Academics
WILLDS
WILLDS Overview
This program’s mission is to integrate theory and practice to help students develop the knowledge, skills, and vision necessary to promote critical thinking and self-awareness, inspire discernment, build community, and engage as influential community members who cultivate a more inclusive and equitable world.
WILLDS is the intentional collaboration between Carmen Martinez-Tittmann, Middle School Counselor, Shannon Baldonado, Upper School Counselor, and Barb Lazar, Director of the Ford Library. These WILLDS Guides will bring transformational learning experiences to Bosque students through reflection, conscious and deliberate action, and constant vigilance—to guide students toward discovering their voices. Using this holistic approach, WILLDS fosters a school culture that is a positive, safe, healthy, nurturing, and respectful environment for all students.
WILLDS Guides will collaborate with staffulty to align with existing curricular content, leverage community partnerships, and invite external resources to design and facilitate developmentally-appropriate learning opportunities. The guides will use a variety of well-vetted educational resources for planning and instructional delivery.
Explore the Core Elements of WILLDS
List of 6 items.
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Wellness
WILLDS supports students' holistic growth—mind, body, and heart. Informed by current social and emotional learning (SEL) best practices, students will learn to be mindful of emotions, stresses, trauma, and healing. Learning how to cope with challenges by using practical applications empowers students to be self-reflective and take responsibility for their actions, ultimately developing resiliency with the ability to both bounce back and bounce forward. -
Identity
WILLDS supports students in their process of becoming within curricular choices designed to promote the consciousness of social identities, cultures, biases, and perspectives. Developing the ability to understand who we are and what we bring to relationships, and how intersectionality impacts the societal organization, power, and privilege. -
Life Skills
WILLDS teaches practical skills to prepare students for life outside of school through civics, financial literacy, career research, healthcare & health insurance, and differentiating needs from wants. Life Skills learning focuses on fostering healthy behaviors and practices that integrate academics and build independence to prepare students for life beyond Bosque School. -
Leadership
WILLDS presents the concept of leadership as a learned process that one engages in to affect positive change for the betterment of others, community, and society. Students’ goals are to cultivate a higher sense of self-awareness by identifying their strengths and talents, decision-making styles, practical interpersonal and intercultural communication skills, and project management experience. -
Diversity
WILLDS presents diversity as a concept that encompasses acceptance and respect. The program supports students in understanding and recognizing their differences along the dimensions of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, age, physical abilities, religious beliefs, political beliefs, or other ideologies. Students explore these differences bravely in a safe, positive, and nurturing environment. -
Service
WILLDS takes students from the classroom into the community. Through a diverse variety of service partnerships and lessons, students gain more nuanced perspectives about social issues; learn more about how organizations and individuals impact change through advocacy and action; experience the value of volunteering; and develop a more profound sense of justice, compassion, and ethic of service to others.
