Author: Eleftharia Giannopoulos

“The Making of the Principal: Five Lessons in Leadership Training” by the Wallace Foundation

School Session – With 2012-13 school year planning beginning or underway, we wanted to pass along this very intriguing report recently issued by The Wallace Foundation about the importance of leadership training for school Principals.

Excerpt from the Executive Summary . . .

“Experience and new research suggest that heeding the following five lessons could help propel many more districts toward the goal of having strong leadership in every school:

1. A more selective, probing process for choosing candidates for training is the essential first step in creating a more capable and diverse corps of future principals.

2. Aspiring principals need pre-service training that prepares them to lead improved instruction and school change, not just manage buildings.

3. Districts should do more to exercise their power to raise the quality of principal training, so that graduates better meet their needs.

4. States could make better use of their power to influence the quality of leadership training through standard-setting, program accreditation, principal certification and financial support for highly qualified candidates.

5. Especially in their first years on the job, principals need high-quality mentoring and professional development tailored to individual and district needs.”

The full report is available here and on The Wallace Foundation website.

Striving to Make the Mason Community Stronger One Team at a Time

Bird’s Eye View from The EDGE Center Manager, Susan Johnson – Every year around Commencement time I pause to reflect on our accomplishments over the last school year. While I am so proud that The EDGE has become an international leader in experiential learning, the George Mason University community is at our core. We are honored to be a part of this innovative, creative, and rapidly growing University and work every day to make the Mason community stronger, one team at a time. Over the last year, thousands of Mason students, faculty, staff and alumni, have come to The EDGE to build camaraderie, develop leadership skills, and improve the effectiveness of how they work and learn together. Thank you, Mason, for a great year! We wish the 2012 graduates all the best in their future endeavors.

The EDGE – a path to STEM?

Research Roundup – We attended the Prince William Chamber of Commerce Education Summit yesterday and heard fascinating remarks from area experts about the future of education in the county and throughout Northern Virginia. We, of course, strive to keep our programs relevant to the changing needs of our participants – from school-age youth to adult professionals. The current buzzwords are STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) Education and “empowering the knowledge economy,” which might make you think of white lab coats in computer-filled rooms – the complete opposite of what The EDGE programs are about. However, research shows that outdoor education can increase diversity participation in the STEM sector: http://www.education.com/reference/article/outdoor-education-science-math-diverse/?page=2. We take pride in offering experiences that foster a life-long interest in science and discovery. Is there anything more we should be doing to enhance our programming to make it more STEM-friendly? We’d love to hear your comments.

Just Published: “The Future of Outdoor Program Administration”

University Unwrapped – Our own Susan Johnson (The EDGE Manager and Mason School of Recreation, Tourism and Health Professor) co-authored a chapter in the newly published book, Outdoor Program Administration: Principles and Practices. Titled, “The Future of Outdoor Program Administration,” Laurlyn K. Harmon, Ph.D. and Susan describe how outdoor program administrators’ practices must keep pace with changing demographics, new technologies, economic conditions, and sustainability concerns. The case study of Northbay Adventure Camp, demonstrates how one organization successfully implemented several strategies discussed in the chapter. Below is an excerpt from the chapter:

Outdoor program administrators are increasingly pressured to be multitalented, professionally savvy, and creative in the management of their agencies and organizations. The demands of clientele will change in the coming years, and the resources on which programs rely will continue to evolve. Some of the critical facets to address include the increasing reliance and availability of a plethora of technological tools, for operations as well as participation; the need for securing funding in nontraditional ways; meeting the needs of a diverse staff; and engaging in multiple and increasingly sophisticated partnerships. The need to address these critical concerns while maintaining and developing new, well-designed, and outstanding outdoor recreation programs drives the future of outdoor program administration. By acknowledging these changes and capitalizing on the opportunities available, administrators will be able to proactively meet or exceed client, community, and employee expectations and exemplify leadership in our profession.

The EDGE – a BETTER Kind of Team-Building

Bird’s Eye View from The EDGE Center Manager, Susan Johnson – Needless to say, this article, 4 Reasons to Hate Team-Building, immediately captured my attention. As The EDGE Manager, it’s my mission to ensure our participants look forward to coming to our programs and leave having had a worthwhile experience. It certainly gives me great pride to look through our post-program surveys and read comments like, “I was successful at introducing 150 individuals to the ‘art of teaming’ in an open environment. The return on investment was tremendous,” and “Thank you for putting on a fantastic team building session for us. I have heard many, many positive comments. I appreciate your willingness to hear our concerns in advance and provide activities that far exceeded my expectations.”

What’s your experience been? Do you dread team-building workshops? What do you think are the most important factors in making a team-building activity worthwhile?