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A middle-school teacher leads discussion in the classroom.

The Innovation Fund

The Head’s Innovation Fund exists to empower DCD faculty and staff to take action wherever they see opportunities to strengthen our school.

Innovation has been one of DCD’s traditions since the school was founded in 1903. DCD’s faculty and staff have long asked a version of the question, “What do children need to thrive?” and then engaged in a process to build, reflect upon, revise, reinvent, and retain programs and systems to meet the evolving needs of children and school. This work has been supported by engaged colleagues, ongoing professional development, and DCD’s culture that makes new learning a way of life. The Head’s Innovation Fund is an additional way to support our cycles of innovation.

What Types of Projects Has the Innovation Fund Supported?

  • The rejuvenation of the lower school “leveled library” to better support teachers in making selections for guided reading groups based on reading levels.

  • The introduction of the SEED curriculum as professional development and the training of faculty and staff as SEED facilitators.

  • The implementation of STEAM tools across grade levels, from Bee-Bots to the augmented-reality sandbox.

  • The creation of the Middle School CommUNITY conference, a day of workshops and community-building for middle-school students.

  • The expansion of the Nature Space outside of Pre-K’s Huntington House.

Providing the Support, Agency, and Tools for Growth

At DCD, we recognize that our faculty and staff possess a unique vantage point from which to understand our students, their needs, and the ongoing shifts within the educational landscape. The flexible model of the Innovation Fund allows those most closely engaged with our work to conceive of, apply for, and execute bold, imaginative projects to change the way we operate for the better. The flash of insight a teacher experiences when noticing a gap in the existing curriculum or an unserved interest of their students – which might pass by unaddressed in other circumstances – is fueled and invigorated through the support of the Innovation Fund. Because the Innovation Fund is a non-endowed, spend-down model, we depend on your recurring generosity to continue to support these improvements to the student and teacher learning experience, year after year.

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"The Innovation Fund is a unique concept that has a direct and immediate impact on the teaching, learning, and overall energy of the school."

John Connors DCD Board Member