Whole Child Certified Schools are actually doing what many principals believe is impossible. If your school has been invited to apply, that means you have already crossed an important threshold.
When a school embraces a whole child paradigm and becomes certified, this
- affirms for teachers and students that the school’s instructional culture nurtures all the latent talents and potentials that children possess
- declares to parents and the world the school’s commitment to optimizing children’s opportunities to grow and thrive holistically
- opens pathways for family and community involvement
- creates a model for other schools to observe well-rounded, nurturing instructional programs
- provides witness to the fact that everyone wins when schools can develop rounded human beings, as opposed to efficient test-takers
- provides recognition by a national organization that what faculty and leadership are doing has integrity and special value
- helps to secure grants
- makes it harder for the school to be criticized or attacked.
"Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world."
-- Nelson Mandela
What Next?
To become certified, leadership and teachers first need to agree that they want to pursue this goal. In some respects it is like another accreditation, but the process is much less demanding. Once the parties decide to move forward, a conversation in person or by phone with Educate the Whole Child starts a process that moves to preparing for a site visit by the ETWC evaluation team. A checklist explains what the team will be looking for. After the team visits, typically two days at the school, they prepare a report. This becomes final after the school has had a chance to respond. Thereafter a certificate is issued that the school can proudly display. Sometimes this is presented at a recognition ceremony.