Social Impact Program

The School’s signature social impact program is designed to cultivate courage, confidence, and character in students so they understand their potential and responsibility to actively engage with their local and global communities. We strive to foster an empathetic community that finds joy and fulfillment in doing the greatest good in the world.

It’s no surprise that the word “Service” sits at the center of McDonogh’s Character Compass. Indeed, service is central and fundamental to the higher purpose of learning: the agency that education provides is most rewarding when it helps us improve the world. Greatest Good McDonogh (GGM) guarantees that we make good on this promise to inspire our students to be contributing members of society for years to come.

We will:

• Launch signature GGM classes that blend classroom learning with real-world impact. 
• Institute a GGM Fellows Program for faculty wishing to develop deep competency in the areas of philanthropy, social innovation, and civic education.
• Evolve GGM capstone projects for students in fourth, eighth, and twelfth grades.

Initiative for the Study of Science, Environment, Agriculture, and Sustainability 

Building on McDonogh’s rich history as a farm school and capitalizing on our abundant natural resources, 800-Acre Labs will expand the School’s reach into environmental and agricultural sciences.

We aspire to initiate research and stewardship projects that will prepare students with the knowledge, skills, and competencies to benefit people and the planet. These efforts will be led through two complementary, mutually enriching endeavors: Environmental Sciences and Systems and Roots Farm. For more than a decade, Roots, our vibrant 10-acre farm, has served as a cornerstone of education about land and natural resources. Today, it also features a culinary kitchen to further enrich learning experiences.

Both signature programs are anchored in systems-thinking frameworks and provide students with vibrant surroundings in which they can hone critical thinking, problem-solving, and teamwork skills.

We will: 

• Integrate 800-Acre Labs programming at every grade level, infusing more farm, culinary, sustainability, and environmental opportunities into our curricula.
• Establish environmental research programming to study McDonogh’s diverse ecological assets (e.g., freshwater, grassland, and forest properties).
• Implement cutting-edge, science-based agricultural practices in areas such as regenerative and precision agriculture, hydroponics and aquaponics, and agroforestry.
• Invest in Roots Farm to keep it a nationally distinctive program.
• Build exclusive relationships with universities, enabling McDonogh students to engage in primary research with leaders in the field.
• Develop stewardship and educational infrastructure resulting in, but not limited to, wildlife observation field stations; permanent reforestation areas; restoration of native grass and wildflower meadows; and the enhancement of a campuswide trail network.

Nurturing Character and Civic Engagement 

McDonogh believes a LifeReady education should teach students to become stewards of the democratic ideals that have set the United States apart for nearly 250 years. While foundational learning about democracy currently takes place at McDonogh, students will have the opportunity to study philosophy, political science, ethics, and civil discourse.

We will:

• Develop a civics and ethics curriculum that ensures a baseline understanding of individual responsibility and supports the development of students’ good judgment and abilities for responsible public participation.
• Maintain an unwavering commitment to the School’s position on freedom of expression and civil discourse.
• Connect service learning and philanthropic activity to core ideals supportive of a healthy democratic republic.

The School’s promise that it will graduate self-reliant, critical thinkers prepared to do good in a diverse and ever-changing world requires that we focus carefully on the many areas that deliver a holistic, LifeReady education.

We will:

• Enable each student to meet their potential, empowered by a world-class education.
• Ensure a state-of-the-art program in the liberal arts and sciences.
• Expand and centralize programming in the areas of wellness, counseling, learning support, and mental health education and intervention.
• Determine appropriate use of and access to technology.

It remains a key priority for faculty to actively embody and promote McDonogh’s Mission, Vision, and Values in their daily interactions.

We will: 

• Foster a culture where faculty have the resources and space to contribute meaningfully to decisions, events, and the overall vibrancy of school life.
• Develop a robust faculty growth and evaluation system that promotes self-reflection, goal-setting, and professional learning.
• Ensure structures and processes for early-career faculty success.
• Monitor workload demands on faculty to promote a healthy work/life balance.
• Maintain thoughtful, mission-aligned professional learning for all faculty.

An active, supportive parent community enhances and strengthens the student experience. When parents, faculty, and administrators see themselves as collaborators with a primary goal of raising students of intelligence and character, the overall health of a culture stays strong.

We will:

• Build a trusting, respectful relationship with parents by clearly communicating the School’s values.
• Uphold an environment where parents and faculty engage freely and civilly, mutually ensuring the School is an ideal place to work and to educate children.
• Provide timely communication to parents regarding programmatic innovation, school operations, and educational offerings (e.g., parent workshops and presentations).
• Deliver impactful parent educational programming led by nationally known experts and McDonogh thought leaders.