Ashoka
Spring Mill’s mission is to create global learners, who are driven to action through inquiry and who contribute to the community as responsible, caring, and productive citizens. They value individual voices and thoughtfully nurture creativity and talent. As an International Baccalaureate World School, Spring Mill wants students to be lifelong learners who engage with the world. Their school culture centers on developing traits that allow students to thrive in a complex world. Since 2011, they have used stories from Jackie Robinson’s life to guide students in making positive behavior choices. Spring Mill students support causes, learn together, care about families, inquire into social justice issues, and show respect through their actions.
Subhashini Balagopal
Subhashini has always had a fire in her belly about education and its power to transform lives. Subhashini was a special education teacher before becoming a principal, and her career has always felt like a mission! She believes that what we do today will have an impact years into the future, and if we are lucky, we will learn of it. We have the power to influence children to make a positive difference, and there is no better way to do it than through our actions. In 2001, Subhashini was ready for a change and wanted to do more for a larger community of people. She was fortunate to join Miami University, OH, where educational leadership was viewed through the lens of race, class, culture and shared leadership. As a principal, enacting shared leadership was easier said than done. Subhashini soon realized that courageous conversations could only flourish on a foundation of relationships and trust. It was not an easy road – there were many bumps and potholes along the way – and Subhashini learned that control is limited, yet their influence is boundless. Subhashini gets to influence her school community by being a gardener, planting seeds of change with big ideas for little people. Subhashini believes caring communities and academic excellence go together. Take one ingredient out and the impact a school can have is watered down. If kids are connected to the world they live in they will make it better. By making kindness ‘cool’, promoting ideas of social justice, creating a culture of caring, fostering student action, displaying talent and making learning important, our school is influencing an entire community