When Teachers Innovate, Students Flourish

Collaboration for Impact is a unique WAB initiative where all teachers work in project groups centered around Hubs of Global Citizenship, Flourishing, and Innovation, then turn those ideas into practical, testable changes in classrooms and programs. At the recent celebration and reflection, projects were presented in a rapid‑fire series of one‑minute windows: Action Buddies redesigned around belonging and core values; dog‑assisted therapy in ES through “Snuggle Pups”; AI‑supported tutoring in Toddle; phonics alignment from JG1 to Grade 5; dual language continuum design; a professional growth network of teachers doing learning walks in each other’s classrooms.  

All of these projects grounded in the same question: how can we do better for our students? 

The Collaboration for Impact program deliberately reduces paperwork and increases conversation and experimentation. Instead of long reports, teams bring evidence of learning, try small pilots, iterate, and then present back to colleagues with the emphasis on what has changed for students and where we are going next. Originated as part of our IB, NEASC and CIS accreditation cycle in 2022-23, Collaboration for Impact is designed to ensure that all teachers are engaged in meaningful development that is relevant to them, our students and WAB overall.  

Innovation here looks like: 

• Designing and implementing a composting system that turns waste into a cross‑divisional learning experience. 
• Refining a coherent phonics progression so every child gets a stronger start in literacy. 
• Using generative AI carefully to increase personalization and access, while still centering human relationships. 
• Reframing “service” as reciprocal community engagement, where students use systems thinking to understand root causes rather than just fundraising. 

All of this is happening at WAB: teachers comparing notes, sharing ideas with each other, and being honest about what didn’t work yet. It puts faces to the work so follow‑up collaboration is easy. 

Collaboration for Impact ensures that teachers are designers of learning and creates protected time and a shared structure for inquiry, iteration, and reflection. It is a great example of innovation in teaching and learning at WAB and a great reminder that at WAB, our students aren’t the only innovators, our teachers are learning and innovating too. 

This year, through our Innovation Series, in collaboration with Stephen Taylor, our Director of Innovation, we’ll be sharing stories and examples of what innovation looks like across WAB. We’ll share stories from classrooms, examples from alumni, and insights from global partners. Our hope is that together, we can build a clearer picture of how innovation at WAB helps our students become better learners and prepared for life beyond WAB.