Trip broadens minds

Baldivis Secondary College principal Keith Svendsen has completed a special leadership development program, with the experience taking him all the way to the US.

Mr Svendsen’s leadership journey started last year when he became one of just 20 West Australian principals chosen to take part in the Independent Public School Principals’ Fellowship Program.

Following a one-day alumni conference in Perth, Mr Svendsen later travelled to Boston in the US to take part in an intensive seven-day session of world-class leadership development.

Mr Svendsen said the opportunity to network with principals from around the globe, as well as gain terrific insight from educational world leaders, was a highlight.

“Certainly a lot of the takeaways from a number of the experiences have added value to the work practice on a daily basis and it’s been fantastic,” he said.

The program brought together school leaders from across the globe, with internationally renowned speakers including developmental psychologist Howard Gardner and leading Harvard economist Thomas Kane.

Following the trip, Mr Svendsen completed an online component delivered by Harvard University staff, before developing a report on a change project of his choice.

Born in Minnesota, Mr Svendsen moved to Australia in 1980, studying at Edith Cowan University.

He later worked in the Fremantle Education Office and was the principal at Kent Street and Lesmurdie senior high schools before taking up the position of founding principal at BSC in 2012.