St. Margaret’s Mixing Disciplines Through Innovative Interdisciplinary Grants

All over St. Margaret’s, connections are being made between academic subjects to create relevant learning experiences for students.

 

Faculty members in each division and department collaborated this summer to create interdisciplinary curriculum that integrates content and skills across disciplines and illuminates new connections between academic subjects. 

 

Assistant Head of School for Strategic Initiatives Ryan Dahlem and Academic Dean Jeneen Graham offered Innovation Summer Grants to faculty willing to partner with a colleague from another department to develop interdisciplinary curriculum. More than 40 faculty members from every division and academic department submitted proposals. Funding was provided to develop the interdisciplinary lessons and units that are being piloted on campus this fall. 

 

After the pilots are completed, grant recipients will share their experiences and model their pilots with the entire faculty during a professional development day in January. 

 

The interdisciplinary grants are in support of the school’s Strategic Plan goal to “elevate curriculum and pedagogy to enhance…multidisciplinary knowledge and develop higher cognitive and critical thinking skills.”

 

“When we interviewed students about our curriculum and pedagogy as part of the design thinking process, a theme of relevance emerged where students are eager to derive higher meaning and purpose in their studies,” Mr. Dahlem said. “Designing interdisciplinary curriculum helps accomplish this by allowing students to connect their learning across subject areas. It illustrates the relevance for them and increases their engagement.”

 

This work builds on a successful collaboration between grade 9 faculty members last year that integrated the teaching of physics and math.

 

As a college preparatory school, St. Margaret’s also recognizes the shift toward interdisciplinary studies in higher education. “Our alumni will have incredible opportunities to pursue interdisciplinary majors in college and to approach complex problems from a variety of academic perspectives throughout their lives. Our faculty are doing an amazing job of providing opportunities for students to learn in an interdisciplinary way while at St. Margaret’s,” Mr. Dahlem said.

 

Click here to see the full list of Innovation Summer Grants running this fall.