En Avant!

Strategic Planning at Falk Laboratory School

During the 2022-23 school year, Falk Laboratory School began the process of creating a strategic plan to guide the school as it approaches its centennial anniversary in 2031 and begins its second century.

In the current school year, Falk will continue to press forward with this initiative, named “En Avant” after the French phrase found on Falk’s crest. En avant translates to forward and with the strategic planning process Falk is welcoming a wide range of stakeholders to join in imagining the school’s path forward and how to get there from where Falk is right now.

Last year, Falk’s director, Dr. Jill Sarada, worked with consultant Dr. Karen Alsbrooks to convene a number of town hall meetings and vision sessions geared toward eliciting the feedback of a broad swath of individuals in the “Falk universe.” Everyone from current Falk students and parents, alumni, donors, and current faculty and staff shared their visions of what they see in Falk now and how they envision its future.

The insights and opinions offered during last year’s meetings have informed the creation of Falk’s vision statement, which we are excited to share with the Falk community:

We envision a world where education supports each individual’s fullest development, promotes an inclusive and nurturing community, encourages engaged global citizenship, and ignites lifelong learning.

The vision statement will also help to guide us as we continue the work of strategic planning in the new school year.

During the current school year, Dr. Sarada and others will continue their work with Dr. Alsbrooks as they formulate a mission statement, identify core values, and conduct a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis.

We welcome the participation of all members of the Falk universe—not just current Falk families but alumni, friends of the school, and others with a special connection to Falk Laboratory School. In the coming months, look out for opportunities to participate in the ongoing effort to set a future course for Falk.

En avant!