.
[Amplify] As Park students prepare to make the most of the wide range of possibilities that life offers, we will prioritize the advancement of an academic program, co-curricular experiences, and social-emotional and ethical learning that supports their development as confident questioners and responsible citizens of the world.
[Explore] Now more than ever, student health and well-being must be supported by intentional programming to develop healthy, active, and engaged young people, navigating an ever-evolving world.
our programmatic offerings are one of the defining features of the park experience; how can our programs better serve our students as they experience life today, and prepare for the future?
• Deepen our understanding of, and address the needs of, Park students today regarding all aspects of student life, with a focus on health, wellness, and belonging.
• Strengthen the student experience through developing a comprehensive mechanism for documenting curricular and co-curricular programming, Pre-K through Grade 12, with the goal of building new cross-disciplinary and cross-curricular connections.
• Grow new opportunities for cross-grade and cross-divisional connections through new and existing programs and initiatives.
• Inspire the development of essential skills, deep connections, and a passion for real-world application by expanding opportunities for experiential and fully-immersive learning — connecting with people and places beyond the Park campus.
Commitments that Affirm, Amplify, and Expand Innovative Curriculum
Watch the space below for Strategic Planning commitments developed throughout the months ahead and over the course of the coming five years.
| initiative | description |
|---|---|
| Innovation through Collaboration | Bring in and go to other experts in the field of education. Develop and expand opportunities for faculty members to collaborate with one another, outside organizations, regional and national thought partners — sparking innovation. |
| Scope & Sequence | Continually affirm the importance of documenting curricular work that is happening on campus in order to better determine how and when innovation can and should occur — and to celebrate and share that work. We will build on cross-grade and cross-divisional student partnerships and learning experiences. |
| STEM Curriculum | With the completion of the Science & Engineering Wing fall 2023, we will grow programming that maximizes the attributes of the new facility and the surrounding campus — inspiring our students in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. |
| Pre-K – Grade 12 Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Curriculum | The NAIS Independent School Health Check provides national and regional benchmarks, as well as longitudinal data for Park. A fully scaffolded SEL curriculum allows us to proactively create a safe and healthy environment for teaching and learning. |
| Literacy Programming K–2 | Reflecting on previous work, we are engaging with the latest research, leading us to new and innovative programming in the field of literacy. |
Click on the “Strong Community” or “Sustainable Campus” tab for additional information.
