Pine Mountain Settlement School
Series 02: GOVERNANCE
BOT
Education Committee Charge
August 18, 2021
Environmental Education. Ben Begley shows a frog to reading camp students. 2008 [?] [Ben-teaching-reading-camp-08-scaled.jpg]
GOVERNANCE PMSS BOT 1921 Education Committee
August 18, 2021
EDUCATION COMMITTEE CHARGE
Greetings,
When Dora Read Goodale (1866-1953) penned her poetic impressions of eastern Kentucky in the first decades of the twentieth century, she married her ideas of space and place like warp and woof. In a manner that was lyrical and unique in its musical treatment of language, she wove the two together in a way that can only belong to that place and that space in time. Space and place are always made of longing. At Pine Mountain they are ever-present.
…The sea? Not me!
I’m not fur-traveled. I got to see the Caney Fork
A-foaming mightily when the bridge went out,
But that’s not much, I reckon? …
That’s nought, I reckon
I’d like to see the ocean as they tell on,
With shells like that-un there
A-laying thick …
Now wouldn’t a body think ‘twas made by finger? —Yet shorely not!
I’d like to see what little creetur lived there.
Hit must ha’ hated to die and leave a house
So powerful purty.
I’ll not get to see it, —
The salt-water where it used to was;
I’m cast to take a lengthier journey shortly;
… but you’ve eased my heart.
[Dora Read Goodale, Mountain Dooryards,The Torch Press, Cedar Rapids, IA
Pine Mountain is a complex place, and as stewards, we are charged to guard its old authenticity, serve its youth, remain hopeful, always mindful, generous in our wisdom, and humble in our missteps. As we guide the School forward to its future, the responsibility is brief but impactful. Pine Mountain is a large classroom, and teaching from a distance can be frustrating for both teachers and students, as we are now learning. In this new journey, we are all learning.
As we negotiate this new space and place, we will work together as the EDUCATION & COMMUNITY OUTREACH COMMITTEE. Here are a few guides that I hope will be useful to you as we move forward. Some of these documents are available online and can be searched and retrieved [passworded].
MISSION, VISION, GOALS, AND CORE VALUES
1. BOARD OF TRUSTEES HANDBOOK [current as of 2021-2022] You received a copy of this document at your first meeting.
2. MISSION – “Enrich lives and connect people through Appalachian place-based education for all.”
3. VISION – In carrying out our mission, we take a holistic approach to the stewardship of our natural, agricultural, human, and built environment through community development, environmental education, sustainability, and Appalachian cultures and heritage.
We seek:
To nurture a healthy and prosperous community that is unified in the betterment and education of its people.
To build environmental literacy for all ages, helping participants connect with nature, and to serve as a model for environmental stewardship and education.
To train and educate people for sustainable living in food, health, energy, and work
To celebrate and appreciate Appalachia’s diverse cultures and heritage
4. GOALS
Community Development
• Provide high-quality early education services.
• Build leadership and entrepreneurship capacity I youth and young adults.
• Promote healthy living.
• Serve as a community gathering place.
Environmental Education
• Provide model experimental environmental education programming.
• Provide professional learning experiences for teachers.
Sustainability
• Promote sustainable agricultural production and forest stewardship that build on local and regional traditions and practices.
• Demonstrate energy efficiency and productive land management practices
Appalachian Cultures and Heritage
• Provide opportunities for people to learn about and experience Appalachia’s diverse cultures and history.
• Preserve the history and built environment of Pine Mountain Settlement School.
CORE VALUES
1. Education: We provide immersive and practical educational experiences for all ages because education changes lives.
2. Fellowship: We strive to build bridges between people of diverse backgrounds, promoting an exchange of culture, ideas, and history to generate mutual respect and learning.
3. Community: We collaborate with our communities on common goals, fostering self-respect and neighborliness and building leadership capacity.
4. Stewardship: We steward our natural and built environment, providing inspiration and tools for others to join with us to protect life on earth.
5. Spirituality: We draw on our historically inclusive Christian spirit to create a place where bodies, hearts, and minds can grow.
(Approved by the Board of Trustees, October 29, 2016)
TRUSTEE EXPECTATIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Trustees have an essential role with staff to ensure that Pine Mountain Settlement School fulfills its mission to enrich lives and connect people through Appalachian place-based education for all ages.
Board Members are expected to contribute time, treasure, and /or talent. Specifically, the Committee on Trustees encourages all Board Members to
• Attend board meetings
• Support and uphold the mission values and goals of Pine Mountain Settlement School
• Participate in defining and implementing Pine Mountain’s vision and strategic plans
• Participate in at least one Board committee
• Support and, if possible, participate in PMSS programs
• Function as an enthusiastic ambassador for Pine Mountain Settlement Schools
• Identify prospective Board Members
• Support fundraising efforts so that 100 percent of Trustees contribute annually
• Respect Board-Staff governance responsibilities
• Participate in the annual evaluation of the Executive Director
• Carry out duties in a manner that places the well-being of Pine Mountain ahead of personal interest
• Familiarize themselves with Pine Mountain’s bylaws and key operating policies
• Work as a Board to ensure Pine Mountain’s long-term stability as an institution.
DESCRIPTION OF THE Educational Programs and Community Outreach Committee
ARTICLE XIV
Section 1. The Educational Programs and Community Outreach Committee seeks to ensure that Pine Mountain Settlement School provides environmental and other educational programs of the highest quality and that the School continues to serve as a center for community life and leadership development for the local community and the region. The Committee is responsible for ensuring that the programs reflect the best thinking about the environment, education, and the history and culture of the Appalachian Region, that adequate resources are made available, and, that the community outreach program is developed in partnership with local communities and their leaders.
Section 2. The responsibilities of the Educational Program and Community Outreach committee include:
• Supporting a regular assessment of local and regional community needs and assets
• Working with the School staff to develop a strategic plan for education and outreach
• Reviewing the environmental and community programs’ curricula and outreach goals
• Providing oversight and support for new program initiatives
• Encouraging collaboration with regional leaders, agencies, and Schools
• Supporting the preservation and sharing of regional culture and history
• Reviewing program evaluation criteria and methodology
• Identifying resources and new opportunities to enhance educational programs and community outreach
HW/2021/08/18
See:
GOVERNANCE Guide
GOVERNANCE BOT Alphabetical Guide
GOVERNANCE BOT Chronological Guide
See Also:
ADMINISTRATION General and Financial
DIRECTORS Guide
