What is Progressive Education?

Goddard College has a rich history as a progressive, democratic institution, supporting students as they think and practice in ways that are personally and socially meaningful. The mission of the college is, in part, “to advance the theory and practice of learning by undertaking new experiments based upon the ideals of democracy.”

Tim Pitkin, the college’s founder, suggested that a student’s practice of democracy in their education prepared them for active citizenship in their communities. Graduates of the college seek for themselves and others ways to keep the democratic spirit alive and, as the mission suggests, “become creative, passionate, lifelong learners, working and living with an earnest concern for others and for the welfare of the earth."

Faculty and students are challenged to evaluate the meaning of democracy and its role in inquiry, collectively seeking to articulate a critical understanding of the structural dimensions of problems, to develop tools to challenge and recreate dominant structures, and to envision alternative social options.