We have the power to shape our future

What are the big questions?

What gives meaning to the life we all share?

What do you want your legacy to be?

Even as adults, these are enormously challenging inquiries. They challenge us to explore areas to which we seldom pay attention. They require us to not only face but welcome adversity. They demand a relentless exploration of our motivations and reflections on where we’ve been, where we are and where we hope to go.

When I tell you that these are just a few of the challenges the Walden student confronts, you might think we’re over-reaching their capabilities. And, if we were to do so without providing support and guidance, you might be right.

Here’s where our PYP and MYP accreditation as an IB World School provides powerful benefits to our students. Inspired by the IB’s Festival of Hope, we launched our own hope initiative where kids will:

  • Identify their passion or cause

  • Research and share current news stories that relate to their cause, and

  • Start a personal passion project that, we hope, they will carry through to adulthood

“When you are in the darkness of despair, the moment hope appears in your mind, lights appear around you!” ― Mehmet Murat Ildan

At a time of year when many of us are making resolutions for the upcoming year, maybe it would be a great exercise to gather the family and ask these questions in a group setting. I think the answers you’d get would be more inspiring than those revolving around losing weight and exercising more!

  • What gives the life we all share meaning?

  • What do I want my legacy to be?

  • What do we want our legacy to be?

  • How do we avoid repeating the same mistakes?

  • Which vision of the world do we stand for?

  • Where do you see opportunities to act?

  • What do you care about enough to fight for?

  • What is the world asking of you?

Choose to be the change. This is our moment to rise!

Daphne Perugini