Preparing the Next Generation of Community Leaders

On February 28, members of The Network for Springfield’s Young Professionals hosted a lunch-and-learn event at the Discovery Center of Springfield. The event served as a wonderful opportunity to feature a unique piece of our downtown area and as a kick-off to the organization’s 2023 Living in SGF series. The program featured Jackie Douglas, vice president of education for the Discovery Center of Springfield, who highlighted the history of the Discovery School and how it operates.

Douglas talked about the creation of the Discovery School, which was founded in 2020 with the vision of delivering “a world-class educational experience through cutting edge science for the next generation of world changers.” In her overview of the school’s history, non-traditional classroom structure, and educational philosophy; Douglas highlighted the organization’s dynamic approach to offering individualized education.

“We are always serving kids, it just changes depending on the needs of our community,” Douglas said.

Following the presentation, Network members had the opportunity to tour the school and gain a better understanding of how the program approaches the learning challenges and strengths of each student to prepare them as the next generation of community leaders.