Journey of a Highlander

The Journey of a Highlander: Charting a Bold Vision for Every Learner

During the 2023–2024 school year, the Baldwin-Whitehall School District launched The Journey of a Highlander, a transformative initiative to redefine education and prepare students for a rapidly changing world. Guided by the Portrait of a Graduate framework from Battelle for Kids, this initiative brought together diverse voices to co-create a forward-thinking Profile of a Learner, or in our case, a Highlander.

A Collaborative Community Effort

A key feature of The Journey of a Highlander was the establishment of a Design Team composed of educators, students, families, and community stakeholders. Together, they explored foundational questions:

  • What are our community’s aspirations for young people?
  • What skills and mindsets are essential for success in today’s world?
  • How should learning experiences evolve to meet these needs?

Through a series of four Design Team meetings, participants worked collaboratively to shape a shared vision for learning. Activities included selecting competency visuals, aligning competencies with district goals, and discussing how these traits could guide future planning and educational experiences​.

Key Competencies Defined

The Journey of a Highlander for Baldwin-Whitehall School District identifies five core competencies:

adaptive learners gear

Adaptive Learners:

  • Respond productively to feedback, praise, setbacks, and criticism
  • Actively seek new knowledge and be motivated to continue learning
  • Understand, negotiate, and balance diverse views and beliefs to reach innovative solutions
  • Recognize the value of growth from unexpected results and exhibit the curiosity to expand on new ideas
Responsible Collaborators gear

Responsible Collaborators:

  • Demonstrate the desire to work within a group to achieve a common goal
  • Honor commitments and own outcomes, whether positive or negative, and be accountable
  • Practice honesty, respect, and awareness to enrich the learning of others and self
Communication gear

Communication:

  • Effectively use oral, written, and non-verbal communication skills to express diverse perspectives and knowledge
  • Listen and articulate thoughts and ideas
  • Engage in productive dialogue showing consideration for purpose and audience
Empathy gear

Empathy:

  • Seek to understand others' feelings, opinions, experiences, and culture
  • Empower the principles of respect, kindness, and acceptance towards others
  • Care for the interest of others
Creative gear

Creative and Critical Thinkers:

  • Apply disciplined thinking that is clear, rational, open-minded, and informed by evidence
  • Embrace curiosity, imagination, and originality to develop new ways of thinking
  • Reflect, reason, and generate ideas to create viable solutions

 

Reimagining Education for the 21st Century

This initiative represents a commitment to innovation in education. Recognizing that traditional measures like test scores and graduation rates do not fully capture student readiness, the district sought to create learning experiences that align with real-world demands. By integrating critical thinking, collaboration, and future-focused skills into every classroom, Baldwin-Whitehall aims to empower students to succeed in a complex, interconnected global economy.

Looking Ahead

With the Design Team’s work completed, the district has begun implementing The Journey of a Highlander vision across schools. This effort will ensure that all students, from kindergarteners to high school seniors, develop the skills and mindsets needed to thrive in their chosen futures.

The Journey of a Highlander exemplifies Baldwin-Whitehall’s dedication to equity, collaboration, and excellence. By fostering these competencies, the district continues to prepare students to meet challenges with confidence and lead with purpose.