Strategic Planning: Niche Programming
As part of the strategic planning process endorsed by the Board of Trustees in 2004, it was recommended that Maumee Valley develop programs that establish a niche within the Northwest Ohio educational landscape by exposing students and other constituents to opportunities not available at other secondary schools while fulfilling the MVCDS Mission. The faculty and staff convened in the fall of 2005 working with futurist Gary Marx on the outlook for education over the next two decades and to subsequently brainstorm possible niche program ideas. A volunteer faculty and staff steering committee was assembled to explore and recommend niche programs to the Board of Trustees.  

Strategic Plan Steering Committee
In the winter of 2005-2006, the steering committee, comprised of faculty and staff from all divisions of the school,  identified, researched, and evaluated several possible niche programs to be initiated with a generous anyonymous donation. While multiple programs were studied, the central conclusion of the committee was that Maumee Valley should focus its resources on pursuing a comprehensive Global Education initiative, the first and only of its kind in Northwest Ohio.

Global Education Program: Beginnings
By spring, 2006, Josh Lavetter-Keidan and Jarin Jaffee were named co-directors and work began on a mission statement, goals, programming, and organization. Darcy Gifford was asked to coordinate communication efforts.  Throughout that summer, Josh assembled speakers, established a book club, and planned leadership training for upperclassmen. Jarin and Josh developed marketing materials and met with faculty and staff to solicit input. The GEP's launch was recognized in an August 31, 2006 Toledo Blade article as an innovative initiative designed to serve the greater Toledo community.

Global Education Program: Today
While still in its early stages, the GEP is quickly growing. The program features a 3-part lecture series, a full-day student-run workshop (Issue Day), a morning lecture for Maumee Valley families (Koltay), a community book club, leadership training, curriculum development, and coordination of programs already in place within the school. In May, 2007, a "sister school" relationship was forged with Yanshan University Attachment School in Qinhuangdao, China and in November, 2008, a partnership was finalized with Universidad Educativa Steiner Internacional in Guayaquil, Ecuador. Please search through the other pages to learn more about current and future plans of the Global Education Program.