Brook Hill's Fletcher picked for fellowship

Fletcher

Rod Fletcher, Headmaster of the Brook Hill School in Bullard was recently named as one of the first fellows for the Van Lunen Center for Executive Management in Christian Schools at Calvin College.

Fletcher was one of only 21 fellows selected from around the U.S. and Canada

The Center was established at Calvin this past January courtesy of a $2 million gift to the college from the Richard D. Van Lunen Foundation.

The purpose of the new Center at Calvin College is to provide world-class executive management education for senior leaders of schools based on the historic Christian faith (of which there are some 20,000 across the continent). The Fellows program is a key part of that vision for Christian education.

It is a selective one-year fellowship that, says Van Lunen Center director Shirley Roels, assists heads of Christian schools in refining the executive skills necessary for school management in the current competitive climate.

"Through case studies, reading, writing, interactive exercises, small group discussions, a school based project, and coaching," she said,"participants will deepen their own leadership, develop skills essential to the tasks of headship, and create deep relationships with peers and leaders."

The Fellows program is designed for Christian school heads from the United States or Canada with two to 10 years experience in their position.

For the Fellows class of 2007 all participant expenses will be covered, including cost of instruction, travel, lodging, meals, coaching and access to topic experts.

This summer a total of 21 new fellows will travel to Grand Rapids for some intensive training in such areas as: Christian visions for education from various theological traditions, linking vision to strategic plan, financing Christian education, mission driven fund-raising, personal development, safety and much more.

The Fellows program is led by a team of experienced and respected faculty: successful heads of Christian schools from different networks.

The Van Lunen Center was established to serve faithbased schools large and small across the U.S. and Canada with a big-tent philosophy, reaching out to schools from a wide-range of faith traditions, including Catholic, evangelical Protestant, Episcopal, independent Christian, Lutheran and Reformed Christian day schools.