Social Impact Lab

Experience the institute

BRAND NEW! REGISTER TODAY!
SOCIAL IMPACT LAB: HOW TO BUILD IT
October 22 and 23, 2026
Participant Fee: $875
 
 
The Social Impact Lab: How to Build It is an immersive one-and-a-half-day experience for educators and school leaders ready to bring purpose-driven-real world applicable learning to their communities. Spend time in our classrooms, meet the students and teachers at the heart of our program, and hear directly from the team (led by Laura Day) that built it — over 15 years — into one of the most distinctive social impact programs in K–12 education. You'll leave with a clear framework, real examples, and tangible next steps for your own school. Space is limited. Come ready to be inspired — and to build.

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THE 2027 SOCIAL IMPACT LAB: EXPERIENCE IT
 
February 18 and 19, 2027
Participant Fee: $495
Register Today! Space is Limited!
Please limit registrations to a maximum of 3 participants per School.
 

Our signature Social Impact Lab experience now offers three distinct tracks to better meet your goals:

  1. Classroom Educators (Lower, Middle, or Upper School)
  2. Students (must attend with an adult chaperone)
  3. General (administrators or those seeking a comprehensive
         overview)
 
This structure allows you to focus on the areas of greatest impact for your campus while still engaging with the full scope of the program. Over the course of this 1.5-day immersive experience, you will step into a day in the life of the Social Impact Lab by visiting classes, connecting with students and teachers, and participating in co-curricular programming alongside like-minded educators from across the country. Designed to be both meaningful and practical, the experience will leave you with tangible strategies and actionable takeaways to bring back to your school. 

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THE SOCIAL IMPACT LAB: CURRICULUM INTENSIVE
June 22 and 23, 2027
Participant Fee: $875

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER
 
This two-day workshop led by exemplar Hockaday educators will prepare you to build a social impact course rooted in values and objectives, featuring innovative experiences, academic rigor, and dynamic teaching tools to help you and your students connect their learning in a meaningful way to their community. Workshop experiences will include:
  • Biology, Impact and the Zoo led by Brandi Finazzo
  • Disability Pride and Literature led by Dr. Claire Cothren
  • Seventh Grade Science led by Mackenzie Miller
  • Eighth Grade English led by Dr. Lauren Miskin
  • Fourth Grade CCI (Collaborate, Create, Innovate) led by Amy Banks
  • Third Grade Science and Social Impact led by Paloma Gracia

Biology, Impact & The Zoo

Brandi Finazzo teaches Biology, Impact, and the Zoo (BIZ) a beloved course where students learn the principles of biology and apply design thinking to issues they’ve identified in partnership with the Dallas Zoo. The culmination of this class is a Shark Tank style pitch presentation where students present their ideas to community members who select a winner for a seed grant and mentorship opportunity. This class engages students in the Social Impact Outcomes of empathy building, real world experience, and designing solutions.


Seventh Grade Science

Mackenzie Miller teaches seventh-grade science by connecting the principles of inclusive design with the course material’s focus on wind. Throughout the year, students in this class explore the importance of engaging people with different lived experiences and hands-on design experience through the calculation of terminal velocity, hands-on design of parachutes for different bodies, and more. This class engages students in the Social Impact Outcomes of empathy building and designing solutions.

Upper School English

Dr. Claire Cothren teaches Upper School English classes such as Female Friendships and Literature and Disability, Pride and Literature, where students engage with thematic texts by authors with lived experiences. Students then apply their learning to create a written artifact of their experience. This class engages students in the Social Impact Outcomes of building empathy, advocacy skills, and exploring purpose.

Science and Social Impact

Paloma Garcia teaches Science and Social Impact (SSI) a third grade course that explores the theme of Food Insecurity. It is a co- taught course between a Science and Social Studies teacher where students learn the importance of nutrition, why nutritious foods aren’t available to everyone, and what people are doing to increase access. At the end of the class is a showcase of student ideas to combat food insecurity to local community leaders and their peers. This class engages students in the Social Impact Outcomes of empathy building, real-world experience, and designing solutions.

Eighth Grade English

Dr. Lauren Miskin teaches Eighth Grade English, where her students bring their graphic novel unit to life. They partner with a professional illustrator and a local elementary school’s Newcomers Class – for newly arrived students whose first language is not English or Spanish – to get to know them and later write and illustrate a graphic novel where their students are the heroes. This class engages students in the Social Impact Outcomes of empathy building and real-world experience.


 

CCI

Amy Banks teaches Create, Collaborate, and Innovate (CCI), a fourth-grade course that serves as the synthesis course of a lower schooler’s elementary education. She leads students through the process of design thinking to explore and interrogate ideas to uncover and design innovative solutions. Amy also co-created SSI alongside Paloma Garcia. CCI engages students in the Social Impact Outcomes of exploring purpose and designing solutions.

Lindsey Seynhaeve, Director of Outreach and Sustainability, Indian Creek School

"It was an incredible opportunity to witness firsthand their commitment to cultivating purpose-driven students who are actively engaged in making a difference in their local community. Their dedication to fostering passion and instilling a sense of purpose among students is truly commendable. The vibrant culture of social impact that permeates their community serves as a shining example of what can be achieved when education meets purpose-driven action."

What you'll learn at the lab

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  • Melanie Robinson

    Director, The Dr. William B. Dean Institute for Social Impact

Social Impact Lab FAQs

List of 3 frequently asked questions.

  • Do you have travel or hotel recommendations?

    Please click here to learn more about the best way to visit Hockaday and places to eat and stay in Dallas.

  • What is included in the registration fee?

    The registration fee includes a full day of immersive learning as well as a half day of workshops to support participants as they build out their own social impact takeaways.  Participants will also have full access to a library of digital resources created and curated by Hockaday's Institute for Social Impact.  Breakfast and lunch will be provided on Day 1 and a light breakfast provided on Day 2.  

  • Who can attend the Social Impact Lab?

    The Social Impact lab will have two pathways for attendees.  We offer a student track for visiting students to attend sessions, and classes, and meet with current Hockaday students to learn more about social impact through hands-on learning and discussions.  Teachers, administrators, and school employees will follow the educator track.  We will build time for adults who attend with their students to share their learning and reflect together on takeaways.  

Core Values

  • Leadership Leadership
    We recognize that today’s students have the potential to be leaders, not just in the future, but now.
  • Innovation Innovation
    We keep a pulse on emerging practices and trends and believe in pursuing new creative ideas that can change the world.
  • Empathy Empathy
    We seek to understand others and do so by working to abandon our assumptions and participating in honest open dialogue.
  • Community Community
    We are committed to supporting all members of our community in reaching their greatest potential.

Social Impact in Action

List of 3 news stories.

The Hockaday School

11600 Welch Road
Dallas, TX 75229
(214) 363-6311
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.