February 26, 2025
from Dr. Bill Hudson, head of school
As we step into 2025, we do so in a world of increasing complexity and uncertainty. The latest World Economic Forum Global Risks Report paints a sobering picture of the challenges ahead—rising geopolitical tensions, rapid technological disruptions, environmental instability, and a growing crisis of misinformation. For us as educators and parents, this begs an essential question: How do we best prepare our children not only to navigate this landscape but to flourish within it?
At MPA, we believe that preparing students for the future is not about predicting what’s to come but about equipping them with the skills, knowledge, and resilience to adapt, innovate, and lead with purpose. It is about fostering critical thinkers, compassionate citizens, and confident problem solvers—young people who are ready to embrace the world rather than retreat from it.
In an age where misinformation spreads faster than truth, helping our students develop critical thinking and media literacy is one of the most important responsibilities we have. Today’s children are bombarded with information from countless sources—social media, news outlets, influencers, and AI-generated content. Learning to question, analyze, and discern fact from fiction is a fundamental skill they will need for life.
This is why at MPA, we are deeply committed to nurturing thoughtful inquiry. We encourage our students to ask hard questions, to engage in open dialogue, and to approach the world with curiosity rather than passive consumption. By integrating media literacy into our curriculum, we empower them to navigate an information landscape where truth and trust are increasingly under threat.
MPA’s Library, Maker, and Tech (LMT) Department plays a key role in this effort, embracing the responsibility of providing students and staff with opportunities to explore, design, and engage in their learning through project-based, multi-modal activities and assessments. Through collaboration with teachers, LMT integrates technology into lessons that align with curricular needs. In addition to equipping students with academic tech skills, the department emphasizes the importance of digital citizenship—ensuring students are not only savvy technology users but also ethical and responsible digital citizens.
The Global Risks Report highlights another pressing concern: growing societal divisions and polarization. In a world where differences too often lead to division, we must teach our students the value of empathy, collaboration, and constructive dialogue. The ability to engage with diverse perspectives, to disagree respectfully, and to find common ground is an essential skill for future leaders.
At MPA, social and emotional learning (SEL) is not an afterthought—it is at the heart of what we do. From the earliest grades, we help students build emotional intelligence, resilience, and the ability to work together in meaningful ways. Through community engagement projects, service-learning, and intentional conversations, lessons from our counselors, we teach them that understanding others is just as important as making their own voices heard.
The rapid advancement of technology, particularly artificial intelligence, presents both extraordinary opportunities and significant risks. The students in our classrooms today will graduate into a workforce where AI and automation will transform nearly every industry. They will need to be not just consumers of technology but creative problem solvers who understand its ethical implications and real-world applications.
This is why we are expanding our focus on technology education at MPA, ensuring that students are equipped with the skills to think critically about AI, data privacy, and digital citizenship. But just as importantly, we are fostering the uniquely human skills that technology cannot replicate—innovation, ethical reasoning, emotional intelligence, and creative problem-solving.
One of the most urgent themes in the Global Risks Report is the increasing strain on our environment—extreme weather, biodiversity loss, and resource scarcity. The next generation will inherit a world where climate change is no longer an abstract issue but a lived reality. Our responsibility is to prepare them to be informed and engaged stewards of the planet.
At MPA, sustainability is woven into the student experience—not just as a subject in science class but as a call to action. Whether through hands-on environmental projects, student-led sustainability initiatives, or experiential learning in nature, we encourage students to take an active role in shaping a more sustainable future.
A great example of this commitment can be found in Honors Biology, where students engage in an ongoing native plant restoration project. They harvest native plant seeds from our native plant garden, stratify them over winter, and raise them into seedlings for replanting in designated sections of the garden. Through this hands-on experience, students gain a deep understanding of the role of native plants in maintaining healthy waterways, improving soil quality, conserving water, and supporting biodiversity—particularly for bees, birds, and other wildlife. Additionally, MPA partners with the Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District, helping with shoreline planting projects that improve water quality in the surrounding counties. This initiative reinforces the theme that small, collective actions can lead to meaningful environmental change, teaching students that even the smallest patches of restored habitat contribute to a healthier planet.
Perhaps more than any other time in history, our students need to understand the interconnectedness of our world. Geopolitical tensions, economic shifts, and cultural differences have tangible effects on their lives. Developing a sense of global responsibility and cultural competence is no longer optional—it is essential.
This is why MPA continues to emphasize global education, encouraging students to engage with different cultures, histories, and worldviews. Whether through language acquisition, our international partnership with Vanke Meisha Academy, or curriculum enhancements, we aim to give our students the tools to see themselves as part of a larger global story.
None of this work happens in isolation. Education is a partnership between schools, families, and the wider community. As we reflect on the insights from the Global Risks Report and what they mean for the future of education, we invite you—our parents—to join us in this journey. Your engagement, your conversations at home, and your support of our mission are invaluable in shaping a generation of students who are ready to meet the world with confidence and purpose.
Together, we are not just preparing students for an uncertain future—we are preparing them to help create a better future.
