The Social Institute hires former dean of students to enhance school partnerships
#WinAtSocial Curriculum is Also Upgraded in Preparation for New School Year
JUNE 6, 2019: Durham, N.C. – School may be out for the summer, but the The Social Institute is using the academic break to ramp up staff and offerings in advance of a new school year. Josh Lutkus, former Dean of Students at Gaston Day School in Charlotte, N.C., joined the team in June as Partner Success Manager. In this role, Josh will collaborate with partner schools to develop, guide, and successfully implement the #WinAtSocial Program with their students, parents, and educators.
Josh has first-hand knowledge of how The Social Institute’s programs benefit and enrich schools. He first met The Social Institute team at the North Carolina Association of Independent Schools conference, and jokes that it was love at first handshake. Josh championed bringing The Social Institute’s speaker program to Gaston Day School, which eventually led to a multi-year partnership.
“Josh is a school insider who is passionate about meeting the needs of students first and foremost, but he’s also able to anticipate the unique needs of schools,” said Laura Tierney, Founder and CEO of the Social Institute. “His knowledge and background will serve as a bridge to schools, enabling us to customize our curriculum whether a school has a student body of 100 or 3,000.”
Prior to The Social Institute, Josh spent his career helping schools successfully design, launch, and nurture programs that support the needs and values of its students. After starting his career in Charlotte with Gaston Day School, then Charlotte Prep School, Josh returned to his alma mater Gaston Day as Dean of Students where he wore many hats — from planning events and booking speakers to handling discipline issues and DJ’ing the school dance.
As a Dean of Students, Josh witnessed first-hand the complex social situations that middle and upper school students face regularly when it comes to social media and technology use. “Students need support in this area, but so many administrators and teachers feel like it’s out of their comfort zone,” said Lutkus. “The Social Institute is leading the way in social media education. I have personally witnessed this curriculum work with students, parents, and faculty, and I am excited to help more schools take that same step forward.”
The Social Institute is also busy upgrading its #WinAtSocial curriculum lesson based on the Understanding by Design® framework. The enhanced program will deliver a more robust, comprehensive, and formalized curriculum to schools starting this Fall. #WinAtSocial is available for students in grades 5 – 12 and is customized for each grade level to ensure it will grow with the students. For more information or to request a demo, visit www.TheSocialInstitute.com.
About The Social Institute
The Social Institute partners with schools nationwide to empower students, families, and educators to positively navigate social-emotional health, social media, and technology. Schools access our student-respected, turnkey curriculum through WinAtSocial.com, an interactive, gamified learning platform. With solutions for students, parents, and educators, we offer a systemic and comprehensive SEL program through a unique and positive approach. We are proud to serve public and independent partners such as Ravenscroft School, Woodward Academy, Oldfields School, All Saints Episcopal School, Lake Forest School District, Boston Public Schools, and more. For more information on how to empower your students to make high-character decisions online and off, please contact us.