 | | The interrelationship between school and society is essential to Calhoun's educational identity and philosophy. School & Society is viewed as the philosophical "umbrella" for the myriad activities that Calhoun has always pursued in the areas of community service learning, multiculturalism, social activism, and progressive education theory and practice. The goal -- to create a seamless interconnection between the school and our global community -- finds expression in every aspect of Calhoun.
Programming and Outreach
- Yearly Theme: Each year, a school-wide yearly theme -- selected from suggested collected from an all-school process -- enriches the curriculum with academic programs that explore real-world issues.
- The Progressive Education Tradition (PET): This 6-part evening class, co-facilitated by Head of School Steve Nelson, is open to parents, faculty/staff, alumnae/i and Upper School students. The goal is to deepen our community's understanding of the progressive education tradition.
- School-to-School Learning Collaborations: Calhoun actively seeks to establish on-going relationships with other schools, through curricular connections and/or teacher practice. Current projects connect Calhoun with Freebrook Academy, Family Life Academy Charter School (FLAC), and the educational programs at the West End Residences. Many school-to-school collaborations are co-organized with Calhoun's Community Service program.
- Guest Speakers, Workshops, Films: The School & Society Initiative sponsors or co-sponsors (with PMCC, the Performing Arts Series, etc.) educational workshops, films, guest speakers and town hall meetings for the Calhoun community as well as for the larger New York community.
- School Visits and Visitors: We welcome educators from the USA and international educational community to visit Calhoun to see progressive education in action. Similarly, Calhoun representatives will frequently tour schools and other educational settings (schools, community centers). These visits help us reflect on our progressive practice and philosophy.
- Resources: School & Society helps maintain the Professional Development collection of books and other resources that are available for use by the school community in our 81st Street library. (See What We're Reading.)
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| | The Origins of School & Society | In 2003-04, Calhoun established the School & Society program to strengthen and expand this connection. Named for a series of lectures written in 1900 by philosopher and educator John Dewey, Calhoun’s School & Society program is designed to challenge the school community to reflect on our practice of progressive education and to create an even more porous relationship between Calhoun and the wider world. School & Society addresses this mission by organizing school-wide projects and programs that directly link to organizations outside school, by involving all constituencies in its projects, and by fostering a continuing dialogue about the progressive teaching practices of the school. |
We welcome the involvement of everyone connected to Calhoun. Please contact us with any questions or comments, or resources we should add to our library. We also are happy to give tours of our school to outside educators!
212-497-6516
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