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Looking to Hockaday as a model for Social Impact
LEADING THE WAY
Looking to Hockaday as a model for Social Impact
In March 2020, Executive Director of the Institute for Social Impact Laura Day was contacted by Close Up, a nonprofit and non-partisan national organization that runs programs in Washington, DC that provides participants with a stronger understanding of government institutions, history and current issues, and their roles as citizens. “I told her we could partner together to build an online program to bring middle and high school kids together and talk about issues impacting them and learn how to have civil discourse around topics that can be hard,” said Ms. Day. “It was a way to give kids control at a time during the pandemic when they didn’t have control and connection.”
The initial program was called Impact 2020, and from there, Ms. Day launched Empowering Girls Voices, which focused on uniting girls to have a collective voice and make an impact. The program now has 1,500 participants from around the country and has grown to include a summer program in Washington, DC in conjunction with Stanford University. Over the past few years, Hockaday has more than 100 girls involved with Empowering Girls Voices. “Some of the girls have gone onto be a part of the national groups that they started, some have continued the issues they care about and bring them to the Social Impact classes at Hockaday, some have taken their projects and started Social Impact Programs,” said Ms. Day.
Close Up also works collaboratively with the National Coalition of Girls’ Schools, the leading advocate for girls’ schools, connecting and collaborating globally with individuals, schools, and organizations dedicated to educating and empowering girls. Five years ago, Ms. Day started United to Lead, a program that brings together local public and private high school students from area private schools and DISD schools. “The hope is that these students would be equals partnering to solve any education issues they wanted to tackle as a group,” said Ms. Day. “They learn advocacy skills and bring unique perspectives to create change in a more inclusive way.” United to Learn is now a separate nonprofit with more than 400 students, and its network includes more than 75 community partners, 49 DISD schools, faith-based organizations and businesses that work together to accelerate student achievement, develop purposeful leaders, and create a united and thriving community. In the summer, students come together for a weeklong immersive opportunity gap program where they learn about issues Dallas is facing, and they brainstorm and design solutions together. “There is power and equity about bringing kids together around common problems. It was a nice way to build relationships and develop a more powerful voice as a united group, said Ms. Day.”
Locally, Hockaday works with community partners, including United Way. “The Hockaday Institute for Social Impact is an important pillar in our community, educating students today in the ways they can lead now and inspiring them to do so in the future, no matter their professions,” said Jennifer Sampson, McDermott-Templeton President and CEO of United Way. “Students have the opportunity to pursue ideas that change the way our communities work — for the better. And they come to know many widely differing communities that make up our larger one of North Texas. At United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, we are proud to partner with generous, passionate, and committed Hockaday teens through their work with Teens United. These young people work hard to support significant community initiatives throughout the Dallas area, including creating and funding a special award for social entrepreneurs competing in United Way’s Pitch competition.”
Schools across the country look to Hockaday as a model for the future. Ms. Day has run workshops, training sessions, and webinars to help other schools build comprehensive integrated Social Impact programs and support them on their journey. Ms. Day’s workshops include: Designing and Implementing a Community Engagement Program, Integrating Social Impact Into the Curriculum, and How to Pivot Programming During the Time of Covid. “A handful of schools around the country have replicated our Institute for Social Impact at their schools and continue to learn from our outcomes and practices,” said Ms. Day.
To date, she has worked with more than 125 private schools around the country including The Spence School in New York; Phillips Academy Andover and Milton Academy in Massachusetts; Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire, Andover, and The Harpeth Hall School in Tennessee. “The work of the Institute for Social Impact at Hockaday School is inspirational and serves as a model for schools from across the country,” said Todd Bland, Head of School, Milton Academy and Chair of Board, National Network of Schools in Partnership. “Their commitment to provide girls with experiences that connect what they are learning in the classroom to the world around them allows all Hockaday students to consider the many ways they can have an impact in their communities.”
