Ethel Walker head Meera Viswanathan highlights school's community partnerships and STEM research

Dr. Meera Viswanathan, head of school at Ethel Walker School, described a century-long mission of rigorous academics and community partnership in an interview on Simsbury Community Media.

Viswanathan traced the school's founding in 1911 by Ethel Walker and its relocation to Simsbury in 1917, saying the founder intended "rigorous academic education" for young women rather than a finishing-school model. She said that legacy informs the school's present focus on preparing students for university and public life.

Viswanathan outlined several town partnerships and campus projects that she said demonstrate the school's role in the community. "We benefit so much from being in Simsbury—the library, Simsbury Farms, the wonderful fairs and activities," she said, and described programs that place students into internships and shared projects with town organizations. She highlighted the Mountain View residence hall as an example of campus sustainability: "an all-electric building, solar panels, green roofs, triple-glazed windows" and a rainwater collection system used for campus gardens.

On experiential learning and leadership, Viswanathan described the Walkers Capabilities Approach Program, which she said gives juniors financial-fluency training and certification as IRS tax preparers, and involves a hands-on portfolio exercise using $1,000 from the school's endowment. "The motto of it is bravery over perfection," she said, framing the program as an environment where students can try, fail and learn.

Viswanathan also described STEM research partnerships that place high-school students on college-level projects. She cited honors biochemistry students working with Yale on antibiotic research and a STANEX program with Stanford University School of Medicine involving molecular genetics work with fruit flies. "Our students are part of the research frontier," she said, presenting these collaborations as evidence of how technology and access to research tools have democratized knowledge.

Asked about technology and AI, Viswanathan said schools must balance new capabilities with preserving interpersonal skills. "It's a mistake to assume, 'Well, it's already all online, why do I bother learning things?'" she said, stressing that foundational skills remain necessary even as tools evolve.

On school culture and civic conversation, Viswanathan said Walker's emphasizes universal values—"respect, love of learning, courage, confidence, conviction, integrity"—to help students engage across political differences. She urged ground rules and a culture of trust so students learn to hold and argue different views civilly.

Viswanathan closed with an elevator description of the school: Ethel Walker "prepares young women in an environment engineered for young women ... to discover their own potentiality and become lights in the world," she said, adding that the school seeks to send both well-educated graduates and "good human beings." Kelly Kearney, guest host and a member of Friends of Simsbury Farms, thanked Viswanathan and noted Walker's contributions to town life.

The interview highlighted programs the school presents as locally shared resources (theater renovations, campus gardens, internships) and initiatives aimed at combining the sciences and humanities in student learning. Viswanathan said the school hopes to continue and expand such partnerships with town groups, volunteer organizations and local cultural institutions.