Defining Learning at USM

USM’s “Portrait of a USM Learner” statement, the last of three statements that define what learning, leadership, and citizenship mean at USM, is now complete.   

USM’s mission is to cultivate excellence in learning, leadership, and citizenship. Over the past three years, as part of the school’s strategic plan, faculty and administrators have been working to define those terms within our community. In 2023, the “Portrait of a USM Citizen” statement was completed, and the “Portrait of a USM Leader” statement followed in 2024. In 2025, the third and final “Portrait of a USM Learner” was completed.

As students progress through USM and gain skills and knowledge, what “learning” looks like evolves. But regardless of age or division, all students are encouraged to see themselves as lifelong learners who think critically, communicate effectively, and approach problems from multiple perspectives. Learning happens collaboratively both within and beyond the walls of the school, with support from teachers, parents, and peers. By the time they graduate, students have experienced an academic program that trusts them with, rather than shields them from, the complexity and nuance of the world.

Each of these statements define what students in Preschool, Lower School, Middle School, and Upper School learn, practice, and experience in regards to these three pillars—learning, leadership, and citizenship. They were inspired by the school’s Portrait of a USM Graduate. 

“The process of developing this portrait was exciting, because it allowed us to clarify our values around learning and education,” said Amy Hand, assistant head of school. “Schools sometimes describe their programs with language that can feel jargony to non-educators, using terms like ‘progressive’ or ‘experiential’ without articulating what those terms mean. Our Portrait of a USM Learner shares exactly what our school does. It describes, at each division, what we value and what families can expect students to learn, to practice, and to experience in the entire arc of a 
USM education.”

The full statement, along with division-specific features and a video overview, can be viewed online at www.usmtoday.org/learner.