Our East Greenbush Central School District Portrait of a Graduate serves as a unified vision that represents the collective hopes and aspirations of our community for all its students.

Through this process, we are initiating a transformative journey towards realizing this vision, with the opportunity to not only provide rigorous academic content, but to also be more intentional about fostering learning experiences to encompass essential 21st-century skills our children need to thrive in this complex, rapidly changing world.

Artwork Designed by Eh Ni Htoo ’26

The 5 Skills of Portrait of a Graduate

Confident Learner

• Develop a strong foundation of knowledge and skills through meaningful, student centered experiences
• Embrace and explore challenges with creativity, innovation, and a growth mindset
• Approach life with curiosity and a future-focused outlook

Effective Communicator

• Clearly share ideas through speaking, writing, and body language
• Listen attentively to understand others’ perspectives, values, and emotions
• Adapt communication to different audiences and purposes

Adaptable

• Remain flexible in thinking to meet experiences, opportunities, and challenges with resilience
• Keep a thoughtful eye to the future to drive meaningful growth

Empathetic Citizen

• Build meaningful relationships through understanding diverse perspectives and experiences
• Foster respectful, supportive, and inclusive interactions
• Contribute positively to local and global communities with compassion, cultural awareness, and a commitment to the well-being of others

Critical Thinker

• Evaluate, synthesize, and logically analyze information with an open mind to uncover underlying patterns across disciplines
• Drive innovative solutions to complex, real-world problems

Timeline

2023-24 – A Portrait of a Graduate Planning Committee met several times during the 2023-24 school year to discuss and develop the Portrait of a Graduate initiative. The committee was comprised of approximately 25 people including teachers, staff, administrators, students, parents, and community members.

2024-25 – Schools implemented the Portrait of a Graduate by teaching these skills to students through classroom instruction and during assemblies and special events

Summer 2026 – A committee of 30 teachers, staff, parents and school board members aligned the district Portrait of a Graduate with the New York State Portrait of a Graduate, while keeping its own distinct perspective. It also created a year-long schedule for implementation where each skill will be taught over a two-month period.

2026-27 – The Portrait of a Graduate committee will continue developing instructional materials to support the project.