Harvard Graduate School of Education

Last Friday, HGSE alums came together for the 2026 Alumni Day.

During the event, Steven Chambers, Ed.L.D.’21, and Caroline Hunter, Ed.M.’99, were honored with Alumni Council Awards.

Chambers received the HGSE Alumni Council Award for Impact in Education, recognizing his outstanding leadership and contributions to educational practice and policy. Hunter was presented with the HGSE Alumni Council Award for Excellence in Education, celebrating her enduring commitment to HGSE's mission and values, including equity, service, and transformative learning.

Thank you to our HGSE family for creating a day filled with community, celebration, and shared purpose.

Read more about the event and the award recipients: https://bit.ly/4vOBd4r

Celebrating our Harvard Heroes! 🎉

We are excited to share that three HGSE staff members have been recognized as Harvard Heroes — a university-wide staff recognition program that acknowledges and celebrates employees whose significant contributions and impact strengthen the Harvard community.

From HGSE, Harvard has recognized Nicole Barone, Abbie Bloom, and Katie Igiede.

Read more about their impact:

Harvard Heroes Reflect the Heart of the HGSE Community Several staff members have been recognized for making profound impact across the university

What if our goal wasn’t less screen time, but better screen time?

That’s what Tanyella Leta, Ed.M.’25, and her co‑founder, Isabel Sheinman, set out to build with Maka Kids — a research‑backed app that helps caregivers find healthy, trustworthy content for kids under six.

“I want to create a world where children’s media supports healthy growth and development. Maka Kids meets parents where they are in a nonjudgmental way, providing tools that help them include media in their families’ lives," says Leta.

Read more about how Leta turned an idea at Harvard into an app: https://bit.ly/4xhTQ1U

Photo courtesy of Tanyella Leta

Alfred Santos, Ed.M.'26, a science teacher and recent graduate of the Online Master's in Education Leadership Program, is the recipient of the 2026 Phyllis Strimling Award for his commitment to making STEM more accessible to his students.

In a rural Arizona town where 90% of students are Latino, Santos has focused on building a STEM program that encourages and mentors students to see themselves as scientists and leaders — particularly his female students.

The Phyllis Strimling Award is presented to an HGSE student who works to advance society by advancing women, demonstrates inclusive leadership, and is inspirational to others,

“The committee was impressed by Alfred's clear dedication to his students, and particularly to his creation of programs designed to advance female students in the traditionally male-dominated STEM field,” says Neal Yanofsky, a co-creator of the award.

Read more: https://bit.ly/4xiYvAM

Stability acts as a “web of interconnected influences” — from housing and finances to relationships and daily routines — that can either support or strain a child’s development.

A recent paper from Harvard’s Center on the Developing Child traces how this stability, or lack of it, affects children’s developmental and physical health over time.

"Evidence shows that when children do encounter instability, stabilizing their situations leads to improvements in behavior as well as cognitive and emotional development,” the paper reads.

Read more about the importance of stability and how to promote it:

Stability Can Have Long-Lasting Effects on Childhood Development Center on the Developing Child paper highlights the importance of stable environments for childhood health

Eleven years after earning her Ed.M. from the Ed School, Rebecca Westlake once again walked the stage at the 2026 Commencement — this time as an Ed.L.D. graduate and Commencement marshal.

After receiving her master’s, Westlake stayed in Cambridge, continuing her work in public education and her focus on educational equity. Through the Ed.L.D. Program, she’s expanded her lens beyond classrooms to the broader systems and partnerships that shape students’ lives.

“My place is in public education, but I’m trying to hold a wider viewpoint and ask what is the role of philanthropy, and business, and law, and public policy? Because it’s not education alone that’s going to do it.”

Read more: https://bit.ly/3PZR4xy

Photo: Tan Pham

Ruiz Clark, a recent graduate of the Doctor of Education Leadership (Ed.L.D) Program, made many stops before he found himself on Appian Way.

After years of moving between roles and countries, HGSE became the place where he could finally put down roots.

“I feel like I’m not just walking away with a deeper understanding of my content area of expertise, but I’m walking away with a deeper sense of community," says Clark.

Read more about Clark's journey to HGSE: https://bit.ly/4o0P3h6

A moment, a month, a year or two — now memories for a lifetime. May, you were special.

We had the best day celebrating the Class of 2026 ❤️

Read more about the 2026 Commencement exercises: https://bit.ly/4o0tj5c