Leading with Integrity: How Pomfret School Prepares High School Students to Use Technology with Purpose in School and Beyond
School: Pomfret School
Location: Pomfret, CT
Grades Served: 9th and 10th
Key Outcomes: Increased student engagement, improved responsible tech and social media use, stronger student reflection and decision-making, and students prepared to navigate real-world choices
About Pomfret School: Pomfret School is a residential boarding school committed to helping students “pursue lives of meaning and purpose.” Guided by the core values of integrity, growth, and community, the school strives to create graduates who become change makers and problem solvers.
Stephen VanHoesen, a science teacher and member of the Dean of Students Office, shared that as Pomfret students move beyond campus, they are expected to embody the core values that define their community.
“In terms of community, the digital community, I would say, is one of the most important ones for our students, and they have their own communities in that digital platform and space.”
To achieve this vision, Pomfret went in search of a way to empower students to navigate social media, A.I., and technology with responsibility and confidence, and they landed on #WinAtSocial.
The Challenge: Tech Distractions and Reactive Responses
Like many schools, Pomfret felt the impact of tech overuse and distraction following the return to in-person learning after the COVID-19 pandemic. Phones and devices were constantly present, and students struggled to balance technology with meaningful engagement in class.
“In most classes, teachers were concerned about phones and constantly saying, ‘Please put that away, ’” VanHoesen explained. Teachers were stuck reacting to problems instead of having a proactive approach to addressing social media and tech challenges.
Beyond everyday distractions, students often felt unsure about how to handle group chat drama, social media messages, and the uncertainty that comes with online decisions visible to a large audience. To prepare students for these moments, Pomfret sought a proactive approach that reflected its core values and fostered growth and community in the digital world.
Equipping Students with Modern Life Skills Without Giving More Work to Educators
As Pomfret searched for a solution, their head of school discovered #WinAtSocial at a conference and immediately saw alignment with campus initiatives. The #WinAtSocial approach stood out to leadership because it addressed modern tech challenges in a positive, empowering way, and educators appreciated its simple implementation.
“We love having something where we can just pull a lesson and say this is what we want to cover, and everything is prepared for us. We just review what we want to cover, and it’s good!”
With #WinAtSocial, students are empowered to navigate technology in positive ways, rather than restricting them and telling them what not to do. The proactive approach focuses on helping students lead with integrity, make smart decisions, and support one another online. This approach aligns with Pomfret’s mission to empower and equip students, rather than scare or restrict technology.
VanHoesen highlighted how “seamless it is to use and operate” #WinAtSocial. Teachers, administrators, and students already dedicate significant effort to their daily responsibilities, and the school’s leadership wanted to avoid cutting into valuable planning time.
Positive Outcomes: Reflection, Responsibility, and A.I. Readiness
Since adopting #WinAtSocial, Pomfret has seen students become more thoughtful about their tech habits and more engaged in class discussions. In lessons led by VanHoesen, he has witnessed the constructive conversations sparked by the program.
#WinAtSocial not only introduces practical strategies for navigating social media, A.I., and technology in healthy ways, but also creates space for reflection, allowing students to examine their own technology use and better understand how it impacts their learning.
“Giving them that time to think and reflect on it has been one of the biggest positive outcomes in making it intentional as they start to grow older.”
Allowing students the time to think intentionally and share with one another not only helps them learn from their peers, but also strengthens their responsible decision-making skills. Taking that moment to consider the outcomes of their decisions can lead to meaningful growth, both online and offline, as students develop stronger problem-solving skills and make more thoughtful choices as they navigate technology.
In addition, because the lessons are co-created with students on relevant, timely topics, engagement has increased in the classrooms across Pomfret. Students are not just participating in discussions; they are connecting with the material in ways that feel current, authentic, and applicable to their daily lives.
“One of the other great things in the last year and a half, as we’ve started this partnership, is seeing all the Trending Lesson topics and new current events Lessons, while still having those bigger, monthly Lesson topics. Having those timely topics when needed and being able to say, ‘Hey, this thing happened that we want to address, and here’s a resource to be able to do,’ that has been awesome.”
As A.I. tools became more popular among students at the school, Pomfret made A.I. literacy a central focus. The school introduced a clear red light, yellow light, green light policy to guide responsible use and used #WinAtSocial Lessons to reinforce these expectations.
“Our first lesson of the year was A.I. and plagiarism, and being able to tie it to our policy was really helpful.”
Students began asking thoughtful questions, reflecting on academic integrity, and recognizing when to pause before using these tools, building the awareness and responsibility needed to lead with character and purpose.
A Lasting Impact
Pomfret’s partnership with #WinAtSocial continues to strengthen its core values of integrity, growth, and community. By creating space for students to engage with relevant topics and real-world scenarios, Pomfret is preparing them to lead with purpose, empathy, and confidence, online and beyond.
Equip students with modern life skills at your school
Ready to teach healthy tech habits and engage students, educators, and families at your school? Preview some of our most popular #WinAtSocial Lessons and request a demo to explore how The Social Institute can support your entire community:
- Trending Lesson for Grades 3-5: Group chat drama >
- Trending Lesson for Grades 6-8: Upstanders vs. Bystanders >
- Trending Lesson for Grades 9-12: A.I. and Plagiarism >
The Social Institute (TSI) is the leader in equipping students, families, and educators with modern life skills to impact learning, well-being, and students’ futures. Through #WinAtSocial, our interactive, peer-to-peer learning platform, we integrate teacher PD, family resources, student voice insights, and more to empower entire school communities to make positive choices online and offline. #WinAtSocial Lessons teach essential skills while capturing student voice and actionable insights for educators. These insights help educators maintain a healthy school culture, foster high-impact teaching, and build meaningful relationships with families. Our unique, student-respected approach empowers and equips students authentically, enabling our solution to increase classroom participation and improve student-teacher relationships. Through our one-of-a-kind lesson development process, we create lessons for a variety of core and elective