Darlington is fortunate to benefit from the Thatcher Faculty Development Fund and the Carla & Leonard Wood Distinguished Faculty Fellowship to assist with professional growth. Each year, faculty members have the opportunity to submit proposals to receive funding from these endowed grants. A committee reviews the proposals and decides which will be funded for the next academic year.
The purpose of these two grants is to fund projects that:
Thatcher Faculty Development Fund
Thirty-one Thatcher Faculty Development proposals were awarded for the 2021-22 school year. These include grants to:
Current and past recipients of the Thatcher Faculty Development funds had this to say about the professional development program at Darlington School:
Jennifer Collins
Content Manager, Communication Office
“The opportunity for professional development at Darlington is an asset that I am extremely grateful for. Each grant I have received has deepened my connection with colleagues and helped me better tell the story of Darlington's amazing students, teachers, and alumni. We have been able to move things forward with digital storytelling, live streaming, higher quality graphics and more efficient collaboration with other departments. The skills developed and the initiatives that have spun off from my three professional development grants have given me the joy of working directly with students and my colleagues, and I'm grateful for the opportunities that I've had to nurture ideas and deepen skills.”
Mathew Enderle
Math Teacher
“The grant program has allowed me to continue my own academic journey and deepen my knowledge of mathematics. Because of the professional development funds available through the grant program, I have been able to take challenging graduate courses and incorporate some concepts into the classes I teach. My students benefit from all of this because I have new perspectives to share with them about the subjects they are learning and they can see what life long learning looks like.”
Tonya Greene
Accelerated Learning Program Coordinator
“The grant program is important to me because it opens the doors for opportunities I might not otherwise explore because of more pressing ‘needs.’ It has also allowed me the opportunity to bring to Darlington new approaches to teaching for everyone to learn in order to better teach students.”
Leigh Hadaway
History Teacher
"This grant will allow me to bring traveling museum exhibits on to campus so that students can engage in history in new and exciting ways. This project will provide new perspectives on topics being discussed in the classroom and will create new conversation and education opportunities right here on campus. I am excited to share this project with a variety of different students at Darlington which will build community and curiosity centered around the humanities"
Damon Harvey
Band Instructor
"I am so appreciative that Darlington can make these professional development opportunities possible for us! I have taught at other schools where I have had to fund many of my own professional development pursuits. Although I'm passionate about growing as a music teacher, paying for these activities became a burden. I think it says a great deal about Darlington as an institution that it invests in making great teachers. The administration really does believe that the best part about our community is what the faculty can offer students day in and day out. They believe that these funds are going to good use, and I'm dedicated to making sure my students and myself get the most out of the grants I've been offered."
Julie Lucas ('97)
Chief Advancement Officer
“I am so grateful for the professional development opportunities available to my team, my children's teachers and also me. Each year, we have the opportunity to find something that can help us be better for Darlington and for ourselves. The donors who make this possible for us are making a difference for our faculty and staff every year!”
Jen Luitwieler
Learning Specialist
“The grant program gives me the opportunity to learn from academic leaders outside of our community, and to hear from peers around the country what has been successful for them.”
Carla & Leonard Wood Distinguished Faculty Fellowship
The Carla & Leonard Wood Distinguished Faculty Fellowship grants fund larger, two-year projects, and two were awarded for the 2021-22 school year.
One involves working with the J.W. Fanning Institute at the University of Georgia to develop a Student Leadership Institute at Darlington. A Darlington student is expected to “lead” either in their individual behavior, within school groups and classes, and in the greater community. Does everyone know how to lead? Does everyone know how they are comfortable leading? And do they see leadership as making people and situations better? Developing these skills is at the heart of the Darlington Leadership Institute. The Fanning Institute is an industry leader in leadership development and eager to partner with Darlington. This partnership allows us to take advantage of best practices, create credibility, and provide a format for a program moving forward.
The other grant focuses on research and education related to fostering and supporting Darlington’s diverse community. Funds will support the work of a faculty committee charged with studying Darlington’s culture to ascertain how we ensure a sense of belonging for all members of our community. After the group has developed essential questions and a framework to guide the process, the grant will further support efforts to educate the Darlington Community and develop any necessary programs to preserve our inclusive culture throughout our curriculum, traditions, learning environments, and all that makes up and embodies Darlington School.
Throughout the 2021-22 school year, grant recipients will have the opportunity to share what they have learned from their grants. They will do this by presenting information at faculty meetings, providing workshops and Lunch and Learns, and writing blogs for the Darlington website.
