The Hockaday Experience
Innovation and Collaboration
Developing Creative and Divergent Thinkers
“Hockaday will be the recognized leader in education and a model for how to educate girls – developing creative and divergent thinkers who are prepared to lead lives of purpose and impact in a rapidly changing, complex, and connected world.”
– Goal One, The Hockaday Difference Strategic Plan
– Goal One, The Hockaday Difference Strategic Plan
What is Possible?
When we think about innovation and collaboration at Hockaday, we are guided by the following questions: how do we make learning a journey of discovery, where students aren't just memorizing facts, but are actively engaged, collaborating with peers, and shaping their own educational paths? How do we prepare them to be the leaders and innovators of tomorrow? Alongside our strong college prep curriculum, we will create new opportunities and reimagine some existing programming to expose our girls to new fields with an increased relevance to the world around us.
Areas of Focus
Click to learn more about each area.
Dr. Bivin Sadler, SMU Data Science Professor
"It is a dream to work with Hockaday's incredibly talented, energetic, and driven students, faculty, and leadership. To this point in my career, this type of partnership only existed in theory; after a year of working together, it is clear that there is no limit to what these students can accomplish."
Outcomes
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Civil Discourse
Fostering respectful, open dialogue where diverse perspectives are valued and critical thinking is encouraged. -
Complex Problem Solving & Imperfect Solutions
Teaching students to approach challenges with creativity, resilience, and adaptability, recognizing that solutions may be iterative and not always right the first time. -
Leadership and Social Influence
Cultivating the skills to inspire and positively impact others through ethical actions, decision making and collaboration.
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Real-World Skills for the Jobs of Tomorrow
Equipping students with practical, adaptable skills for navigating and succeeding in the ever-changing world beyond the classroom. -
Self Advocacy and Agency
Empowering students to confidently express their needs and take ownership of their learning and personal growth. -
Synthesizing
Developing the ability to integrate diverse information and viewpoints into cohesive, informed decisions or insights.
Jennifer Sampson, McDermott-Templeton President and CEO of United Way
“Hockaday is educating students today in the ways they can lead now and inspiring them to do so in the future, no matter their professions. Students have the opportunity to pursue ideas that change the way our communities work—for the better."
Innovation and Collaboration in Action
List of 20 news stories.
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Taylor Hall '08 Visits Campus
Taylor is the VP of Operations at Crossroads, a food distribution service that employs a collaborative approach to revolutionize the pantry distribution model through food equity research, client-centered services, and community partner engagement.Read More -
Alumnae Spotlight: Grace Embrey '17
Grace Embrey '17 works as a Data and Performance Associate at Goldman Sachs.Read More -
Alumnae Spotlight: Jialu Wang '13
Since graduating from Hockaday, Jialu (Lulu) Wang ’13 is now a senior research associate at ReCode Therapeutics, a California-based company with an office at BioLabs in Dallas dedicated to developing medicine for genetic diseases with no existing treatment options.Read More -
Building BioLabs
Read MoreHockaday students partner with biotechnology working space. -
Elena Zeballos '24 Attends First-Time Voters Summit
In 2024, Close Up, the Deliberative Democracy Lab at Stanford University (DDL), Helena, the Generation Lab, and the Neely Center at the University of Southern California hosted America in One Room: The Youth Vote in Washington, D.C.Read More -
Lower School Dream Lab
The Lower School Dream Lab has become a hub of creativity, collaboration, and hands-on learning.Read More -
The Power of Synthesis
Thinking beyond boundaries at Hockaday.Read More -
Hockaday Celebrates Engineering Week
Lower School welcomed some amazing women for Engineer Week!Read More -
Students Hear from Entrepreneurs
Students in Breaking the Glass Ceiling visited Hari Mari to hear from the founders about their journey in social entrepreneurship.Read More -
Middle School Robotics
Three Middle School Robotics teams competed in the FIRST LEGO League Challenge Division, where they worked together starting in August to develop both an autonomous LEGO robot design that could earn points in up to 15 different missions and an independent innovation project that solves a real-world problem of their choice.Read More -
Robotics Team Wins INSPIRE award
Congratulations to the Upper School Robotics Team, the Hockabots, which competed in the FIRST Robotics FTC Semi-Area Championship held at Woodrow Wilson High School.Read More -
Refurbishing Technology
Members of the Computer Science Club worked with our Tech department to learn how to refurbish gently used technology.Read More -
Brittani Hite '05 Works With Middle School Students
Fifth Grade students have been working with Texas Trees Foundation on a special project to plant 3,500 trees in South Dallas through the South Dallas Greening Initiative!Read More -
Hockaday Computer Science Program Honored
Hockaday was one of 237 schools to earn the College Board AP Computer Science Female Diversity Award for achieving high female representation in AP Computer Science.Read More -
Neuroscience Students Create "Pop Up" Brain Fair
Form IV Neuroscience students partnered with Foster Elementary’s after-school program to teach elementary students about the brain.Read More -
Third Grade and Food Insecurity
Third Graders were visited by Susan Hoffman of United Way yesterday, who came by to discuss food insecurity in Dallas.Read More -
Finance Expert Visits Investment Club
Debra Tagg, president of BFS Advisory Group and a member of Hockaday’s Investment Committee, spoke with members of the Upper School Investment Club this week about her industry.Read More -
Crocheting for Good
Ava Hollins (Class of 2030) is a budding entrepreneur, with products that sell out in the Hockaday bookstore!Read More -
Student Named Regeneron Science Talent Search Scholar
Congratulations to Aimee Guo (Class of 2025) who was named a Regeneron Science Talent Search scholar, one of only 300 in the nation!Read More -
Grace Embrey '17 Visits Investment Club
Grace Embrey ’17, an Associate at Goldman Sachs, visited the Investment Club and the AP Economics class yesterday!Read More
From Our Community
Innovative Faculty Development
Hockaday strives to keep our teachers at the forefront of pedagogical approaches. Through innovative professional development sessions, travel opportunities, and research fellowships, Hockaday's faculty and staff are well-positioned to lead through creative and collaborative teaching methods and partnerships.
SMU Research Fellows
The inaugural cohort of Hockaday Research Fellows will consist of five teachers who will partner with Dr. Jeanna Wieselmann and the Simmons College of Education at Southern Methodist University from January through April 2025. Research fellows will learn about the action research process as a tool for evaluating the effectiveness and impact of new pedagogical approaches. Action research allows teachers to study their own classrooms — their instructional methods, their students, and their assessments — to better understand them and to be able to improve their quality or effectiveness.
Hasso Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford University
Commonly known as the "D School," the Institute is a design thinking institute based at Stanford University. Hockaday faculty participated in two recent sessions: AI-Powered Teaching and Navigating Ambiguity.
SMU Research Fellows
The inaugural cohort of Hockaday Research Fellows will consist of five teachers who will partner with Dr. Jeanna Wieselmann and the Simmons College of Education at Southern Methodist University from January through April 2025. Research fellows will learn about the action research process as a tool for evaluating the effectiveness and impact of new pedagogical approaches. Action research allows teachers to study their own classrooms — their instructional methods, their students, and their assessments — to better understand them and to be able to improve their quality or effectiveness.
Hasso Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford University
Commonly known as the "D School," the Institute is a design thinking institute based at Stanford University. Hockaday faculty participated in two recent sessions: AI-Powered Teaching and Navigating Ambiguity.
Our Partners
Take The Next Step
Just as we encourage our girls to be curious and engage in the process of discovery, we encourage and invite you to visit our campus and experience a day at Hockaday.
The Hockaday School
Within the private school community, The Hockaday School is an independent college-preparatory day school for girls from grades PK–12 located in Dallas, Texas. Students realize their limitless potential through challenging academic curricula, arts, athletics, and extracurricular programs so that they are inspired to lead lives of purpose and impact.
The Hockaday School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ethnicity, creed, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or any other status protected by applicable law in the administration of its educational, admissions, financial aid, athletic, and other policies and programs.
The Hockaday School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ethnicity, creed, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or any other status protected by applicable law in the administration of its educational, admissions, financial aid, athletic, and other policies and programs.