Spring Benefit Accelerates Design Thinking at Shore

Shore's vision for integrating "Design Thinking" across the curriculum, at every grade level, was the centerpiece of the 2019 spring benefit, "Gather and Grow Together," held on April 27. At the farm-to-table-themed event in Shore's Howard Gymnasium, 244 Shore parents, faculty, and staff members donated more than $80,000 to support the acquisition of new technology critical to Shore's Design Thinking initiatives. Ticket sales to the event and winning bids for online auction items donated by members of the Shore community brought in more than $46,000 in additional contributions, which will go toward general support for the school's programs.

According to spring benefit committee co-chair Erin van Otterloo, "The theme chosen for the evening, 'Gather and Grow Together,' couldn't have been more on point—Shore truly came together and grew as a community on Saturday night." Van Otterloo singled out Dino di Palma, the event's auctioneer and the parent of a Shore third grader, for special recognition. "We were all in awe of how Dino was able to inspire the room to give so generously! To exceed our fundraising goal in just 10 minutes was hugely affirming and inspiring. The event organizing team is hugely thankful." Assisting van Otterloo in planning the benefit were fellow co-chair Kristin Goedkoop, Jessica Lane-Quinquis, Michelle Langille, Betsy Shields, and Carolyn Slocum.  

Lane-Quinquis managed a unique new addition to the spring benefit: "Great Gatherings," a series of events hosted by Shore families and geared towards building enthusiasm for the school and boosting opportunities for involvement within the greater Shore community. Throughout the evening, guests browsed and signed up for gatherings offering dining experiences, wellness services, and much more. "The idea behind Great Gatherings is simple," said Lane-Quinquis. "These are times for having fun, making new friends, strengthening our community, and trying new things, all while supporting Shore Country Day School."

Also making a first appearance at Shore's spring benefit was PigPen Theatre Co., a unique group of performers whose Americana-influenced songs and original plays have earned them critical praise and seen them featured in films and alongside bands such as Mumford & Sons. PigPen's singer and multi-instrumentalist Ryan Melia is the brother of Shore Dean of Students and English teacher Sean Melia.

After the band took its final bows, Head of School Clair Ward, attending her first spring benefit, was enthusiastic. "I have heard so many families talk about the positive community spirit that they experienced. It was great for me to see families connecting across grade levels and divisions."

Ward was also inspired by guests' interest in Design Thinking at Shore. "I am grateful to our families for partnering so enthusiastically with the faculty and me to enhance our ability to drive Design Thinking more deeply throughout the curriculum. I know this will pay dividends year after year as we encourage children to expand their sophistication in solving problems, designing solutions, working collaboratively, and preparing for their future."

Design Thinking is a set of principles first outlined in 1969 by American Nobel laureate Herbert Simon, an economist, political scientist, and artificial intelligence pioneer. Simon’s work on decision-making and organizational dynamics—in which he redefined the concept of “design” as a way of thinking, rather than simply a blueprint for physical objects and systems—gave rise to a multi-phase, human-centered model for understanding problems and developing solutions. Only a few decades after research by Simon and other theorists of design became more widely known in the 1970s and 1980s, many of the world’s most innovative and successful companies (Apple, Google) and some of its most respected universities (Harvard, Stanford) have adopted Design Thinking. In progressive learning environments such as Shore, Design Thinking is now taking its place in classrooms from Pre-K on up as an essential model for learning, problem-solving, creative expression, and collaboration. The Design Thinking process can provide a structure for activities as diverse as coding, creative writing, lab experiments, discussions of primary sources, and art; and it helps support a classroom culture rooted in empathy, teamwork, and comfort with failure.