One could argue our biggest liability at Belmont Hill is insularity, which is why we have made such meaningful investments in professional development and research. While we cherish what we do for boys, it must always be relevant and attuned to the world outside our campus. While we know that we benefit from the years of experience our faculty have on Belmont Hill’s campus, there is so much to learn about how the world outside our walls is changing. Most recently, this has included deep professional growth opportunities as we contemplate the challenges and opportunities presented by Artificial Intelligence. While Belmont Hill is rooted in tradition, it remains dedicated to a process of relentless improvement in the interest of what our boys need to know to be successful. Below we have outlined a number of the key inputs into our commitment to growth as an adult community.

IBSC: Belmont Hill is a proud founding member of the International Boys Schools Coalition (IBSC), acknowledging that we are a part of an international belief in the power of single sex education for boys. This organization provides us with research and professional development opportunities each year, connecting us to incredibly talented boys school educators from the UK, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and around the world. We were particularly honored to have hosted the 2025 IBSC Annual Conference, bringing this international community to our campus for four days of collaborative and inspiring work. Click here to see more from that incredible event. 

Research: In addition to the resources provided to us through IBSC, we are continually researching aspects of character education at our school. One method in this effort is through our Advanced Action Research program, where our own students engage in research examining challenging questions about the School culture in the spirit of continual improvement. Click here to learn more about this opportunity.

We have also conducted a multiyear research study with Dr. Joseph Nelson from Swarthmore College to determine areas of strength and potential growth for character work at Belmont Hill. Building off of prior research done by IBSC, qualitative and quantitative work suggested that Belmont Hill parents, alumni, and students believe our sense of purpose and clarity on character education is truly working. In particular, we explored the notion of character having five distinct areas, as seen on campus:

I.        Curiosity and Empathy
II.       Respect and Integrity
III.      Grit and Teamwork
IV.      Kindness and Leadership
V.       Gratitude and Optimism

Professional Growth: Belmont Hill is lucky to have ample resources for professional growth to support conference attendance, graduate work, and even travel experiences for our faculty. Our Dean of Teaching and Learning operates as part of our Administrative Team and is dedicated to developing teachers at all stages of their career. Much of the work for new teachers in particular centers around culture, character, and relational teaching.