“We are excited to have Santa Catalina join us in our efforts to bring new opportunities to girls,” said Brad Rathgeber, the Director of the Online School for Girls.  ”Santa Catalina has made a commitment to preparing girls for an increasingly international 21st century culture, of which online educational opportunities are an essential part.”

“Karen has been a national leader in independent school education, girls’ education, and education with technology for many years,” said Brad Rathgeber, the Director of the Online School for Girls.  ”From STEM education to best practices using technology in the classroom to online education, Karen has consistently led the way for independent schools and girls’ schools.  She is a true visionary in the field.”

For the past twenty years, Mrs. Douse has been a leader at the Harpeth Hall School in Nashville, Tennessee, serving as the Director of Library and Information Services for the last twelve years.  In that role, Mrs. Douse began one of the nation’s first one-to-one laptop programs in the country and started a collaborative, national Think Tank on STEM education for girls.

Mrs. Douse is a past member of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) 21st Century Curriculum/Technology Task Force and is a frequent presenter at national conferences, including NAIS, the National Coalition of Girls’ Schools (NCGS), and the International Society of Technology Educators (ISTE).

“The Online School for Girls has helped to define what a high-quality, student-centered online courses are over the last two years,” said Mrs. Douse.  ”I am excited to work with the creative and innovative teachers at the Online School for Girls to continue the efforts of bringing the best of independent, girls’ education online.”

Mike wanted to help the girls understand how students in different parts of the country could react to and think about the address differently, so he held a live chat, via Skype directly following the address.  Mike said of the experience, ”A live chat after the State of the Union address offered us the opportunity to see the unique power of online learning – namely, the ability to connect students who might not otherwise engage in conversation. For girls who will live in a complex global world, joining peers from around the country in discussion of national issues means we’re building better citizens. What more could we want from education?”