Laura Day
Director of Innovation and Collaboration Laura Day is the founding Director of the Institute for Social Impact at The Hockaday School where she investigates the intersection of community engagement and problem solving throughout North Dallas. Working with students of all ages, Laura inspires future leaders to build empathy in their environments, develop leadership and advocacy skills, and design solutions to address real-world problems.
She is a recipient of the Good Works Under 40 People’s Choice Award, Parkland Foundation: Community First Award, and Fast Company’s Finalist for Innovative Education Ideas. In 2018, she received the ”Outstanding Accelerator: Advocacy and Awareness” United to Learn Award for her unwavering commitment to the development of the next generation of leaders equipped to engage in educational equity.
A native Texan, Laura’s commitment to strengthening communities began in the Bronx with the Urban Justice Center’s program that required that she live in intentional poverty before creating policy solutions to impact the marginalized communities she served. This led to her work in community organizing at Mothers on the Move, a Bronx-based advocacy organization for people living in public housing.
Laura has been at The Hockaday School since 2009. Under her leadership, The Hockaday School’s community engagement strategy has shifted to integrate girls of all ages into the community, by incorporating service themes into all grade levels, creating student-led initiatives that are fueled by community partnerships. Believing that students have the power and creativity to be a positive voice for change, Laura created a curriculum that uses design thinking to address current issues impacting schools and the environment.
Laura has served on the Board of Facing History and Ourselves, volunteers at Reading Partners and Habitat for Humanity, is a Leadership ISD Fellow, and is currently a Board Member at United to Learn. She created and served as the Director of United to Lead, a fellowship program for public and private high school students.
Laura earned a BA from Regis University and an MAT from Simmons College. She was the 2016 recipient of the Ackerman Award for Character Education that is presented annually to two teachers, nominated by faculty and families. The recipients work diligently to model and instill the Character Cornerstone in students. In 2022, she was named a Hockaday Honorary Alum by the Hockaday Alumnae Association.
The Hockaday School
Within the private school community, The Hockaday School is an independent college-preparatory day school for girls from grades PK–12 located in Dallas, Texas. Students realize their limitless potential through challenging academic curricula, arts, athletics, and extracurricular programs so that they are inspired to lead lives of purpose and impact.
The Hockaday School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ethnicity, creed, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or any other status protected by applicable law in the administration of its educational, admissions, financial aid, athletic, and other policies and programs.
The Hockaday School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ethnicity, creed, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or any other status protected by applicable law in the administration of its educational, admissions, financial aid, athletic, and other policies and programs.