Patrick Roberts, Head of School, Palmer Trinity School

Invest: sat down with Patrick Roberts, head of school at Palmer Trinity School, to discuss how the institution balances academic rigor with character development, global engagement, and student well-being. “We are first and foremost focused on the full, healthy development of mind, body, and spirit,” Roberts said.

How does Palmer Trinity integrate academic rigor with other important aspects of student education, such as character development, leadership skills, and emotional intelligence?
First and foremost, we are an Episcopal school, and part of that tradition is a holistic approach to education. When you look across Episcopal schools, not just in the United States but across the world, you see that emphasis on educating the whole student.

Academic rigor is assumed. We are going to offer a wide and challenging program, and we do. We have the AP track, and we also brought in the IB program, so those two run concurrently.

Fostering community, the commitment to inclusion, the commitment to serve and to reach into the world, and to walk humbly are pieces that are also programmed through the course of the day. We meet regularly for chapel. We create opportunities through the curriculum and through our advisory program. We are structured to be close to students in an intentional way.

We also benefit from being a school where students have real access to leadership opportunities. We are small enough that students can jump in and lead clubs, lead on athletic teams, and be part of a growing theater program. Those experiences build character and confidence in ways that matter.

Our faculty-staff ratio is a big part of it too. We have the kind of staffing where students are known, and adults are present. Ninety percent of our administration teaches every day, including me, so we are in it with students day-to-day. We are first and foremost focused on the full, healthy development of mind, body, and spirit, and that is part of who we are. Our Episcopal identity feeds into that naturally, and it shows up in the rhythm of daily life.

In what ways does Palmer Trinity engage students in thinking globally while acting locally, both inside and outside the classroom?
We are part of three strong networks, and two of those networks are really focused on students. Round Square is one of the most important. We are one of only 13 schools in the United States in that network, and it includes nearly 300 schools worldwide. Students connect through travel opportunities, through service opportunities, and through gathering at conferences with other students. They also connect online, which is crucial in today’s world. Students are able to have real conversations in real time on real issues with peers across the world.

We are also part of a group that began as the Global Educators Benchmark Group and has rebranded as the Institute for Global Learning. We were a founding member, and we have had a long partnership with them. That is another network of nearly 300 schools that work together so students have opportunities and are in the conversations. We stay active in that group, and we have hosted their leaders on campus.

The third network is geared toward heads of school. It’s called Global Connections. That group gathers heads of school across the world, and each year we visit other schools, learn, and build relationships. I hosted that group back in 2020, just as COVID was about to begin. It is a valuable way for school leaders to stay connected and to bring ideas back home.

Beyond the networks, we have programming that reinforces global engagement in practical ways. We have a strong Model UN program, and students travel through that program, including to The Hague each year. We also have exchange programs that have long-standing traditions in Spain, Australia, and France, and those opportunities evolve through networks like Round Square.

However, the local piece is not an afterthought. Service is a constant here, and it is tied to our identity. Our students learn that a global mindset matters most when it informs how you show up in your own community. That connection between awareness and action is part of what we work to build in students.

How does Palmer Trinity incorporate technology into education while maintaining a balance with more traditional learning methods?
We approach technology as a tool. It’s not a crutch. In particular, AI is a major conversation right now, and almost two years ago, we set up a partnership with a local consulting group to help us incorporate it thoughtfully. The goal is to integrate tools strategically into the life of the school and into what we do, not to chase trends.

A clear example is that we now have a foundational AI literacy course for all sixth graders. That matters because students are going to interact with these tools whether schools address them directly or not, and we want them to be prepared and grounded in how to use them responsibly.

We have also expanded engineering and design courses in middle school, and we are in the third year of Project Lead the Way medical sciences. STEM initiatives are growing in a way that connects to real learning, not just add-ons.

We also build technology learning into experiences outside the classroom. We have travel opportunities geared around STEM. One group is heading to Japan for a program called STEM and the Land of the Rising Sun, and another group is heading to Switzerland for Explorers of the Invisible: Physics, peace, and precision. Those experiences connect learning to global context, curiosity, and real-world applications.

On campus, we also have students using technology in practical, creative ways. Right outside my office, there is a group building a solar car for a competition. That’s a club that meets every afternoon, and they are already testing it on campus. What I love about that is it isn’t only about technology. It involves leadership, organization, teamwork, and managing a project over time. It reinforces academic rigor, collaboration, and responsibility.

For us, the balance comes from integrating technology naturally into curriculum and mission. The focus is not technology for its own sake. The focus is using the tools students will encounter in the real world while keeping learning grounded in relationships, critical thinking, and purpose.

How does Palmer Trinity prepare students for life after graduation, both academically and personally?
In the last few years, we established a contemporary studies department, which is one of the ways we have expanded opportunities for students to gain skills that carry beyond graduation. I am part of that department. I teach a leadership course that is an elective, and it is really an ethical leadership course. This semester, I had 18 seniors and three juniors. That type of course is not only about leadership as a concept, but about how students think, how they make decisions, and how they carry values into real situations.

More broadly, we try to create tracks and opportunities that match student interests while still preparing them for what comes next. That includes entrepreneurial courses, STEM opportunities, public speaking, and a range of other options. Each year, as we design courses, we pay attention to what students are interested in and what they need.

We also have an independent study program that has been going on for more than 20 years. Those courses adapt to student interests in a way that is college-focused. I have taught a course on Scotland and taken students to Scotland, for example. That kind of experience helps students develop initiative, independence, and confidence in academic work.

Academically, AP and IB provide strong preparation for college-level expectations. But we also hear consistently from alumni that the preparation that mattered most was not just academic. It was social readiness, emotional readiness, and the ability to step away and grow into independence. That connects back to the day-to-day character development we focus on and the relationships students build with adults.

We also prioritize alumni connection. We have a growing mentoring program through our alumni development office. Alumni come back to share what life is like beyond Palmer Trinity and to create opportunities for students, including summer experiences. Those relationships help students see pathways and possibilities, and they connect education directly to real life.