Watershed Attracts Attention from Harvard University Students
Watershed School in Camden has caught the eye of students at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education. Over the past few months, graduate school students have journeyed up the New England coast to learn more about the unique educational program offered at the local, independent high school, now in its 12th year.
According to Watershed’s Director, Will Galloway, “they have come to see how we do it- how we create a supportive learning environment that engages young people at a very high level.”
Critical-thinking skills, collaborative problem-solving, and real world applications- these are the skills that the visiting graduate students want to see in action. Emily Sapienza, a master’s student at Harvard’s Graduate School of Education is in the process of designing a new school as part of her graduate program. Attending many classes and Watershed’s All-School Meeting, Sapienza was impressed by the high quality of academic discussions, but also and perhaps, more importantly, the supportive learning community that grows out of respectful student-teacher relationships.
Seeking advice on how to create a culture supportive of student growth, Sarah Warren, contacted Watershed School. Warren is a doctoral candidate at Harvard’s Graduate School in Education and is currently working on a consultancy project for a new school opening in San Francisco, California. One key question for her resides in the challenge of hiring and training outstanding faculty. Watershed has 14 faculty members, most of whom have advanced degrees and many years of teaching experience. Galloway explained the key underlying assumptions about teaching and learning that are expressed in teaching practice and manifest themselves in student growth over time. With Watershed’s record of college acceptances and student achievement, the recipe has proven to be highly successful.
Watershed School is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and College and is a Maine State Approved School. For further information, call 230-7341 or visit the school’s website at www.watershed-school.org
(pictured below: Emily Sapienza, Harvard Graduate School of Education student and Will Galloway, Director of Watershed School)
