Our Wildwood, Volume 53

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“Providing these kinds of academic and intellectual structures through which children could explore and create and connect is something that really seems to have been inspired by the development of the middle and upper school program.”

—LANDIS GREEN, HEAD OF SCHOOL

Director of Outreach Steve Barrett leads a workshop for the Wildwood Outreach Center.

Bringing together skills like critical thinking, problem-solving, and empathy, Systems Thinking empowers children to make change. For example, one year Sarah took her students on a neighborhood walk, looking at systems, and they noticed one garbage can in the entire neighborhood. They started by writing letters to their local leadership, and it turned into a year-long project. Landis sees this innovation as one example of how the expansion to K-12 has positively impacted the elementary program. “I’m not sure Systems Thinking would’ve gotten a toehold in a pre-K-12 Wildwood,” Landis said. “That idea of students having opportunities to construct knowledge together—in addition to learning all the skills they’d need for what’s to come next academically—was certainly possible and part of the ethos of the elementary program. But providing these kinds of academic and intellectual structures through which children could explore and create and connect is something that really seems to have been inspired by the development of the middle and upper school program.” Meanwhile, Jaimi and a team of other administrators and educators have been strengthening a practice at the core of the school called Understanding by Design by

The Wildwood Institute for Social Leadership (WISL) and the Wildwood Institute for Entrepreneurship (WIE) followed in 2018 and 2019, respectively. “This was very different than a traditional education, and very different than what Wildwood was engaged in at that time,” Lori said. “One of the things I have always loved about working at Wildwood was there was a sense of innovation and a sense of creativity, and trying to adapt to that intersection of best practice and research.” SYSTEMS THINKING Assistant Director of Elementary Sarah Simon (P. ‘25) introduced Systems Thinking to the K-5 curriculum in 2013. “I thought it was an amazing way to help children see how everything is connected and really fit who we are as a school,” Sarah said. “What is beautiful about Systems Thinking is that it helps children see systems within our school, within our community, and within our families. Then we look at what might not be working or what might need help. That’s where children see a problem or an opportunity and they can step in and do something about it. It’s an entry point for a long-term project, and children feel like they have a voice.”

Students make connections through Systems Thinking.

OWW SUMMER 2025

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