Wellness has long been a central focus of a Kent Denver education, and with the introduction of the Kent Denver Seminar for the 2024-25 school year, wellness has taken an even more prominent spot in a student’s daily schedule.

With dedicated time to learn from the school’s counselors and learning specialists, the Kent Denver Seminar covers topics tailored for each grade level—from understanding emotions in 6th grade to learning about boundaries and preparing for the transition to college in the Upper School. In addition to meeting with our Wellness team, students also rotate through seminar topics with experts in our Information & Innovation, Equity & Community Engagement and senior leadership teams.

“Our seminar program helps students learn important skills without sacrificing core academic class time,” Associate Head of School Priscilla Scobie explained. “We see these skills as critical to equipping students with competencies they will need for success in college and beyond!”

Ms. Scobie has been a strong advocate for wellness during her more than 30-year career at Kent Denver. She oversaw the growth of Kent Denver’s wellness program, which was accelerated by the establishment of the Walker Institute for Wellness in 2020 as part of The Next 100 Years Campaign. The campaign also funded Kent Denver’s two other Institutes—the Anschutz-Hunt Institute for Entrepreneurial Education and the Rollins Institute for Technology & Design, which both support aspects of the Kent Denver Seminar.

Through generous support from our community during the campaign, Kent Denver was able to expand funding for wellness staff and programs—bolstering the team to include three school counselors, two learning specialists, six deans, a school nurse and a trained therapy dog. The Institute also resources the Scobie Center for Student Life, a dedicated space inside Upper School South for students to connect with our wellness team. As a way to recognize her efforts, the Walker Institute for Wellness was renamed The Scobie Institute for Wellness last school year. 

The expanded wellness programs made possible by The Next 100 Years Campaign aren’t just contained to the classroom—the Scobie Institute for Wellness also sponsors a community speaker series, which brings in renowned authors and researchers in child and adolescent development and psychology, like best-selling author Mitch Albom, who joined Kent Denver at the beginning of September.

“Wellness isn’t just something we talk about at Kent Denver—it’s a practice we live by as an institution,” Ms. Scobie said. “From grade-specific programs in the classroom to dedicated professional development days focused on wellness for our faculty and staff, wellness is and will continue to be a vital part of everyday life for our students, employees and greater community.”

As Kent Denver continues to build upon our already robust wellness programming through new initiatives like the seminar program, we’re also looking ahead to even more exciting opportunities that will be made possible by the new Excellence, Elevated Campaign, which is planned through 2027 and includes investments for combined wellness and athletics building renovations and programming. Learn more about these initiatives on our capital campaign page.