Leadership interview with Gordon Naylor, Nancy Campbell Academy

I love that I work with bright youth who will make a difference in the world. Nancy Campbell Academy balances social justice issues with academic learning, and we try to put that into action.

Nancy Campbell Academy tries to have the school be one of the best academic institutions, preparing students well for university, combined with moral and social development for justice. It's not enough to just be strong in academics. I love the challenge of integrating these twin pillars of social justice and academic learning and putting those together in a way that inspires students.

I love figuring out how to make education inspiring because learning should be exciting. If students do not feel that way, the approach has to change. Nancy Campbell Academy’s principle is that we don't blame students for not being inspired because we're in charge of making school an environment that makes youth excited and happy.

Youth approached in the right way, with respect, become inspired about what they want to learn and strive for excellence. If Nancy Campbell Academy is not reaching a student, then we want to know more about them and have conversations with them. Those are the things that affect the environment’s dynamic.

Nancy Campbell Academy has an assembly after the first class of the day for about 25 minutes. That's where we try to build a sense of school community. When I started the school, I had the idea of a micro-school. Having a small community is what builds the moral fibre, the commitment to make changes happen, and caring about each other.

The teachers and students all eat together at Nancy Campbell Academy. We don't have separate rooms. We don't have a staff room. We don't have these things because we want integration with students and teachers, and we don’t want to foster an ‘us and them’ mentality inadvertently We all work together to facilitate our progress and treat youth as equal adults There's a line of respect, but the fact is, they're in charge of their life, and we want them to be active agents in their own learning.

Even if there are disciplinary issues at Nancy Campbell Academy, we have ethical principles we operate on, so I expect the students to be able to sort issues out by discussing with each other. Building the inner architecture for them to realize that they are in charge of their life is critical. By the time they’re in Grade 12, we should be releasing them to a University education, having developed a real sense of wisdom, good judgment, good character, and a commitment to excellence.

Nancy Campbell Academy requires a B average to get into the school, but I safely predict to the parents that their average will rise by 10% for sure, and often much more because students get inspired by the environment. I think a lot of emphasis has to be put on creating a good environment for learning, because if the environment is safe, inspires discipline, challenges youth to exceed expectations, and gives them a message that we truly believe in their capacity to do better, then we can expect students to rise to that occasion.

For the students that are struggling, Nancy Campbell Academy’s approach is always to build on strengths. There's a lot of conversation that goes on. The conversation is important because I'm always saying that ‘the teacher's conversation raises consciousness.’ When consciousness is raised, development begins because students start to see themselves in a new light. We appeal to the noble nature of youth to have them make better choices, focus on their life, and care about becoming the best that it can be.

Nancy Campbell Academy has genuine, authentic, and sincere communication between the counsellors, teachers, and students. We have a mentor program where each student writes down three teachers' names that they'd like to mentor them. We always try to give them their first choice, and then that's a teacher they know they can go to any time. Our teachers are amazing in wanting to be helpful and receptive.

Nancy Campbell Academy takes students on a service project in Grade 11 where they plan and execute a whole series of dance and drama performances in other schools. Lately, we've been doing that in the Caribbean for about ten days. During that time, they perform in front of thousands of youth in high schools, connecting with them and talking to them about these social issues in their communities That two-week experience is probably one of the most transformative experiences of their life because they get a chance to see youth in other parts of the world who are essentially trying to rise above the issues they face.

For Nancy Campbell Academy, it doesn’t matter what profession a student wants to go into, they will go into it with a good character. They may become a banker or a lawyer. Still, they'll be a different kind of banker and lawyer because they'll have a stronger commitment to the moral fibre of social justice, transforming the world so that we can meet the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Nancy Campbell Academy tends to have teachers on board for many years, but sometimes their life course takes them in different directions, too. Sometimes they want to go back and study more, and overall, that's generally how somebody would leave. The teachers are strongly committed.

Youth are these wonderful individuals that if in the right environment and structures, all their inherent talents will come forward. That's Nancy Campbell Academy’s task, to regard students as a mine rich in gems that have to be brought forward from where they are, and it's the teacher's job to create the environment.

Nancy Campbell Academy alumni come back frequently. Many alumni travel long distances to get together with their peers after they've left, and this goes on and on throughout their lives. They're often long-term friends, but they come back to the school. Anytime an alumni comes back to the school, if they're willing to talk about their experience in assembly, we make the assembly available so that they can share some thoughts about their experience.

Nancy Campbell Academy asks alumni to mentor current students whenever possible, and they're generous with their time. Alumni often feel like Nancy Campbell Academy is a home for them, a kind of grounding point that they often gravitate back to, to see their past teachers and students that are younger It's continued, in some cases, to the point where the students have come back to teach at the school. The relationship is very strong.

One thing Nancy Campbell Academy does, which is often very attractive to youth, is we have a strong audio-visual and artistic approach to everything we do. We utilize the arts for social transformation. Nancy Campbell Academy is a cool challenge for youth if they've got some talents in those areas. Often, we get students that are scientific-based, but they get involved in the arts. Research shows that the arts, combined with the pursuit of the sciences and math, get the best result.

Nancy Campbell Academy doesn't encourage any kind of negativity or criticism one to another, but does encourage support and encouragement. When you're trying to get youth to perform and do things both in class and otherwise Critical environments don't bring out talents, it has to be an uplifting, encouraging environment Of course, some light-hearted feedback can happen, but it has to be based on encouragement.

Some parents say, ‘Why should I invest in high school education when I know my child is going to college?’ Many of our students get significant scholarships because they've achieved greater levels in high school. More importantly, they've developed a pattern of being able to produce work at a good rate at a high quality. Nancy Campbell Academy gets students into universities, ensures that they're successful in universities, and often ensures they get scholarships to get there.

Every potential Nancy Campbell Academy student has to be interviewed by myself or the vice principal. That interview is more about their view of the world and what they want to accomplish. There's some about academics, but we're interested in what the student is thinking, and what they want to contribute Even if they're not doing well in their present school, we take chances if we believe that that person is sincere about wanting to do better If we take on a student, we're committed to them.

Nancy Campbell Academy is very successful with every type of student. We can take students that don't speak any English because our program starts from the ground up, so that's not an obstacle. We have had students with learning disabilities because we have small classes and a close-knit community, and we can help them get more assistance if they need it. We also help students help other students through peer mentoring.

Nancy Campbell Academy students have to do 50 hours of service every year in the community. I have found that by engaging them in that much service, it creates a pattern of service. They learn what's needed out there, and what they're good at. Service inspires students to want to learn more things, to be able to contribute.

If Nancy Campbell Academy were a person they would be joyful. They would be inspired to keep forward-looking and know that they have to contribute to the social good. They would know that the twofold moral purpose is really important. Their decisions would be wise, based on the well-being of themselves and the community so that there's that connectedness They'd be inspired to be responsible, as opposed to feeling like it was drudgery to be responsible.

Nancy Campbell Academy has a very good relationship with the surrounding area and the community. Often, people in the community stop and compliment our students, and I always bring those to assembly and pass them on so that they know that people are noticing.

It's a definite reality that a student who comes to Nancy Campbell Academy will make a significant contribution. Very strong friendships will form, and they will be well-liked from the beginning. Our students are very friendly and welcoming, which is a big thing.

My five kids went to Nancy Campbell Academy. For my wife and me, it was the best decision that we could have made. I'm so happy that I have such a great life because my kids are well-centred, they're all managing their lives really well, and doing well in their careers. I credit the foundation they received at Nancy Campbell Academy. I would encourage parents to choose Nancy Campbell Academy because it's an investment that you won't ever regret.

Youth are multifaceted and have limitless potential. So to me, it's so vital that educators see this limitless potential that is before them because we never know who we're talking to. We never know who is in front of us or what they're going to be able to contribute. We don't ever want to treat them in such a way that would deprive them and others of what they could bring forth that's within them. Being respectful of the human realities is such an important element of Nancy Campbell Academy.

Working with a group of youth at Nancy Campbell Academy and helping them to move into that place where they feel like they are significant contributors, nothing could be more exciting or inspiring. Every day I feel gratitude for having that opportunity to connect with these minds and hearts and make this such an exciting thing for everyone.