to virtue in practice. Framed in this way, the program innately
situates the latest empirical research on health outcomes
within a classical framework.
In helping boys to develop the ability to reflect on and
respond to the challenges they face, Saint David’s has one
particularly critical asset: a supportive community guided
by an enduring mission statement. This mission-driven
community underlies the development of Saint David’s
reimagined health education program. The values of Saint
David’s—deliberate moral introspection, critical analysis,
and a respect for religious tradition—are a beacon that
guides the boys’ growth. These values bind the Saint
David’s community together, allowing Sophrosyne to
build connections across the school’s programs, reaching,
for example, to the Religion Department for applied
moral guidance, to English classes for a critical emotional
vocabulary, or the advisory program for more individually
guided reflection.
The activities of our classes are geared toward the
development of self-knowledge and its growth into self-
advocacy. Boys are guided to consciously reflect on their
own feelings, needs, and motivations and then to articulate
this knowledge by appropriating the values of Saint David’s
for themselves. The personal nature of Sophrosyne obliges
the boys to deeply and authentically engage with these
values. This discernment is the foundation of the second
major emphasis of the Sophrosyne program: the forthright
presentation of various perspectives on difficult topics.
Rather than being passively told what to think, students
are given the opportunity to envision their own ideal state
of well-being, and from there, discern how to pursue this.
This approach builds trust, allowing the boys to advocate
for themselves, and encourages them to seek support from
across the community. Empowering boys in this way
enables them to not only ask good questions, but ultimately
to make responsible choices that are authentically their
own. All the evidence shows that self-regulation is critical
for social and emotional health as adolescents gradually but
inexorably achieve increasing independence.
We can see these principles in action across the program,
but I would like to look at two concrete examples. Digital
media and technology are an increasingly omnipresent
aspect of modern life. From coding classes and robotics to
Michael Imbelli and Evan Morse lead a Sophrosyne session on how to deal with challenging situations related to drugs
and alcohol.
Winter 2019 • 19