Strategic Plan

GOAL 1: COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND BELONGING

Rationale:
Our work with respect to Community Engagement and Belonging is and will be ongoing because our growth in this area is linked to the mission of the School. Diverse perspectives and experiences enrich the lives of all of our students and lead to better decision making and learning outcomes. We must ensure all community members understand that they play important roles in the success of building an inclusive community that fosters a sense of belonging. True excellence can only be achieved in a community in which all members unite to create a culture that fosters belonging.

Guiding Question: 
How can the Windward community cultivate an environment in which all members of the community feel seen, heard, connected, and valued as their authentic selves; and how can our actions reflect our values of community engagement and belonging?
 

GOAL 2: STUDENT AND COMMUNITY WELL-BEING AND MENTAL HEALTH

Rationale:
Students need to learn to develop and nurture their own physical, mental, and emotional health and well-being. In addition, in order to support the growth of our students, it is essential to promote and support the well-being of the adults in our community, providing our students with faculty and staff who have the capacity to support them and can serve as role models for living meaningful and balanced lives.

Guiding Question: 
How do we develop and nurture in all members of our community the awareness, emotional capacity, habits, knowledge, and skills they need in order to take on challenges and lead fulfilling lives?

GOAL 3: FOSTERING OUR CORE COMPETENCIES

Rationale:
Now that we have identified the traits we seek to develop, it is vital to develop a framework for introducing and growing these skills. We need to identify milestones based upon the different developmental stages our students are at in order to assess the progress that our students are developing as they approach graduation. We must also evaluate our curriculum, program, and activities to ensure our students are developing the human aspects that technology cannot replicate: problem solving, kindness, creativity, emotional intelligence, and empathy.

Guiding Question: 
How can we develop and refine our curriculum, program, and activities to ensure that all Windward graduates are critical thinkers, effective communicators, resilient problem-solvers, inclusive leaders, and ethical and culturally responsive citizens?
 

GOAL 4: INNOVATIVE AND CREATIVE EDUCATORS AND EDUCATIONAL PRACTICES

Rationale:
The concepts for the Academic Hub, the Student Gathering Plaza, and the Innovation and Arts Center have been driven by faculty and student feedback and our programmatic aspirations. It is important to foster a culture in which faculty and staff are encouraged to take thoughtful risks by engaging in ongoing research and best practices, creating a path toward ongoing innovation and exploration. As we develop our students’ core competencies and provide the highest level of service to our community members, it is important for us to support faculty and staff in life-long learning and professional growth in a world that continues to change at an increasingly rapid pace.

Guiding Question: 
How can we support our educators and staff in their ongoing research of best practices and innovative approaches that reflect our student learning and institutional goals and aspirations?

GOAL 5: ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY

Rationale:
We need to be aware of the potential impact climate change may have on the world that our students will one day inherit. Environmental studies and research need to be integrated into our curriculum. It is essential for Windward to engage in sustainable practices that support an ideal learning environment for our students, and for our community to foster an environmentally sustainable culture in which we are stewards of our campus and positioned as leaders in the broader community.

Guiding Question: 
How can Windward model environmental best practices and create an ideal learning environment for students? How can members of the Windward community be leaders in the development of habits of environmental sustainability?
 

GOAL 6: INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT AND FINANCIAL STABILITY

Rationale:
Windward recognizes the value of the continuing support and engagement of our community of faculty, staff, students, parents, alumni, parents of alumni, grandparents, neighbors and friends of the school throughout their lives. Our students and parents build strong ties during their years at Windward. Our parents and alumni engage in efforts to support our current students and the professional aspirations of our graduates. We must build upon these efforts to ensure a sense of belonging and lifelong engagement as Windwardians. In order to ensure the long-term success of the school, we need to make sure it has the resources to be able to sustain this growth. Ongoing support of our Windward Fund, the completion of the capital campaign and the growing of our endowment will allow the School to meet the goals of our strategic plan while also ensuring the long-term financial sustainability of the School.

Guiding Question: 
How can we build strong community connections and maintain the close ties community members develop at Windward, while raising the financial resources Windward needs to meet its strategic goals?