Catalogue

Education Reform

Bard has been involved in efforts to transform secondary education since 1979, when it acquired Simon’s Rock early college in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. Since then, Bard has launched early college programs in New York City; New Orleans; Cleveland; Baltimore; Newark, New Jersey; Washington, D.C.; and Hudson, New York. In partnership with the Master of Arts in Teaching Program, Bard has created innovative programs aimed at transforming teacher education through the establishment of graduate programs in New York, East Jerusalem, and Kyrgyzstan. The Institute for Writing and Thinking, based on Bard’s main campus, guides teachers in developing and refining writing practices with the goal of enriching classroom learning through writing. The College addresses unserved communities through the Bard Prison Initiative, the largest prison education program in the country; and opens doors to opportunity through the Clemente Course in the Humanities and Bard Microcolleges, which provide a transformative educational experience for adults facing economic hardship. To learn more about these programs, see “Educational Outreach” in this catalogue.