During my second year at Oak Hill, as we prepared for accreditation and engaged in strategic planning, the board and I came to an important realization. Our mission no longer fully reflected who we were as a school or where we were headed. The board asked me to lead the process of updating it.
I had never led a mission renewal before. I approached the work with both excitement and humility, knowing that a school’s mission shapes decisions, culture, and direction for years to come. I also knew that this could not be a solitary exercise. If the mission was going to matter, it needed to be deeply collaborative.
One colleague, in particular, had been voicing for years that our mission no longer fit the lived experience of the school. He was eager to be part of the work, and his honesty helped anchor the process in authenticity rather than abstraction.
We began with an all-employee meeting and a simple but powerful constraint. In small groups, we asked faculty and staff to draft a six-word mission statement in under an hour. The constraint forced clarity. What emerged from that exercise captured the essence of Oak Hill in ways that were both surprising and deeply affirming.
We then invited feedback from the broader school community through a survey, asking families to reflect on what they believed our mission should express. My colleague and I worked with the leadership team to distill that input and drafted several possible mission statements. Two trustees who were deeply involved in our strategic planning process joined the work, offering their own reflections and revisions.
Through rounds of feedback and refinement, a clear mission emerged. When we shared it with members of the board, it resonated immediately. It reflected who we are, where we are going, and it carried the voices of employees, families, and trustees throughout.
The process was deeply rewarding. More importantly, it resulted in a mission that now genuinely guides our work. For those tasked with renewing a school’s mission, my strongest advice is simple. Take your time. Invite broad participation. Listen deeply. When a mission is built collectively, it becomes something people live, not something they recite.
Oak Hill’s New Mission
At Oak Hill School, we nurture each student by cultivating a love of learning, encouraging them to think deeply and explore boldly. Through hands-on, experiential learning, our students discover the world around them and grow into individuals who care deeply for others.