When we talk about developing changemakers at Ellis, we’re talking about building all the qualities and skills our students will need to be able to be the kinds of adults you’d want to have on your team. We believe that changemakers are the kinds of people who step up to tackle hard problems, who volunteer for interesting new challenges, who don’t hang back to wait for other people to fix things for them, who want to make a difference in the world. We don’t think about changemaking as being limited to certain fields, professions, or job titles, but rather think of it as a way of approaching life.

We weave this learning into the everyday experiences of all our students from their earliest days at Ellis, whether they be Lower School students solving math problems together, Middle School students designing new products, or Upper School students doing original research in multiple courses. Like all the best learning, it happens almost invisibly in many small and large ways, rather than through any isolated course or project in which we say “here’s how you’re going to learn to be a changemaker”. The real proof is in our students.  I have the great fortune of getting to witness them embody these changemaking qualities through projects and presentations, athletic games and performances, and in those small moments in the hallways and on the playground. There’s no question that our students are definitely the kinds of people you’d want on your team! 

As we look ahead to all 2021 may hold in store, I know we are all aware of so many challenges in the world. But I hope you share the joy and confidence I feel knowing that our Ellis students are developing all the qualities they need to not only weather challenging times themselves, but become the kinds of adults that make the world a better place for all of us. I hope you'll take the time to read more about our student changemakers and learn about the many ways they're already making their mark.