use the funds.We raise the money, and we work with Dr. Johnson directly around what her goals are, what she sees as gaps that need to be filled, what new programs can be offered.” A LEARNER CENTRIC EXPERIENCE Chris Dellafave, Director of Innovative Programs, underscores the district’s commitment to nurturing enthusiastic learners, sharing that Hoboken Public Schools offers a diverse range of programs encompassing everything from biomedical science, computer science, engineering, aviation, urban farming, and entrepreneurial start-up support, to River Explorers, a program that conducts true to life scientific research on the Hudson River. “These programs do not pigeonhole children into studying just for a test. What we’re doing is we’re creating thinkers,” he maintains.“We can’t necessarily guess what’s going to be on the cutting board for a kindergartener when they graduate from here. But we could surely bet that when they graduate from here, they’re going to need to know how to think for themselves, they’re going to need to know what to do to ascertain the skills to move forward.” Furthering the efforts to move beyond traditional program models, the district is continuously developing certifications and programs for interestbased learning. These initiatives go beyond school hours, offering global experiences, like a previous biomedical science trip to Japan and an environmental studies tour of the Galapagos Islands. “The idea is to pinpoint places that our students can visit and have authentic learning experiences outside of the classroom. Our goal is to have all students in the Middle School and High School participate in at least one Classrooms without Walls trip before they graduate.” Dellefave says.“It’s all about the principle of creating learners. Rather than teaching what to teach, we teach how to learn.” DEI INITIATIVES Hoboken takes pride in its diversity, as Stephen Dickerson, Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion acknowledges, “It’s not something we do, it’s not something we focus on, it’s who we are. Diversity is 267 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 5, ISSUE 03 HOBOKEN PUBL IC SCHOOLS, NEW JERSEY
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