As part of a new initiative called “Portrait of a Graduate,” the Belmont community will help generate a list this fall of four to six qualities Belmont students must embody for life beyond the classroom.
The initiative meets the New England Association of Schools and Colleges requirement that school districts articulate their aspirations for graduates, informing their K-12 curriculums.
“Schools are preparing graduates for a future that requires them to not only have content knowledge but also the transferable skills and dispositions necessary for success in a diverse and rapidly changing world,” states the NEASC website.
During four community visioning sessions, participants will be able to identify the attributes students should demonstrate throughout and after their time at Belmont schools.
“We want to make sure the thinking is done by all members of the community,” said Assistant Superintendent Lucia Sullivan. “We want people from higher ed [and] people from the business community [at the sessions] because we want people who have been thinking about what the future of learning and work might look like.”
Sullivan said one consideration is society’s increasing use of technology, including artificial intelligence and robotics.
“If you think about the jobs our grandparents did, it’s not clear those are professions that would be available [to students], or if they would want them,” she said. “I think the visioning process is really an opportunity for people to think deeply about the complexity of that.”
A facilitator from Battelle for Kids—a nonprofit organization partnering with schools to guide the visioning process—will lead participants in interactive activities, identifying and narrowing down a list of qualities for students to aspire to.
Sullivan said community members are encouraged to bring elementary and post-secondary lenses to the sessions because the final plan will be implemented at all grade levels.
After the sessions, the findings will be brought back to the community for review.
“Certainly, there will be opportunities for people to weigh in,” said Sullivan, adding that surveys and drafts will come before the public as part of the process.
Sullivan said she expects the district to review its curriculums and develop measures of success over the next couple of years after the facilitator helps the schools develop a cohesive vision.
She added the initiative is an opportunity for the schools following the creation of the district-wide strategic plan.
“This gives us a chance to breathe a little life into what it actually might look and feel like for the learner,” she said.
The visioning sessions are scheduled for the Belmont High School Library:
- Tuesday, Oct. 29, 3:30 to 6:00 p.m.
- Wednesday, Oct. 30, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
- Thursday, Nov. 21, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
- Monday, Dec. 16, 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.
The sessions are open to the public, and attendees are asked to register at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdSOWYssZMY3pgHtxbXIdVXxON4wOAY1cajC8v–StbdlHR2Q/viewform.
Editor’s Note: This story was updated on Oct. 29 when the venue for the visioning sessions was changed to Belmont High School.