As the new academic year unfolds, we are thrilled to share some exciting news: Doctrina is now Wondrus.
Though our name has changed, our commitment to bringing the unique knowledge of our clients to all through proven teaching techniques is as strong as ever. In fact, it is a renewed commitment to this mission and a new sense of urgency that has inspired our change in name. Whether museum, library, or non-profit, our past, present, and future partners all share the desire to tell their amazing stories to learners in ways that stick, in ways that empower, and in ways that inspire wonder. We believe that inspiring wonder and reaching all learners has never been more important. Putting education back on track for the nation’s 56 million K-12 students who face another year of uncertainty, cuts to instructional time, and disruption to learning, must be an “all hands on deck” effort, and we believe that cultural institutions have a big role to play. As Wondrus, it is our privilege to help our partners step up to the challenge.
Delivering on the challenge of authentic learning is at the core of why we exist. Whether we are evaluating and auditing museum-developed lesson plans, designing a strategy for family-centered digital activities inspired by an amazing new exhibit, prototyping and piloting new types of student-led research projects, poring over archival images to select the most engaging for adolescents, or coaching an education team, we are always asking ourselves, “What learning is happening here? Why? How?” And a key ingredient to any powerful, worthwhile learning experience is wonder.
Wonder is both where learning starts (“I wonder why….”) and its eventual payoff (“Whoa!” “Wow!”) and so we couldn’t think of a better word to describe who we are
and what we do. In our work with museums, libraries, non-profit organizations, and government agencies we are constantly seeking the moments of wonder and the wondrous moments so that our partners can deliver on their mission to inform and educate.
At the same time, our motivation transcends the desire to create sticky learning experiences-- and this motivation is reflected in our new name as well. You’ll have noticed that Wondrus is spelled a little differently. So what’s with that “us” at the end of the name? It’s meant to reflect “us”- you, me, your neighbor, communities and peoples near and far who all deserve access to cultural treasures. The artwork, objects, expertise, and stories lovingly stewarded by our nation’s cultural institutions belong to all of us and we wanted a name that centered the idea of democratizing learning and knowledge. Each time we introduce Wondrus or tell an acquaintance where we work, we are underscoring this vision through that slight tweak in our spelling.
If you’re reading this, it’s because you’ve found our blog, Wondrisms. Welcome. Going forward, Wondrisms is a place where you will find practical information and ideas that connect to and support your work. We’ll be sharing posts about strategies for reaching learners, best-practices and lessons learned, project spotlights, interviews with practitioners from the cultural space, and more. We hope you’ll become a reader and, if you have ideas or topics you’d like us to cover, please let us know.
In the meantime, thank you for your support and friendship as we say goodbye to Doctrina, a name that served us well for two years, and step into the world as Wondrus.