The McCain-Ravenel Center for Intellectual and Moral Courage coordinates and supports signature initiatives at Episcopal, including the Washington Program, Global Programs, Leadership and Ethics, Outdoor Leadership, and Service and Civic Engagement. The center staff also helps faculty and staff connect students with the resources of Washington and design programs that advance the mission of the School: to prepare young adults with intellectual and moral courage. Finally, the center is the anchor of an extensive program to help juniors and seniors secure externships.
For the spring, the center is helping program leaders design safe and enterprising curricula and programs for both in-person and remote students.
What to expect
List of 5 items.
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Programming focused on critical issues facing society today,
such as the effects of Covid-19 on society, social justice and antiracism. The spring schedule sets aside one day each month for schoolwide McCain-Ravenel events that will tap the resources of metro Washington, D.C. -
Creative use of technology and the campus.
Among the ideas faculty are considering: explorations of Washington, D.C., using GoPro and virtual experiences; all-school virtual community service events; and campus campouts and hikes to local nature spots. -
Deepening connections with the real world of work.
Last spring, though the pandemic created chaos in the economy and the business world, 90 percent of EHS seniors secured May externships in their career field of interest. That experience will benefit the School as the Class of 2021 begins exploring externships. We also are helping interested juniors and seniors secure externships as their afternoon option. -
Inspiring conversations.
Among the guests at schoolwide events during distance learning in the fall were Olympic Gold Medalist Ashleigh Johnson, Cindy McCain, and Democratic and Republican strategists Mary Matalin and James Carville. Our Webex video-conferencing technology makes it possible to introduce students to scientists, authors, and other experts who might never have been able to come to campus to visit. Recent guests to individual classes include Dr. Kathleen Gallagher Boggs, who is part of NASA's lunar and Mars exploration work; U.S. Marine Capt. Andrew Hutcheon, founder of Marine Coders; Holocaust survivor Peter Stein; graphic novelist Maggie Thrush; and Emmy Award-winning journalist Jasmine Turner. -
Interaction with alumni.
All the EHS signature programs tap Episcopal’s network of more than 5,000 alumni to talk about leadership, career fields, and ethics. Guests include: U.S. Navy Lieutenant Blake Murphey '04, political, business, and digital strategist Tyler Brown '99, former CIA officer Kristen Edwards Marquardt ’97, and renowned oncologist Dr. John Marshall ’79.
