At Castilleja we are developing bold and imaginative approaches to educate girls for a changing world. The Innovation Investment Fund (IIF) ensures the school has the financial flexibility to seize opportunities as they present themselves and to explore new avenues of teaching and learning. Launched in 2011, the Fund acts as an accelerated endowment which supports enhancements to academic programs in areas critical to Castilleja’s strategic vision for education: Active Global Citizenship; Creativity, Art, and Design; Leadership; and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). Modeled after university programs, the Fund puts resources in the hands of those on the ground who can dream big and spearhead enhancements to our already robust curriculum.

I am pleased to report that the Fund has had a profound impact on teaching and learning at Castilleja. Here is just a sampling of our newest innovations.

Artist in Residence Program

Under the guidance of Visual and Performing Arts faculty members Helen Shanks and Deborah Trilling, this program will provide students with the unqiue opportunity to interact in a deep way with a working artist. Artists will particpate in classes and special projects while continuing their own work in studio space provided in the Seipp Gallery.

Lauren Dicioccio joined Castilleja in February as Castilleja's first Artist in Residence. “My work investigates the physical beauty of common mass-produced objects as they approach obsolescence. Approaching sculpture, painting, and tedious handicraft with an air of lightness, I aim to remind viewers of the importance of our relationships with these simple but intimate objects of everyday life and to provoke a pang of nostalgia for their familiar physicality.”

Preparing Secondary Students for a Data-Rich World
Today’s students require a mathematics education that prepares them for a data-driven world. From understanding  customer purchasing patterns to tailor marketing promotions, to performing a cost-benefit analysis of whether the advantages of a new drug outweigh the risks, statistical reasoning skills, including the ability to analyze, interpret, and utilize data, is critical. Mathematics faculty member Kyle Barriger is embedding two analytical units in the core mathematics curriculum to provide a solid foundation in design methodologies, statistical calculations, and inferences from data. By teaching our girls to think critically and challenge assumptions, they are better prepared to become innovators and leaders beyond the Circle.

iPad Pilot Takes Off

The portability and functionality of iPads positions them to be one of “the next big things” in academic technology, enabling students to think critically, act collaboratively, and learn comprehensively. To thoughtfully examine iPads’ different applications inside the classroom, a pilot was launched Fall 2012 in grades 6 and 8. Whether examining the importance of intertextuality among different cultures in English class while simultaneously looking up the art, music, and architecture to provide context or using them to record lab results in chemistry, the iPads have proven to be multifaceted tools. Peek into iPad happenings in all subject areas with the iPadShowcase website created by Academic Technology Director Jen Gaspar-Santos. Next year the pilot will expand to include grades 7 and 9 so the girls can more deeply integrate this tool into their learning processes.

Each year Castilleja faculty have two opportunities to apply for an IIF grant: November 1 and April 1. To be considered, proposals must identify existing problems or challenges and explore innovative solutions. Aside from asserting a compelling case, applicants must also describe what they hope to achieve with their project; specify the resources they will need for the innovation to be successful; provide a detailed timeline with milestones; and explain how they will measure the project’s impact on student learning. The IIF Grant Committee—comprised of the Dean of Teaching and Learning, Director of Advancement, Director of Operations and Finance, Director of Technology, and three faculty members—determines awards based on the proposals’ scope and focus, and notifies applicants of their decision by December 1 or May 1.