The Center for Engagement

The Center for Engagement’s mission is to positively impact both the individual and community through intentional experiences and practices that increase empathy, responsibility, and purpose. These initiatives are central to our strategic plan, Compass 2028.

Mental Health First Aid training teaches participants to safely and responsibly identify and address a potential mental illness or substance use disorder. Faculty and staff are guided to connect with professional help and resources when students are experiencing mental health challenges. School Counselor Jentae Scott-Mayo has led the program’s implementation at Steward, and to date, 75 adults have been trained. In 2025, Steward added Teen Mental Health First Aid, which teaches teens how to identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental health and substance use challenges in their peers. The entire sophomore class completed the program, and students in Grade 10 will do the same in 2026-27.

In 2025-26, Health & Wellness Coordinator Catherine Graves ’98 guided Wellness Weeks, which offer Spartans family-friendly resources to reset and refocus. She shared wellness tips with our community —  activities to inspire families to “recalibrate” with nature-inspired, mindful, and movement-based moments that can be incorporated into daily life. For the 2026-27 school year, Mrs. Graves plans to record wellness-themed podcast episodes for the Steward community. 

Our Service Learning program has expanded to include grade-level partnerships, with an ultimate goal of having one per grade. This programming is led by Coordinator of Service Learning and Community Engagement Alexa Bolt. In the 2025-26 school year, projects centered around soil health, food access, and poverty. Ninth graders studied poverty in their social studies classes, and then spent the Minimester week forming real-world connections. The third grade completed a “backyard composting project” at the Bryan Innovation Lab, using food scraps from the Dining Commons. Seventh graders studied food insecurity and food deserts, and they hosted a bake sale as a fundraiser for their community partner, Mercy Chefs, which provides meals for individuals in need. Partnerships continue in 2026-27 for grades 4,8, 10, and 11.

A central component of Community and Belonging education at Steward is understanding the role that positive interpersonal relationships serve in building and maintaining a healthy society. Coordinator of Community and Belonging Alejandro Prince puts this into practice through lessons for each division on conflict resolution, self-reflection, and social awareness. 

During the 2025-26 academic year, grades 4 and 5 practiced skills for coping with difficult emotions while practicing empathy; seventh- and eighth-grade English classes studied the layers of friendship while also considering the impact of historical events and stereotypes on how we interact with each other; and ninth-grade students explored the role of conflict resolution in healthy relationships along with academic identity and social identity. Campus-wide, Mr. Prince works with teachers and students in each grade to implement Restorative Practices in everyday classroom culture, building strong bonds that can weather the most difficult challenges.