The Fr. Mark Institute | St. Benedict's Prep

Schools nationwide adapt the St. Benedict's Prep model.

After “60 Minutes” aired its story on St. Benedict’s Prep in 2016, parents, educators, and religious leaders from around the country contacted The Hive with two questions. How do you do it? And how can we utilize the Benedict’s model to make our own schools and communities more successful? The Fr. Mark Payne Institute (formerly called The Vox Institute) was established soon after. Named for Rev. Mark Payne, O.S.B. '69 — the Benedictine monk, physics teacher and force behind The Backpacking Project and the Group System — the Institute is a resource to public, private and charter schools nationwide. Schools in Milwaukee, Baltimore, Cleveland, Tulsa and elsewhere have worked with the Fr. Mark Payne Institute to learn about the Benedict's model and adapt it to their own educational communities. Transcend, a national organization dedicated to creating more equitable learning environments, recently included St. Benedict's Prep to its Innovative Models Exchange, a resource comprised of 40+ learning models that communities can use to rethink and reshape schools.

The work of the Fr. Mark Payne Institute is focused on Four Core Pillars:

Community Development

"Whatever hurts my brother hurts me. Whatever helps my brother helps me." St. Benedict’s exists because of the work of the Monks of the Benedictine Abbey of Newark who continue to work in and oversee the school. The monks live their lives on the basis of the Rule of St. Benedict which stresses the importance of living in community and being responsible to and for one another. These same practices are passed onto the students as community and shared responsibility are key aspects of the success.

Student Leadership

"Never do anything for a student that he can do for himself." St. Benedict’s recognizes the importance of granting students some agency over the environment in which they are learning. Based on the Boy Scout practices of grouping young men and putting them in leadership positions, St. Benedict’s places students - across grade levels - into groups which are run by a student group leader. Those group leaders work under the direction of the Senior Leaders (all students) who are responsible for the everyday operation of the school.

Counseling

"We’re only as sick as our secrets." St. Benedict’s recognizes that educating the heart is just as important as educating the mind. Therefore, St. Benedict’s has developed a counseling program to address psychological, emotional, and academic needs of the students. Individual and group counseling is available to all students based on recommended therapeutic practices and the success of self-help groups.

Experiential Education

“Benedict’s teaches you to do hard things” is a statement you hear a lot from Gray Bee graduates. We learn by doing and our program of Experiential Education is embedded into the curriculum. Many of our rite-of-passage experiences, the Freshman Overnight and The Trail for instance, place students in uncomfortable situations where they have to depend on each other in order to persevere. Most importantly, experiential learning at Benedict's instills confidence; students recognize they have the capabilities to succeed in high school.

Rethinking the Opportunity Gap

Learn more about the Fr. Mark Payne Institute (formerly Vox Institute)! The Spring 2020 issue of St. Benedict’s Prep featured the Institute's work with schools around the country and how it has empowered student success.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Glenn Cassidy, Ed.D. '90, Director, Fr. Mark Payne Institute

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