The Powell Institute for Responsible Citizenship

RESPONSIBLE

CITIZENSHIP

TURNING CURIOSITY, CONNECTION, AND CONSIDERATION INTO RESPONSIBLE ACTION

Collegiate founder Helen Baker hoped that all students become “good citizens in the widest sense,” and engaging with the world beyond Collegiate brings that vision to life. Every year, students at Collegiate “practice turning curiosity, connection, and consideration into responsible action.”

HOW DO STUDENTS CONNECT WITH THE PEOPLE AND PLACES OF RICHMOND AND BEYOND?

Collegiate students in every division learn from and with community partners, alumni, and more in learning experiences both on and off campus.

Buiness Incubators
Local Corporations and Global Businesses
Governments and Public Agencies
Secondary and Higher-Education
History and Culture Institutions
Enviromental Centers
Neighborhood and Civic Associations
Nonprofits

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`Global`

Connections

`7`

International

Partner Schools throughout the world.

`138`

Faculty

Involved in different learning experiences in partnership with the Powell Institute for Responsible Citizenship.

`1689`

Students engaging

With the people and places of Richmond and beyond.

what makes a responsible

`citizen?`

Empowering engagement, Instilling Leadership

The Powell Institute for Responsible Citizenship at Collegiate equips students with the knowledge, skills, and values to engage meaningfully in their communities and the wider world. Through programs focused on leadership, civic engagement, service, and ethical decision-making, the Institute fosters a strong sense of personal responsibility and global awareness. It is a cornerstone of Collegiate’s mission to develop thoughtful, compassionate citizens.

Getting together with diverse cultures and perspectives to solve issues that are challenging countries everywhere has been amazing. Having that level of differing perspectives has been enlightening, and that’s shown me another way to approach global problems. This has probably been the most life changing thing that I’ve ever done at Collegiate.

Talbot Spraker

Collegiate Student

Students engage in clean up efforts on campus for Earth Day.

The Powell Institute for Responsible Citizenship (PIRC) team is a small group of Collegiate educators that connect Collegiate to the people and places of Richmond and beyond. They collaborate and/or create opportunities for students to connect to P.L.A.C.E.

Practicing curiosity

Leading by listening

Appreciating perspectives

Considering impact

Engaging responsibly

Mentoring students to ask their own questions about both human and biological diversity is central to addressing sustainability in a rapidly changing world. Sustainable cultural and environmental practices are deeply intertwined, and our work to connect students’ hearts and minds to the natural world empowers them to honor their personal impacts in the communities in which they interact.

Sandra Marr

Director, Sustainability

Connecting across differences — whether on campus, in our Richmond community, nationally or abroad — helps our students to develop curiosity, resilience, and confidence in new environments, build empathy, and better understand how others’ lived stories influence their perspectives.

Monica Melton

Director of Global Engagement

Responsible citizens are empathetic and engaged, actively seeking to make their communities and the world a better place. The Powell Institute for Responsible Citizenship supports teachers and students in finding innovative ways to broaden horizons and foster connections so we can all become more responsible members of society.

Kevin Duncan

Director, Powell Institute for Responsible Citizenship

A foundational understanding of economics sparks curiosity, giving rise to intriguing questions that help students grasp the complexities of meeting unlimited wants and needs with limited resources. By nurturing entrepreneurial thinkers in tandem with economic literacy programs, students develop the skills and dispositions to reimagine the use of limited resources to achieve new and different outcomes, ever mindful of the impact of their choices on others.

Trina Clemans

Director, Economic and Entrepreneurship Education

IELC students pose in front of the Washington Monument

Global Perspective, Innovative Solutions

Every year, Collegiate proudly hosts the International Emerging Leaders Conference (IELC), bringing students from our partner schools around the world to our campus for a unique opportunity to connect, learn from one another, and broaden their perspectives. Alongside Collegiate students, participants engage in meaningful discussions, collaborative activities, and cultural exchange, building lasting relationships and gaining a deeper understanding of the diverse experiences and ideas that shape our global community.

The Building Blocks of Education

The Envision Collegiate Capstone serves as an essential, culminating building block for critical thinking.

A group of 4th Graders are sitting around Transportation Supervisor Melissa Mingus, rapt, asking her questions about the process and the challenges of getting students from one location to another. How many buses does it take to get the baseball and softball teams over to the Robins Campus in the afternoon for practice? What kind of transportation does a field trip to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts require? How do you manage who drives the buses? After detailed observation, the students consider the carbon footprint of this travel and the ways this process could possibly be refined and done more efficiently. Ideas begin to fly and, within their minds, Collegiate gets a little greener.

School News

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About Collegiate

Where new stories continue to be written.

Head of School

Introducing Jeff Mancabelli, our new Head of School.

Ourdoor Collegiate

Outdoor Collegiate fosters a love of adventure, outdoor recreation, and environmental stewardship.

Inclusion and Belonging

Collegiate's commitment to inclusion and belonging.

Students learn about sustainability at Collegiate community partner, Shalom Farms

LET’S

`Grow`

Schedule a meeting with one of our admission experts to learn more about the Powell Institute.

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