The Helen Parkhurst Institute

New and recently hired Dalton faculty members meet monthly as a group throughout the academic year to discuss various pedagogical aspects of the Dalton Plan and how to implement these practices in their classrooms.  Members of the cohort are paired with coaches who meet individually or in small Lab groups to support new faculty in their growth. Members and coaches are guided by a veteran Faculty Leader throughout the year.

Helen Parkhurst traveled throughout the world in the 1920’s and 1930’s. Her ideas gained traction throughout Europe and Asia. Though Dalton in New York City is Parkhurst’s flagship school and the only one in the United States, there are still hundreds of Dalton Schools worldwide that adhere to Parkhurst’s pedagogy at varying levels of commitment. The Parkhurst Institute is connecting with these international Dalton schools to collaborate and offer leadership and travel opportunities for faculty.

To unlock creative expression of both the students and adults who support them, the Parkhurst Institute is in the planning process to implement a Scholar in Residence project. The program will invite scholars, thinkers, and artists to share their creative practices with faculty and students for the duration of an academic year at Dalton.

During the Summer 2025, Assistant Head of School and Interim High School Director and HPI Advisory Board member Shira Kohn and HS History Teacher and HPI Faculty Advisor Kevin Slick deepened ties with Dalton Tokyo Gakuen Junior & Senior High School through class observations and two days of faculty workshops centered on the Dalton Plan’s history and its impact, past and present. While their workshops provided models for Assignments and introduced Dalton New York traditions — such as First Program’s Multicultural Festival, the Middle School Greek Fest, and the High School Dance Theater Workshop — their most profound moments were in the Open Lab with fellow educators. At that time, colleagues came to ask questions about their own Assignments and about how The Dalton Plan bridges cultures and educational models, which opened dialogue and connection.

In May 2024, John Neiers visited various Dalton Schools in Amsterdam to meet with students, faculty, and administrators to learn how the Dalton Plan is implemented across their programs. In the Netherlands, the Dutch Dalton Association adopted Helen Parkhurst’s educational philosophy across approximately 400 Dalton Schools across primary and secondary schools – the highest density of Dalton Schools in the world. During his visit, John also met with Helen Parkhurst scholar and biographer, Dr. René Berends, author of Helen Parkhurst: Founder of the Dalton Plan, to discuss the Dalton Plan and explore future collaborations with Dalton NYC.