REIGNITE Rocket Fuel Powers MKA Learners

Offering world-class professional development for its faculty is one way that MKA remains at the cutting edge of academic and intellectual excellence.

This summer, 52 faculty members and several administrators focused on experiential learning as part of REIGNITE, MKA’s hallmark summer symposium for professional development. Hosted at Van Vleck House and Gardens and led by Assistant Head of School for Curriculum and Professional Development Karen Newman, faculty members explored the way experiential learning helps students derive purpose and meaning from their school experiences — rocket fuel for their growth and development.

Facilitated by a team of leaders from MKA’s three dynamic campuses, faculty designed learning experiences for future students to prompt curiosity and inquiry, encourage reflection to deepen learning, and underscore the importance of experimentation and learning from “mistakes.”

“Professional development at MKA is incredibly robust, and REIGNITE provides genuine and impactful time for collaboration and reflection,” Kerry Verrone, Upper School Dean of Student Life and Tri-Campus Chair of Ethics, shared at the event. This immersive opportunity to connect with colleagues from different campuses, to notice and wonder about ideas related to our current teaching practice, and to invest in intentional and creative curricular and instructional design is unparalleled.

Participants’ own experiential learning included a field trip within the town of Montclair featuring hands-on projects to inspire and enjoy. Choices included:

• A STEM+ “playground session” in the ADP Center for Learning Technologies at Montclair State University, curated by Director Joe Bavazzano
• The opportunity to create 3-D manipulatives at the Montclair State University Digital Design Lab with Dr. Steven Greenstein, Professor of Mathematics and Director of the Innovation and Design Lab
• A visit to the MKA Archives at the Upper School with Middle School Librarian and School Archivist Tom Ruddy.

Additionally, Chris McLaughlin, MKA’s Director of STEM+ Programming (Jr-K–8), partnered with Dave Hamilton, Director of Design Technology at Tenacre Country Day School and former trainer for EXPLO, to engage faculty and administrators in a design process through which they explored ways to experiment and tinker to solve problems collaboratively and creatively.

We are incredibly grateful for the generous support of our donors, who make professional development opportunities like REIGNITE possible for our faculty. Together, we are fostering the kinds of vibrant and engaging learning experiences that will continue to make MKA a dynamic, challenging, and inspiring ecosystem for students and faculty members alike.