THE FUTURE OF LEARNING A STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK FOR WEBB
The Future of Learning
STRATEGIC VISION
Webb is redefining the boarding school experience for a new era, developing bold and honorable leaders to serve the global community.
A Strategic Framework for Webb
The Future of Learning For over a century, Webb has built something extraordinary in the foothills of Southern California. In more than 45 countries, Webb graduates thrive as global leaders transforming industries and pioneering solutions to new problems. In this age of accelerating change, the world needs what Webb offers: a personalized education that combines rigorous academics with real-world impact, a campus community that nurtures ambition and shapes character, and a spirit of innovation centered in California that sees possibility where others see limits. This strategic framework charts our path forward: how we’ll extend our reach, amplify our influence, and ensure that Webb’s transformative approach to education shapes not just our students, but the future of education itself. Our vision responds to three emerging truths:
1. The world is changing at accelerating speed. New technologies are challenging old ways of teaching and learning, and Webb is at the forefront as an educational leader harnessing the power of these tools for our students.
2. Human connections are at the center of Webb, and tomorrow’s leaders need the human capacity to connect, discern and lead. Our students need to be grounded in enduring core values and part of a community that inspires them to live connected lives of meaning and purpose.
3. W ebb’s idyllic campus home provides a launching pad to one of the most dynamic and diverse regions in the country. California is an innovation hub for the world, and Webb is uniquely positioned to take advantage of the region’s extensive network of thinkers and artists, entrepreneurs and scientists.
Our vision is bold. We will embrace our tradition of excellence, while shaping the future of learning and ensuring that Webb graduates are prepared to lead their communities and our world with the wisdom, adaptability, and creativity the times demand. 1
The Future of Learning
PILLAR #1
Design a Dynamic Education for a New Era To achieve the goals set forth in The Centennial Strategic Plan, we reimagined a Webb education, creating a dynamic program that engages students in the design of their own education. As we forge our second century, we will build on these innovations, supporting our faculty’s evolving vision and engaging our students in designing a dynamic education for a new era. This program we envision will be nimble and adaptable, fundamentally responsive to a changing world. It will push beyond traditional constraints that confine learning, such as academic disciplines, class periods, and classrooms. It will address the transformative possibilities of Generative AI and other emerging technologies, ensuring we harness the power of these new tools individually and collaboratively while probing questions and fashioning solutions to the ethics surrounding their creation and use. Ultimately, we must inspire and prepare Webb students to enact their curiosity and become ethical leaders who shape and lead our modern world.
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A Strategic Framework for Webb
STRATEGIC GOALS To advance Webb’s academic excellence and prepare students for a rapidly changing future, we will: 1.1 P ioneer a bold academic program that prioritizes real-world learning experiences in LA and beyond
Student-driven and ever richer with real-world experiences, Webb’s academic program will nurture the talents and skills needed to lead in an evolving world.
1.2 Empower Webb students to leverage and develop emerging technologies to pursue ambitious goals, guided by ethical responsibility and a commitment to the public good 1.3 Advance interdisciplinary approaches that integrate subjects across the entire curriculum as part of core and elective programs 1.4 Increase investment in supporting world-class faculty in meeting the challenges and opportunities of this dynamic educational era and creating the next iteration of student-driven education 1.5 Cultivate Webb’s academic and professional networks and create a robust system to support faculty and student engagement with these real-world partners
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The Future of Learning
PRIORITY INITIATIVES NEXT 5 YEARS •D evelop new faculty and student research and development funds for innovative programs and initiatives •E stablish a framework for and develop new multi-disciplinary course offerings, including programs rooted in the residential experience •E nhance the academic infrastructure to fully support emerging technologies, including developing a core AI experience and ensuring access to tools that support personalized learning •C reate a June term focused on immersive learning experiences, including domestic and global travel opportunities •B roaden our leadership and service programs, including developing internship programs •E ngineer a schedule that provides greater ease for students and faculty to explore Claremont, Los Angeles, and the greater Southern California region •B uild on the Alf Museum’s world-class programs providing independent and collective research and field study opportunities for students in two new scientific fields
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Field Study, Fossils and the Future of Science Learning For nearly a century, Webb students have ventured into the field to discover and collect fossils. With the founding of the Alf Museum, Webb further expanded and established a unique, one-of-a-kind advanced research science curriculum, where students studied the fossils they collected. Today, students co-author scientific research with museum staff. In fact, more than 50 student-coauthored papers have been published to date. Our new Strategic Framework leverages this partnership and calls for us to build upon the Alf Museum’s world-class field study and research programs for students in two new scientific fields.
A Strategic Framework for Webb
The Alf Museum: Today & Tomorrow The Alf Museum of Paleontology is a unique and renowned resource at Webb and a core part of our program. The Centennial Strategic Plan focused on expanding the museum’s programs and facilities, including expanding and improving research labs and collections storage, expanding staffing in collections management, and developing curriculum as part of Webb’s program innovations in the sciences. In this next era of our history, we look to deepen Alf’s programs and their integration with the broader Webb program in support of our three strategic pillars.
SHARED PRIORITIES NEXT 5 YEARS • Expand the Alf’s academic and professional networks to support faculty and student research in science • Promote the Alf Museum at Webb through collaborative marketing and communications strategies • Develop an Alf-inspired middle school outreach program to serve local and regional communities • Create an option for the Summer Peccary Trip to be part of Webb’s June term offerings • Further integrate the Alf with planned interdisciplinary courses • Deepen on-campus and LA-based internship and service opportunities for students at the Alf and with partner institutions
A New Core AI Experience at Webb Webb will provide individual students across all academic disciplines with cutting-edge resources that strengthen their fluency with AI tools, and engage them in the broader ethical questions and opportunities embedded in emerging technologies in our society.
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The Future of Learning
Our campus home supports Webb students, faculty and staff, who together create a joyful and meaningful community.
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A Strategic Framework for Webb
PILLAR #2
Enhance the Boarding School Experience for All Students Webb is more than a high school—it is a vibrant living and learning community where all students experience both the comfort of home and the challenge of discovery. In this environment, guided by dedicated faculty and staff, students learn to balance independence with responsibility, collaborate with and live alongside people from diverse backgrounds and experiences, and act with honor and integrity. Our aspiration is that students find joy in learning, in friendships, and in the daily rhythms of campus life, so that their academic work is fueled by balance and well-being. Here, they build the habits of healthy living, develop leadership grounded in service, and grow as thoughtful stewards of our community and the wider world. Reimagining the boarding school experience for today’s era means continuing to elevate the power of in-person connection and ensuring our faculty and staff are supported in creating an inclusive community where all students develop their moral and ethical framework for life.
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The Future of Learning
Les Perry Gymnasium Renewal Project Athletics and physical activity have long played a role in the Webb experience, fostering discipline, resilience, and teamwork. Now, looking forward to the second phase of this monumental project, we will renovate both wings of the Gym, modernize the indoor/outdoor Fitness Center, add two new outdoor basketball courts, and provide climate control throughout the entire athletic center.
STRATEGIC GOALS To ensure that Webb’s campus and culture cultivate connection and nurture balanced, confident and curious students, we will: 2.1 Elevate our residential program to address the lived experience and needs of today’s students and create greater connectivity between Webb’s campus and the dynamic world of Southern California 2.2 Invest in residential capacity and community spaces that nurture growth and wellness, and take advantage of California’s sunshine and natural beauty by maximizing our indoor-outdoor lifestyle
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2.3 Deepen our longstanding commitment to build Webb’s endowment to support affordability and ensure exceptional students from all backgrounds can pursue a Webb education 2.4 Enhance and promote an inclusive global learning community, ensuring all students have ownership of their experience and feel at home on our campus 2.5 Promote service and sustainability on campus and beyond, strengthening community engagement and cultivating a global mindset in all students
A Strategic Framework for Webb
PRIORITY INITIATIVES NEXT 5 YEARS • Engage in master planning to conceptualize the boarding school campus of the future and determine how to best utilize the Centennial land purchase • Design residential services and staffing to give greater flexibility to boarding students to participate in off-campus activities, from club sports to civic leadership programs • Complete the remodel of the Les Perry Gymnasium to provide an accessible, modern fitness center for all students • Transform existing residences to pilot innovative dorm programs and build 2-3 new faculty homes on Towne Avenue property • Enhance residential common spaces and existing faculty housing to benefit all students • Expand student food offerings, including dorm pantries and community kitchens to celebrate the diverse identities of our community and California’s rich agricultural and cultural heritage • Preserve the Vivian Webb School chapel as a core community space • Develop sustainability programs to engage all students in on-campus, local, and global sustainability efforts, including developing an energy solution for Webb
New Community Kitchens and Common Spaces Nothing is more important and impactful to the boarding school experience than getting together with your friends, dormmates, faculty and staff over a shared meal or late night snack. These small moments live big in our minds and memories. We will renew, refresh, and remodel a variety of community kitchens and common areas to provide the space to come together in comfort and fellowship.
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The Future of Learning
Rooted in and shaped by a vibrant and innovative California, Webb will build on its legacy as a global educational leader.
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A Strategic Framework for Webb
PILLAR #3
Lead from California Over the last century, the State of California has grown into the largest sub-national economy in the world and emerged as a global center of invention and ingenuity. Leading industries in California span technology and artificial intelligence, sports and entertainment, aerospace and space exploration, art and creative design, and life sciences and biotechnology. And California is also widely recognized as one of the world’s leading centers of education and research, not to mention home to diverse natural landscapes and world-renowned state and national parks. Rooted in and shaped by this vibrant state, Webb has emerged over the last century as a premier global institution. We are a thriving and close-knit learning community of accomplished students and alumni, educators, and industry leaders across the state and beyond. In our second century, we will expand our reach and grow our reputation for excellence, ensuring Webb students are actively engaged with the distinctive industries, communities, and resources of the Los Angeles area and beyond.
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The Future of Learning
STRATEGIC GOALS To elevate Webb’s position as an innovative educational leader and leverage Southern California’s unique resources, we will: 3.1 Ensure every Webb student is immersed in the natural and built environment, the foundational and emerging industries, and the social and cultural landscapes of the Los Angeles area through intentional place-based experiences 3.2 Grow collaborations with and enhance infrastructure to support engagement with renowned academic, athletic, cultural, civic, and entrepreneurial organizations in LA and throughout California
3.3 Develop programming centered on Southern California’s natural resources and aligned with the state’s leadership in sustainability and environmental stewardship 3.4 Empower Webb students as honorable servant leaders and active members of the Los Angeles community 3.5 Position Webb as the premier choice for boarding school education in California by investing in new marketing and admission programs to share our unique story, legacy, and inspired academic and boarding school program with prospective students and families, alumni and friends
LA Passport Program & the Freshmen Experience An intentional exploration of all that Southern California has to offer, this only-at-Webb program will introduce freshmen to the rich cultural and civic life of the region, while building community and serving as a launching pad for off-campus study, internships, mentorships, and more.
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A Strategic Framework for Webb
Strengthening Partnerships with the Claremont Colleges While strengthening our unique partnerships with computer science faculty at Harvey Mudd, chemistry faculty at Pomona, and civic leadership faculty at CMC, we will explore new opportunities, such as a Humanities-in-Practice partnership with Claremont Graduate University to provide concrete experiences with museums and other cultural and civic institutions.
PRIORITY INITIATIVES NEXT 5 YEARS • Create a freshman experience grounded in Southern California, such as a Los Angeles Passport Program • Launch a Los Angeles Term program for juniors and seniors • Strengthen Webb’s affiliation with the Claremont Colleges • Establish a Director of Strategic Partnerships focused on cultivating Webb’s California network •E xpand leadership development and internship opportunities through partnerships with at least 20 organizations in the LA area
• Cement partnerships with external athletic organizations to strengthen Webb’s programs and provide access to greater opportunities for athletic development and activities • Build out alumni mentorship and engagement programs •L ocate a satellite campus or dedicated space in Los Angeles •M ount a visibility campaign, including targeted educational outreach and programs that highlight Webb’s unique offerings •E stablish new pipeline partnerships to attract top students from varied socioeconomic backgrounds, particularly across Southern California
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The Future of Learning
The Strategic Framework Process I want to thank everyone in the Webb community who participated in this remarkable strategic planning process. Over the course of two years of thought-provoking meetings, site visits, and more, our faculty, staff, students, leadership volunteers, alumni, parents, and friends of Webb visited some of the finest educational institutions across the country and around the world, gathering inspiration for our own bold thinking about Webb’s future. Your ideas and commitment are embedded in this framework and will shape what comes next. Thank you for your generosity and dedication to Webb. I could not be more excited to begin bringing this framework to life together. Theresa Smith, Ph.D. Head of School
RESEARCH / SITE VISITS Phillips Academy Andover Bush School
Seattle, Washington
Cate School
Carpinteria, California
Choate Rosemary Hall Kohler Environmental Center
Wallingford, Connecticut
Claremont McKenna College Robert Day Science Center
Claremont, California
The Dunn School
Los Olivos, California
Episcopal High School
Alexandria, Virginia
Emma Willard School
Troy, New York
Harvey Mudd College
Claremont, California
Lakeside School
Seattle, Washington
Madeira School
McLean, Virginia
Marin Academy
San Rafael, California
Midland School
Los Olivos, California
The Nueva School
Hillsborough, California
Pomona College Global Center for Engagement Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Stanford University d.school K12 Lab / AI Tinkery Thacher School
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Andover, Massachusetts
Claremont, California Troy, New York Stanford, California Ojai, California
University Preparatory Academy
Seattle, Washington
University of Southern California USC Center for AI in Society
Los Angeles, California
A Strategic Framework for Webb
PLANNING TIMELINE
FEBRUARY-JUNE 2024
AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2024
Board and Senior Leadership Team Analyze Data to Create Focus for Strategic Planning Process
Launch Strategic Planning Process with Faculty & Staff SEPTEMBER-JUNE 2025
Site Visits Head Outreach JANUARY-JUNE 2025
Organize Work Groups
All Faculty & Staff Pro Grow Day Work Group Meetings & Summits
AUGUST-DECEMBER 2025
Begin Community Outreach Begin Design Sprints
OCTOBER 2025
Complete First Draft of Strategic Framework JANUARY-MARCH 2026
Continue Community Outreach, including Student Feedback JUNE 2026
Complete Final Draft of Strategic Framework
Discuss Resource Plan & Success Metrics
AUGUST 2026
Launch Strategic Framework
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The Future of Learning
Leadership ADMINISTRATION LEADERSHIP TEAM Theresa A. Smith, Ph.D., Head of School John Choi, Director of Culture & Community Jamila Everett, Ed.D., Dean of Enrollment Management Andrew Farke, Ph.D., Director, Raymond M. Alf Museum of Paleontology Michael Hoe ’04, Assistant Head of School Ryan Hubbard, Director of Marketing & Communications Kurt Johnson, Chief Advancement Officer Hector Martinez, Dean of College Guidance Reco Sanders, Director of Campus Operations LeAnne Schweitzer, Chief Financial Officer
THE WEBB SCHOOLS Board of Trustees Rahmi Mowjood, D.O. ’90, Chair Tammie Brailsford Blake Brown ’68 Michael Chang ’92 Kathy Chen Liu ’99 Deval Dvivedi ’00 Jenna Gambaro ’95 Jessica Gupta ’05 Wendy Hornbuckle Bill Hornbuckle Alvin Hung ’93 Jennifer Y. Ishiguro ’91 Naveen Jeereddi ’92 JB Lee Karen Li Andrew M. Pan Thomas Poon, Ph.D. Dakota Santana-Grace ’11 Wendin Smith, Ph.D. ’89 Jordan Taylor ’02 Lance Williams ’97
Ex Officio Members R. Larry Ashton, Jr. ’70, Chair, Alf Museum Theresa A. Smith, Ph.D., Head of School Life Trustees Bob Adler Anne Gould Ann Longley Claire McCloud Kim McCloud ’67 Roger Millar ’61 Susan Nelson Paul Reitler ’54 Peter Ziegler ’63
RAYMOND M. ALF MUSEUM OF PALEONTOLOGY Board of Trustees R. Larry Ashton, Jr. ’70, Chair Gretchen J. Augustyn Terry W. Baganz, Secretary Richard H. Clark Jeffrey C. Cripe ’08 Daniel Gluckstein, M.D. Ronald P. Hagander ’66 Lexington B. Henn ’09 Carl W.R. Lachman ’86 David P. Mirkin, M.D. ’66 L.J. Patrick Muffler, Ph.D. ’54 Michelle Plyley Mary W. Rose, Ph.D. Liz Smith ’92 Charles Steinman, M.D. Page W. Thibodeaux Geoffrey Winssinger ’00 Thomas Yu ’06 Tammy Zipser Ex Officio Members Andrew Farke, Ph.D., Museum Director Rahmi Mowjood, D.O. ’90, Chair, The Webb Schools Theresa A. Smith, Ph.D., Head of School
Life Trustees Anne G. Earhart Donald Lofgren, Ph.D. Dick Lynas ’55 Douglas F. Myles Michael O. Woodburne, Ph.D.
STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK WORK GROUPS LEADERSHIP Larry Ashton ’70 Jason Brooks ’99 Susan Carpenter John Choi Zach Dodds Jamila Everett Andrew Farke Mark Feng ’07 Kathy Fredrich ’02 Jenna Gambaro ’95 Sarah Garcia Dakota Santana-Grace ’11 Stef Graefe Eric Hansen AJ Hess ’12 Jim Hinch Michael Hoe ’04 Meg Horejsi Jennifer Ishiguro ’91 Jackie Leishman Riley Lewis ’07 Karen Li Suzi Linsley Kathy Chen Liu ’99 David Loo ’79 Hector Martinez Malick Mbengue Rahmi Mowjood ’90 Carly Paris ’10 Nina Butler-Roberts Reco Sanders LeAnne Schweitzer Liz Smith ’92 Joycelynne Palmer-Stodghill Greg Stone Yesela Tadeo Jack Wiese ’06 Lance Williams ’97 Annamarie Von Firley Eric Vos
* Special thanks to our facilitator Laura McBain, Managing Director at the Stanford d.school. 16
A Strategic Framework for Webb
Think, Act, Lead, Serve. Webb’s mission is to provide a dynamic learning community that nurtures and inspires our students and alumni to: • think boldly, mindfully, and creatively; • act with honor and moral courage; • lead with distinction; • serve with a generous spirit.
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Empowering bold and honorable leaders to serve the global community since 1922.