Pedagogy of the Hopeful

The day after 9/11, Noah Bopp created the foundation for what would become the School for Ethics and Global Leadership (Washington, DC). As a semester-long institute for diverse high school juniors from all over the US, SEGL is highly regarded as an exemplar for the essentialness of a hope-driven school culture (so very needed during these modern times). In this episode, I speak with Noah and his Academic Dean, Ms. Colleen Kyle, on the topic of hope and how it presents in genuinely intentional—and integral—learning communities. A fascinating discussion for anyone who cares about the role of hope in schools and how every member of the community plays an essential part in fostering it.

Noah Bopp is the Founder and Head of The School for Ethics and Global Leadership, which has campuses in Washington, DC, London, United Kingdom, and Johannesburg, South Africa. He is a graduate of Oberlin College, Duke University, and the Klingenstein Private School Leadership program at Teachers College, Columbia University. The Lakeside School in Seattle, Washington awarded him its 2021 Distinguished Alumni Award. He is also a trustee of the Mithil Prasad Foundation (co-founded by SEGL graduate Rachna Prasad) and on the Advisory Council at the Andi Leadership Institute. Noah has nearly 30 years of school leadership and teaching experience. Prior to SEGL, he worked at the Mountain School of Milton Academy, the Duke University TIP program, and St. George's School. Noah and his wife Sydney live several blocks from the SEGL Residence. They have a six year-old daughter, Daisy, and a Havanese puppy, Pericles.

Colleen Kyle is the Academic Dean and English teacher at SEGL in DC. She has an MA from Middlebury Bread Loaf School of English and a BA from Connecticut College, where she served as president of the student government. Before starting her career in education, she worked in publishing for eight years, including four years as an acquisitions editor at Houghton Mifflin. Colleen later worked as a teacher, dorm parent, coach and newspaper advisor at Deerfield Academy. She taught at Lakeside School in Seattle for a decade, leading the history department and its new faculty mentor program; she also taught part time at Rainier Scholars’ leadership retreats. Before coming to SEGL, Colleen was the Upper School Head at Roland Park Country School in Baltimore. She lives in Annapolis and loves kayaking and bird watching on and along the Severn River.