- Tim Breen, Ph.D., Head of School
Watershed’s mission is:
To spark adventure and wonder, foster inquiry and community, and build the character and ability of students to take on the world’s greatest challenges.
Our mission is alive — we use it as a guide for decisions big and small at Watershed.
Today I want to share a few thoughts about the last phrase of our mission statement. It is a bold commitment — preparing students to take on the world’s greatest challenges — for it acknowledges both an uncomfortable truth, and a hopeful commitment. The uncomfortable truth is that our world is flawed. The hopeful commitment is that schools must contribute purposefully toward building a better future.
At Watershed, we know that engaging students with real challenges in the world gives context and purpose to their learning. And we know that if we engage them in making a difference beyond the walls of the school it gives them hope that our challenges are not intractable and that we can all help to improve the world around us. Young people have powerful ideas and deep commitments to our world — Watershed’s program allows them to tap into these reservoirs of positive energy.
But what do we mean when we say the world’s greatest challenges? Educator and author Tom Vander Ark has compiled a list of 25 great challenges (see his article here). The first 17 challenges are the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals:
The final eight challenges in Vander Ark’s list are drawn from the work of the National Academy of Engineering, the National Science Foundation, the Future of Life Institute, the Future of Humanity Institute, the World Economic Forum, and the Gates Foundation.
18. Understand the brain
19. Cybersecurity
20. Prevent nuclear terror
21. Biotechnology for good
22. Engineer the tools of scientific discovery
23. Powerful expressions
24. Getting along
25. Space and extra-planetary life
Watershed has adopted this combined list of the world’s 25 great challenges as a guide as we pursue that crucial last phrase in our mission statement. For example, all of our expedition courses relate to one or more of these challenges. This quarter, our courses are exploring aspects of:
3. Good health and well-being
6. Clean water and sanitation
7. Affordable and clean energy
10. Reduced inequalities
11. Sustainable cities and communities
13. Climate action
16. Peace, justice and strong institutions
18. Understand the brain
19. Cybersecurity
23. Powerful expressions
These are all real-world, trans-disciplinary problems, which is why we approach them from multiple perspectives. And as we explore them, we learn the science and history behind them. We develop the research skills, quantitative reasoning skills, and problem solving skills to address them. And we learn the communication and collaboration skills to make a difference. And as a result, Watershed graduates leave with not only a deep understanding of the world they are entering, but also with the skills and inclination to "take on the world's greatest challenges."
