Lise's Lens: February 1, 2024
This week, I am thinking about the importance of quality education for teens, our amazing guest speaker from Beyond Walls, and exciting news from the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
WHAT I’M READING
- At the risk of highlighting yet another headline about how unhappy the youth of today are, I wanted to share this article from The New York Times because I think it’s highly relevant and also incredibly validating to what we do here at CSW. “When Gallup asked teenagers for the three words that best described how they felt in school, the most common answers were bored, tired and pressured,” the piece explains. The students of today are craving “instruction-focused hands-on learning,” that will be applicable and useful on the job market. And this is exactly what we do at CSW; we provide students with the agency and the power to tailor their learning to their interests and goals, all the while providing learning opportunities that are relevant and responsive. And when students are more engaged in their education, the article argues, they’re more likely to invest time and energy in important social and political issues.
WHAT I’M THINKING/TALKING ABOUT
- This week at assembly we had the privilege of welcoming Al Wilson, founder and CEO of Beyond Walls, a non-profit that brings public art to gateway cities. I was blown away by Al’s presentation showcasing some of the amazing work they do, like the Dancing Dragons in Boston’s Chinatown, the BeND seating sculpture in the seaport, and the Cook Street Park Playground — in addition to their breathtaking murals, for which they are best known. I was inspired by the thought, care, and strategy that goes into their work, which brings together local leadership, art, and design experts, and, most importantly, local community members. And they do the work in places others have historically overlooked and stigmatized, in doing so exhibiting the great power art has to unite and uplift.
WHAT I'M WATCHING/LISTENING TO
- Earlier today Music Department Chair Michael Weinstein shared the exciting news that the Boston Symphony Orchestra has named Carlos Simon as their composer in residence (an especially fitting and exciting appointment as we begin Black History Month). This residency lasts three years and includes the commissioning of six new works. I’ll admit I am not familiar with Simon’s work, so I’ve spent the afternoon listening to some of his music.
WHAT CAUGHT MY EYE
As I mentioned last week, a group of brave students and teachers ventured into the White Mountains of New Hampshire over Mod Break on the CSW Winter Wilderness Trip. Looks like they had some incredible views! Visit CSW on social media for more photos.
Campus News
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Photography Teacher Anne Rearick Releases New Book
Photography Teacher Anne Rearick has release a new book of photograpy, Gure Bazterrrak (Our Land). Published by the Deadbeat Club Press, the book will begin shipping this winter and will be available during Paris Photo at Polycopies, Porte de Solférino.Read More -
Anny '28 Wins International Film Awards
Read MoreThis past summer, Anny ’28, worked as executive director and cinematographer for two documentary films titled Shaolin Youth and Confined, earning multiple international awards for her efforts.Anny, a boarding student from China, spent her summer filming Shaolin Youth in the Shaolin Temple, a thousand-year-old temple, where she focused on different groups of Chinese teenagers, showcasing China's special martial arts program and the impact it can have on the growth of teenagers from low-income families. The film focuses on the stories of underserved families and troubled teenagers in rural China who are hoping to change their fate by learning martial arts, showing the dedication and love these teenagers have toward martial arts, and the influence martial arts can have on a person's growth. -
CSW Welcomes Students from Panama
Read MoreLast week CSW welcomed 12 students from C.A.D.I. Bilingual Academy in Panama, where our students spent some time during the mod abroad trip to Panama in mod 5 last school year! They were joined by C.A.D.I.'s Director and administrators. During their visit from October 17-21, 2024, they stayed with CSW host families and attended classes with student ambassadors. -
Mod Break Wilderness Trips are Back!
Read MoreMod break Wilderness Trips are back in action with the first one taking students to the White Mountains! During the 3-day trip, students were split up into two groups based on student preference. The introductory group made its foray into the Kinsman Mountains with History and English teacher/Wilderness Trip Guide Aidan Wang, while the advanced group tackled Mt. Garfield with Science teacher and longtime Wilderness Trip Guide Kevin Smith.
Meet CSW Students
CSW—a gender-inclusive day and boarding school for grades 9-12—is a national leader in progressive education. We live out our values of inquiry-based learning, student agency, and embracing diverse perspectives in every aspect of our student experience. Young people come to CSW to learn how to learn and then put what they learn into action—essential skills they carry into their futures as doers, makers, innovators, leaders, and exceptional humans who do meaningful work in the world.