Strategic Plan 2025 Rooted in Tradition. Redefining the Future.
The Brilliance of Baldwin.
Table of Contents
Letter
Mission Statement
Vision Statement and Our Core Values
Our Strategic Compass
A Community-Centered Journey
Pillar I: Leading with Purpose
Pillar II: Cultivating Our Community
Pillar III: Empowering Our Learners
Pillar IV: Reimagining Our Learning Environment
Dear Members of the Baldwin Community,
It is with tremendous pride that, on behalf of the Board of Trustees, we share with you today The Brilliance of Baldwin, our comprehensive strategic plan to guide our School into the future.
This past year, we embarked on a thoughtful journey together to envision Baldwin’s future while honoring our storied past and embracing the endless possibilities that lie ahead. The wisdom and heartfelt commitment demonstrated by our faculty and staff, devoted alumnae, current families, students, and friends of the School have driven every aspect of this planning process, ensuring that our work truly reflects the collective dreams and aspirations we hold for the young women who will graduate from our institution in the years to come.
Our comprehensive strategic planning initiative has been a thoughtful process of discovery, allowing us to explore how we honor the revolutionary spirit of Florence Baldwin while addressing the evolving needs of our students and our world. We have been extraordinarily fortunate to undertake this work from a position of remarkable strength, building upon 137 years of educational excellence and unwavering dedication to the transformative power of girls’ education — a foundation that enables us to approach this planning with confidence born from deep institutional knowledge and proven success.
This plan is rooted in tradition, representing our bold commitment to ensuring that Baldwin continues to stand among the nation’s most distinguished institutions dedicated to girls’ education, while redefining our future and preparing our students to navigate and lead in a world that demands both intellectual excellence and adaptive creativity.
Realizing our future vision will require continued strategic thinking and community support over multiple years. Some initiatives will begin immediately, while others will necessitate careful planning and bold philanthropic investment. We are confident that our comprehensive approach will transform Baldwin in ways that both honor our legacy and benefit not only our current students but generations of young women yet to come.
We believe deeply that when clear vision meets purposeful opportunity, and when a committed community comes together behind a shared dream, brilliance becomes inevitable. Rooted in Tradition. Redefining the Future. The Brilliance of Baldwin.
Learn more about the four pillars of our strategic plan, future initiatives, and how we will bring this plan to life on our website. This is just the beginning of a new chapter in Baldwin’s extraordinary story — one that we will shape together.
With deepest appreciation for our past and excitement for all that is to come,
Lynne E. Macziewski Head of School
Rachel Gerstenhaber Stern ’83 Chair of the Board of Trustees
Kim Heuer (P ’27) Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees
Mission Statement
The Baldwin School, an independent college preparatory school, develops talented girls into confident young women with vision, global understanding, and the competency to make significant and enduring contributions to the world. The School nurtures our students’ passion for intellectual rigor in academics, creativity in the arts, and competition in athletics, forming women capable of leading their generation while living balanced lives.
Vision Statement
At Baldwin, we don’t just prepare girls for the future — we empower them to lead it. We cultivate bold thinkers, brave leaders, and compassionate women who know who they are and what they stand for.
Our Core Values
LEARNING RESPECT RESPONSIBILITY
COMPASSION HONESTY
Our Strategic Compass
Baldwin has always defined what it means for girls to lead. Lifelong learning isn’t just encouraged, it’s expected. Global leadership isn’t a concept; it’s a calling. Powered by four transformative pillars— igniting purpose, cultivating community, empowering learners, and reimagining our environment —we deliver an unparalleled educational experience that sparks creativity, sharpens critical thinking, and fuels courageous curiosity.
We don’t just prepare girls for success. We empower them to define it. Every Baldwin student is equipped to discover her voice, own her strengths, and boldly forge her path as a leader in a rapidly changing world. Together, we build a school that’s not just future-ready, it’s future-defining.
A Community-Centered Journey
Empowered by Florence Baldwin’s vision, this academic year, Baldwin undertook a comprehensive, community-centered strategic planning initiative to chart the institution’s future trajectory while preserving our foundational mission and values.
Employing participatory design methodology and professional facilitation from Leadership+Design, our 28-member Planning Design Team comprised diverse stakeholders representing the full spectrum of the Baldwin community.
Throughout the fall semester, the team executed comprehensive stakeholder interviews and facilitated strategic think tanks with faculty, staff and parents to systematically identify critical challenges, unmet institutional needs and emerging opportunities. The winter phase of planning encompassed targeted community engagement initiatives, comparative analysis of peer institutions and comprehensive evaluation of regional and national educational models. These strategic insights informed detailed design briefs that crystallized our fundamental inquiry: What constitutes Baldwin’s most strategic institutional response to the identified needs and opportunities? We then hosted a Community Design Day that brought together Baldwin alumnae, parents, faculty, staff and community members for structured collaborative ideation and strategic exploration. Subsequently, the Design Team’s working groups developed comprehensive strategic focus areas that encompassed specific objectives and implementation initiatives. The process culminated in structured collaborative review sessions, during which the draft strategic plan underwent systematic refinement through our Design Team before being unanimously adopted by the Board of Trustees.
Pillar I Leading with Purpose
Baldwin will be known as the top choice for all-girls education in the region by boldly affirming its mission, core values, and unwavering commitment to providing the highest quality educational experience designed for how girls learn best.
By building upon Florence Baldwin’s 137-year legacy, we ensure our School continues to educate young women who aspire to be lifelong learners and global leaders, extend compassion and empathy to others, and maintain the strength of character to act decisively on their beliefs. Igniting our purpose, while honoring our past, will lead Baldwin to set a new standard in girls’ education, graduating women who transform the world with intellectual courage and fearless authenticity for the next 100 years and beyond.
Strategic Initiatives
Leaning into our Mission and Values:
Clearly articulate Baldwin’s mission, purpose, and core values, creating a compelling and foundational framework that guides all aspects of school life and provides resolute direction for our community, ensuring all initiatives align with our vision for empowering the next generation of women leaders.
Building on Traditions:
Build on Baldwin’s proud tradition of academic excellence by reaffirming our bold commitment to educating girls in ways that are both timeless and forward-thinking, rooted in a deep understanding of how girls learn best.
Telling our Story:
Establish an impactful and authentic Baldwin narrative grounded in our mission and core values to deepen community connections, elevate visibility, and inspire pride, creating an influential vehicle for recruitment, reputation, and retention that ensures Baldwin proudly stands as a celebrated leader in girls’ education.
Sustaining our Institution:
Develop a comprehensive, data-informed model that leverages historical performance, current market dynamics, and forward-looking projections to guide long-term institutional planning and ensure the enduring vitality and sustainability of the School and its mission.
Pillar II Cultivating Our Community
Baldwin will be known for its vibrant, dynamic community where all members experience genuine belonging, discover their individual strengths, and grow as impactful leaders through these authentic connections.
By investing in each community member’s well-being, growth, and leadership development, we create a school community where joy abounds, life-long connections are forged, and passionate advocacy for our mission and values becomes the hallmark of the Baldwin experience.
Strategic Initiatives
Whole-Person Wellness and Advisory Programming:
Reimagine and redefine success for all ages through emotional well-being, resilience, and purpose, thereby fostering a sense of empowerment and belonging within each student and her community.
Cultivate Community Voice and Belonging:
Ensure that every community member feels valued, heard, and equipped to thrive through continuous learning and reflection that encourages open exploration of diverse perspectives and lived experiences. By fostering a deep respect for diversity and honing critical thinking abilities, we equip our students to thrive as informed, empathetic, and active participants in a global and interconnected society.
A Strong Family and School Community:
Foster a deeply connected school community with meaningful touchpoints that strengthen community bonds and nurture trusting, collaborative relationships, ensuring every family feels seen, supported, and valued.
Alumnae Partnerships and Networks:
Nurture our alumnae relationships and develop opportunities for ongoing, meaningful connections with each other and the wider Baldwin community. Establish dynamic and purposeful partnerships and provide transformative mentorship, real-world exposure, and leadership opportunities for students.
Faculty and Staff Growth and Excellence:
Cultivate a culture of bold instructional innovation through ongoing professional development, collaborative teaching opportunities, and celebration of outstanding educational practices. Establish and support robust professional growth pathways to attract and retain exceptional educators who embody Baldwin’s vision and have a passion for all-girls education.
Pillar III Empowering Our Learners
Baldwin will expand its academic and co-curricular programs to provide new, future-forward learning opportunities, cultivate the joy of discovery, and prepare students for a rapidly changing world.
By reimagining learning through innovative thinking, authentic assessment, and personalized pathways, we create a distinctly powerful educational experience that uniquely prepares students to make meaningful contributions in complex global contexts.
Strategic Initiatives
Innovative Curriculum and Interdisciplinary Learning:
Promote deeper, more impactful learning, including student-directed approaches that ignite passions in an increasingly complex world.
Signature Learning and Leadership Pathways:
Empower students to pursue their passions and demonstrate their expertise through meaningful learning and real-world contributions. Our distinctive curricular pathways will leverage the talents within our broader community, foster interdisciplinary thinking, and expand experiential learning opportunities.
A Growth-Mindset Philosophy:
Encourage a culture that promotes student-aligned teaching strategies and celebrates personal growth and success, resilience, and lifelong learning.
Strengthen and Expand Co-Curricular Programming:
Elevate and expand co-curricular programming — including arts and athletics — as core to a Baldwin student’s identity, confidence, expression, and experience. Commit boldly to programs, facilities, and staffing that support broad participation and growth in all areas of Baldwin’s educational experience and excellence across all disciplines.
Pillar IV Reimagining Our Learning Environment
Baldwin will be recognized for its innovative and sustainable campus spaces that support our mission, advance our strategic academic, artistic, and athletic goals, ignite inspiration in future generations, and celebrate the richness of our historic legacy.
By intentionally preserving our historic buildings while designing innovative environments that spark creativity, fuel collaboration, and cultivate community spirit and a deep sense of belonging, we will powerfully advance our mission and enrich every facet of the Baldwin experience.
Strategic Initiatives
Comprehensive Campus Sustainability and Transformation:
Reenvision our current and future campus spaces as dynamic, cutting-edge environments that support creativity, learning, and sustainability.
Signature Learning and Leadership Pathways:
Empower students to pursue their passions and demonstrate their expertise through meaningful learning and real-world contributions. Our distinctive curricular pathways will leverage the talents within our broader community, foster interdisciplinary thinking, and expand experiential learning opportunities.
Inclusive and Flexible Spaces:
Design student-centered learning environments that are adaptable and spark creativity and collaboration. Prioritize innovative, technology-rich spaces that seamlessly support a range of teaching and learning styles — from individual focus to collaborative, project-based work.
The World as a Classroom:
Utilize the world as a classroom, engaging students in real-world experiences and preparing them to lead boldly in an interconnected world through expanded global education opportunities, partnerships, and immersive cross-cultural collaborations.
