Spotlight On: Edward Hardiman, Head of School, St. John’s Prep

Spotlight On: Edward Hardiman, Head of School, St. John’s Prep

2023-04-28T15:30:07-04:00April 14th, 2023|Boston, Economy, Education, Spotlight On|

3 min read April 2023 Invest: sat down with Edward Hardiman, head of school at St. John’s Prep, to discuss how the school offers a unique educational experience that focuses on the formation of the whole student, beyond grades and traditional success metrics. “We are emphasizing relationship building and socialization because they are key parts to the overall success of our students,” he says. 

What have been your key takeaways over the past year?

Our biggest focus has been to rebuild our students’ capacity to learn since the disruption of the pandemic. Students haven’t just lost a lot of that material learning, but also the experiential ability to be an active participant in a structured classroom setting. We emphasize relationship building and socialization because they are key parts of the overall success of our students. That involves building connections and developing programs to foster the opportunity for these kids to reconnect with their teachers, curriculum and each other. This has been a significant institutional shift and how we channel our efforts into the future.

What is the unique value added by St. John’s Prep?

We seek to form young men who are committed to being servant leaders. We define that as individuals who are willing to influence any situation they encounter for the benefit of others. Our goal for our graduates when they move into college and professional programs is that not only are they qualified and competent in the field of study they’re entering but have training that has helped develop values and a moral compass that focuses on serving others. Income is important, but so is having a sense of how the actions they’re taking and the work they’re doing influence people in a positive way.

We have a 15,000-strong alumni network involved in finance, real estate, public service, education, social services and more. That adds a tremendous amount of value as well. One of our key initiatives is working with students who’ve graduated to introduce them to professional tracks through internships. Through a program called Prep to Pro, we are building on our alumni base. The goal is to work with our graduates to connect them with alumni who are in the careers they’d like to pursue and provide opportunities for internships over the summer of their college years.

How does the Prep 20/20 program help prepare students for working life?

Prep 20/20 is a community-wide effort seven years in the making that was funded by a $50 million capital campaign. This initiative features four primary pillars to develop a program for middle school students, add a new facility for our high school, grow our computer science offerings and create the Center for Mission and Research. We have state-of-the-art facilities to study computer sciences including a new cybersecurity program along with our 3D design and robotics offerings. Our focus goes beyond STEM, for what we call STREAM: Science, Technology, Religion, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics. This goes back to the holistic education of the whole student. We want to foster a sense of values and creativity. 

Our Center for Mission and Research is home to four areas of study: social justice, global health and wellness, environmental sustainability and innovation and design. Students who are engaged in the Center can present original capstone research paired with an alumni member who is an expert in the field. This culminates in a TED Talk presentation to demonstrate their work. We have a similar entrepreneurship program that encourages our students to think creatively about how to start a business. They will conceive of a startup to meet an unmet need and it has seen a few great ideas take off. 

How is St. John’s Prep preparing graduates for college?

We have a lot of open-ended communications with colleges and universities where our students matriculate. We share how we’re working not just so that students are prepared via SAT scores and a high GPA, but that they are prepared and able to engage in a new community in higher education and succeed in the work. Our success is evidenced in the data of our graduates. Eighty percent to 85% of our graduates complete their higher education program in less than five years whereas the national completion rate is in the 40% to 50% range. That indicates not only that they’re academically prepared but also prepared to make social adjustments and engage with their fields of study in dynamic ways.

What is your outlook over the next two to three years?

One of the macro challenges that will impact us most is demographic change. It demands a refocused commitment to what makes us distinct from other schools and how we define our outcomes. On one hand, there is the quantitative success of getting good grades, SAT scores, and college placements and scholarships. But we are equally emphasizing the qualitative growth of our students to be emotionally and cognitively prepared to engage college and the world more broadly. Student formation will always be a core mission as we move on from the pandemic. We’re working with our students to help them understand who they are, how they manage adversity and stress, and adapting when things don’t go their way. Resilience will be a key aspect of our education moving forward.  

For more information, visit: 

https://www.stjohnsprep.org/

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