Hawken has been working and continues to work with some of the best public health experts in the world to mitigate the risks posed by the COVID-19 pandemic to our students, their families, our employees, and their families. This crisis requires us to adjust job descriptions, schedules, calendars, space usage, and the allocation of human and material resources. Our administration and faculty have been working tirelessly, and the Board of Trustees has authorized several million dollars of safety investments to make all this happen. We continue to seek guidance from our partners at University Hospitals, The Cleveland Clinic, and Senders Pediatrics, while following the recommendations of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Ohio Department of Health, Ohio Department of Education, The American Academy of Pediatrics, The Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and the Cuyahoga County Board of Health. 

 

Hawken’s commitment to the whole child is central to everything we do and build, and our methods to ensure children develop a strong sense of identity, confidence, empathy, and Fair Play are research-based and time-tested. As such, our commitment to providing a healthy community, climate, and culture dedicated to equity and fairness will guide our planning as much as the need to protect physical health.

 

While we are changing a lot at Hawken to mitigate risk, we remain dedicated to maintaining that which is essentially Hawken. Students will still experience inquiry and problem-based learning, challenging academics that promote curiosity and intellectual growth, social-emotional learning curriculum, programming focused on the developmental and psychological needs of children and adolescents, and community engagement. 

 

We recognize that the COVID-19 outbreak is ongoing and unpredictable. We aim to provide continuous learning for students and to develop programming that enables us to adapt to potential virus surges while continuing to be in-person, as long as it is safe to do so. The need for us to thoughtfully mitigate risk will be ever-present until a vaccine is widely distributed. The leadership at Hawken is committed to instilling a sense of hope, demonstrating a commitment to integrity, and creating space for all community members to feel valued, even in the midst of extraordinary ambiguity and challenge.