The Center for Engagement

Launched in 2021, Steward’s Center for Engagement brings together the school’s service-learning program, school counseling program, DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) program, and health and wellness program. The Center is not a building; rather, it’s a schoolwide commitment to positively impact both the individual and community through intentional experiences and practices that increase empathy, responsibility, and purpose. 

The Center focuses on building meaning and purpose into the educational framework. Author and education consultant Grant Lichtmann says that our rapidly changing world has compelled schools to embrace “collaborative, inquiry-based, and student-centric ideals, helping students build skills to find and solve real-world problems.” This integrative approach to education is a hallmark of the Steward experience.

Supporting our students’ well-being enhances their ability to flourish academically and in all aspects of their development. Below are some examples of ways your student might interact with the Center for Engagement programming: 

Giving back to others is a longstanding Steward tradition. Service learning allows Spartans to make authentic connections with the community beyond the school through collaboration and toward a common purpose.

“When students learn about the wider community and those in need, they realize that they have the knowledge and resources to elicit change. Through empathy, care, and hands-on service, Spartans see firsthand that helping others benefits everyone involved,” said Coordinator of Service Learning and Engagement Alexa Bolt. “It’s more than donating money to an organization. It’s getting out there, meeting and listening to others, and making strides toward enriching the lives of fellow citizens.” 

This year’s service learning opportunities include a Lower School Halloween candy drive to benefit veterans; weekly Middle School visits to the Reinhart House (a home-away-from-home for families whose loved ones are being treated at St. Mary’s Hospital) to prepare breakfast; an Upper School voter registration project; and weekend projects that families can participate in together, such as our annual Rise Against Hunger meal-packing event. 

Students in all divisions participate in the Health and Wellness program. Lower School Character Education Classes are taught by School Counselor Jentae Scott-Mayo, Ms. Bolt, and Health and Wellness Coordinator Catherine Graves ’98. Mrs. Scott-Mayo and Ms. Bolt also teach Middle School Health and Wellness, and Mrs. Graves teaches Upper School Health and Wellness.

In these classes, Spartans explore topics that encourage critical thought, empathy, and civil discourse. Character Education classes for Lower Schoolers provide social-emotional learning about our school counseling program and offer proactive mental health strategies, such as relaxation techniques and positive thinking strategies. Health and Wellness seminars for Middle Schoolers and sophomores focus on emotional development, mental health awareness, nutrition, substance awareness, stress management, and reproductive health. 

Restorative Practices 

Under Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Coordinator Tiffany Goodman’s leadership, Steward launched training for a Restorative Practices (RP) program to strengthen relationships between individual students as well as social connections within the student body. Trainers from the International Institute for Restorative Practices visited Steward to work with a group of faculty and staff, and a schoolwide RP launch took place in 2022. Since then, all faculty and staff have been trained in RP. Faculty and staff use their RP skills to model active listening, conflict resolution, honesty, and integrity for students in all divisions. 

Mrs. Scott-Mayo provides mental health services for individual and group counseling. She collaborates with other educators, parents/guardians, and the community to promote the development of skills necessary for students to become productive citizens and lifelong learners.

“Students are my priority,” she said. “My focus is on the academic and social-emotional needs and challenges that can interfere with a student’s success at school.” 

The school’s clubs are a key part of enriching the Steward experience, and often, the friendships developed and lessons learned through these organizations help students discover what is truly important to them. Upper School clubs sponsored by the Center for Engagement team include Black Student Alliance, Bring Change to Mind, and Diversity. 

Steward students learn from an early age that all voices are valued, and that respect for others’ opinions is essential to healthy communication. Middle and Upper Schoolers attend and participate in panel discussions such as the multicultural awareness panel, Alumni Inspiration Day panel, faith panel, and Leadership Program panels, some of which are coordinated by the Center for Engagement.

Middle and Upper Schoolers have the opportunity to attend a variety of on- and off-campus conferences with Center for Engagement leadership, and in 2023, Steward hosted the first-ever Beloved Community RVA Conference. Attended by more than 100 Middle and Upper School students, faculty, and staff from Steward and other Richmond independent schools, the day-long event honored the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and featured invited speakers, workshops, and student-led affinity groups. 

With support from the Parents Association, Steward offers a Parent Speaker Series each year. These informal gatherings take place several times during the academic year and are an opportunity to learn about current research, trends, and strategies for JK-12 parents. Past speakers have presented talks on raising mentally healthy children; stress management for parents; and strategies for managing well-being. 

During the 2024-25 academic year, Center for Engagement members, in partnership with the school’s deans of student support, will complete the training of all faculty and staff in mental health first aid, which teaches how to identify and respond to signs of mental health and substance use challenges among children and adolescents ages 12-18.

Mrs. Scott-Mayo said, “I like the mental health first aid model because it’s research- and evidence-based. Mental health first aid training is beneficial to our faculty and staff. Those who have already been trained report feeling more empowered to assist students who are going through challenges.” 

Last but not least, one of Steward’s most loved friends is Mark, a certified therapy dog. This sweet, friendly Golden Retriever and his trainer visit campus several times a year to meet students, faculty, and staff and promote the joyful, transformative power of the human-canine partnership.