EDUCATING LEADERS FOR AN EVOLVING WORLD� What shape of beak best serves a bird diving to hunt? Will sound waves reduce drag on an airplane’s wings? How might fish swarm algorithms inform A.I. development? These are just some of the questions researchers are taking up at the USC School of Engineering Labs I visited in the fall. My recent visit to USC, graciously arranged by Professor Eva Kanso P’26 (and complete with a visit to the rocket lab where an undergraduate team built the recent record setter After Shock II!), was part of ongoing research into a central question: How can we create a dynamic educational environment at Webb that prepares young people to build a better tomorrow?
EDUCATING LEADERS FOR AN EVOLVING WORLD�
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Many people think of education as static—a group of students learning a body of knowledge. This view omits the vital starting point for learning: asking good questions and being curious enough to seek out the answer. I don’t mean googling it and just accepting the first item that pops up. I mean asking the kinds of questions that aren’t easily answered or haven’t been answered yet.
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In this new digital era, one of the most essential skills for students to develop is analytical rigor. How do we know what we know? How do we evaluate sources of information? Whether it be assessing lab results or a video link in an Instagram feed, what criteria do we use? In a world where computing hallucinations and deep fake sources abound, Webb students must learn to assess the validity of information with speed and accuracy. And though the skills at play are similar to those historians have been using for decades, the variety and volume of imposter information is unprecedented and only growing. What type of a school program will best prepare students for this future? A great educational program must look to foster intellectual risk-taking, build student confidence and strengthen flexibility and resilience. The program must enable students to experiment and fail, fail early, and fail often (as the Silicon Valley principle suggests). Students cannot be afraid to test an idea, or a robot. They have to learn how to create and live in collaborative environments that engage diverse viewpoints and draw on individual strengths. Gone are the days of the solo genius, if they ever really existed. Webb students need to build relationships, develop empathy, and better understand themselves and others.
At Webb, we are leaders in creating a dynamic educational environment for the future, in part because we live this question daily. We are constantly challenging ourselves to think about the evolving world and the best ways to prepare our students to lead in it. Take, for example, our opening meetings this year. Our entire faculty and staff participated in a futurist thinking workshop led by Stanford educator Laura McBain. Drawing on work from the Stanford d.School, we asked ourselves big questions about how the world might shift in 20, 50, even 100 years. We imagined multiple futures, pushing ourselves to think creatively and expansively and to consider how Webb could help create, not just react to, the future. Our academic program is intentionally designed to foster this kind of ongoing experimentation and enable flexibility. An inherent goal is for it to be nimble and constantly evolving. In the great spirit of California innovation, our faculty are not afraid to try something new, and our students are excited to be part of an entrepreneurial environment where innovation is a core part of learning. Take our Humanities program, where we have 65 Humanities courses overall in the course guide. Even with such a vibrant program, our Humanities team continues to assess and add to the offerings. That investigation led to a few new courses this year, including Advanced Studies Literature and the Machine. Part of The AI Project@Webb, this course looks at the ways writers and thinkers have responded to and been shaped by technological innovation. Our Huang Innovation Wing in Fawcett Library, just opened in late November 2024, now serves as a hub for this spirit of innovation. What I love about this space is watching students bring it to life. Our robotic arm training and usage protocols, for example, are mainly being designed by students who helped to select this model. Our video editing suite, complete with systems selected with input from CNN video engineers, and
Theresa Smith, Ph.D. HEAD OF SCHOOL February 2025
sound booth enables a new level of production for students in our recently launched filmmaking course. And our new Technology and Innovation Seminar, inspired in part by our ongoing collaboration with Professor Zach Dodds at Harvey Mudd College, has provided an academic space for students in our Bluebird rocket team, enabling them to get ready for their next launch, a process not unlike their USC counterparts.
Communication. Drive. Resilience. Teamwork. Creativity. Problem Solving. Collaboration. And, how to do your own laundry. Many times, people contrast academic skills with life skills, such as managing your finances, knowing what to do when you have a flat tire, or cooking dinner for four. Webb’s program has always understood the link between our residential community and student learning. That Webb’s academic program lives as part of a 24/7 learning community focused on nurturing and inspiring young people enables its success. Exciting developments are underway at Webb! In the new year, we have additional site visits planned as we refine our programs and chart a bold path for the future. With our Centennial celebration behind us, we now look ahead to the next 100 years with a clear and compelling vision. Webb is transforming the boarding school experience for a new generation, cultivating bold and honorable leaders ready to make a global impact. Building on our remarkable legacy, we are just getting started— and the future is boundless!