Hawken School

Founded in 1915, Hawken School is an independent, coeducational college preparatory day school serving 1,021 students in preschool through grade 12 from nine counties in Northeast Ohio. Central to Hawken’s mission is our promise to “prepare students to navigate a complex and dynamic world with self-confidence and determination; embrace challenges with disciplined analysis and creativity; and engage others with empathy and integrity.” The fulfillment of this promise has earned Hawken a national reputation for educational excellence and innovative programming.

Hawken School is guided by our Purpose, Promise, and Principles, which affirms our School’s long-standing mission of the development of character and intellect and forward-focused preparation for the real world. As we prepare our students to enter a new and ever-changing world, our 3 P’s ensure that we continue to proactively empower our students with the skills and traits required to navigate a complex and dynamic world with self-confidence and determination.

Our Principles

• We truly know our students as learners and individuals.
• We pay purposeful attention to the development of character through the cultivation of virtue, helping students understand Hawken’s motto of “fair play,” and its founder’s call to find their “better selves.”
• We consider developing the intellect to be a critical part of developing character and, as such, we expect the highest levels of academic excellence and work ethic from our students.
• We orient our program with a primacy toward the development of essential skills beyond the acquisition of specific knowledge.
• We use classroom methods that place the student at the center of learning. We teach children to make choices, manage their time, think critically and creatively, and develop ownership for their learning.
• We believe students find energy and passion through engagement, and we expect them to participate and contribute meaningfully in an array of activities outside of the classroom.
• We believe in the power of community, and foster connections through teamwork, partnerships, and shared experiences.
• We appreciate difference and individuality, and embrace diversity in our community.
• We believe students need authentic experience in the real world to make meaning from knowledge. Nature, Cleveland, and the global community are extensions of our classrooms.
• We believe that to provide the most relevant education possible, our faculty and administrators must be learning continually about educational best practices, advances in technology, and developments in the world.

Hawken School’s steadfast commitment to diversity in all of its forms is rooted in our mission of “forward-focused preparation for the real world through the development of character and intellect.” We honor the dignity of every human being, and we respect and value differences including but not limited to race, ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, political and social values, culture, religion, and physical ability. We believe that this commitment to diversity, equity, and social justice is vital to the realization and cultivation of character and intellect in our students.

Through our policies, programs, and practices, we actively promote a culture of respect, social awareness, and moral responsibility. Employees are expected to model and encourage intellectual growth and curiosity through the open and respectful exchange of ideas, thereby empowering students to think critically, challenge assumptions, engage in creative and collaborative problem solving, and learn from one another.

We affirm our commitment to introducing the next generation to “a higher plane of life” and believe it is the responsibility of every member of our community to act with integrity, empathy, honesty, kindness, and compassion, ensuring that all constituents feel welcomed, accepted, respected, and valued. We understand that striving toward cultural competency is not always easy work; it requires a high level of personal awareness, ethical courage, and intellectual challenge. It also demands that we value all that makes us unique, explore perspectives that challenge our own, and initiate and engage in candid and courageous conversations. Our motto of Fair Play demands nothing less.

Upper School
Address: PO Box 8002 (12465 County Line Rd), Gates Mills, OH
Postal Code: 44040
Phone: +1 440 4232955