Long Range Plan: GUS33

Learning and growing can be hard. As parents and caregivers, there are so many moments when we hold our breath and wonder, can they do it? First steps, learning to ride a bike, teaching our kids to ski, or skate, or drive, we are filled with anxiety. The first time they hold the microphone at morning meeting, when they are on the foul line in the basketball game, or under the spotlight in the musical, we sometimes watch through our fingers. So much of watching our children grow up is about faith and hope. It’s not that different as we watch a school grow and change. 

Over the past year, grounded in our new mission, vision, and values, we explored the essential GUS question where are we going? We held many conversations with many members of the GUS community - faculty, administrators, trustees, parents, grandparents, alumni, alumni families, and students alike - and we looked at ourselves with a critical eye. Throughout all of these conversations, it was clear that GUS as a school still has a lot of growing to do. There was talk of the times we have fallen down as a school and the places we need to do better. There was also a lot of discussion about what brings us joy, of our hopes and dreams for our school, and the future needs of our students. Fears about how technology will affect young people’s development and a contentious global political climate came up again and again. It is clear that we all believe that GUS is a place that can make a difference, not only in the lives of our students, but also in the world. 

One of the most gratifying results of the long range planning process was how the conversations affirmed so much of what we already do. Being student-centered, a focus on the social-emotional, and hands-on and experiential learning, all came through as more important than ever for young people growing up today. A renewed commitment to the “GUS way” of kindness, service, and community all resonated as central to our school not only today, but also in the future. Our task now is to grow and adapt these core tenets in an ever-changing world.

All of this discussion helped paint a clear picture of where we collectively want to go, and this new Long Range Plan, GUS33, gives us a road map for getting there. Through this strategic planning process, we tackled hard questions and real fears and concerns about the future, but today, we walk away from the experience filled with hope. We don’t need to watch the next generation through our fingers! The year 2033 will be here before we know it and we have a lot of work to do. Yet, this work is made lighter by a shared commitment to our institutional vision: To empower a generation of young people to do better.