Heather Schwilk, co-director of the Moodie’s Children’s Hour School in Geneva and former director of programs for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Rochester, has been appointed to lead Geneva 2030, a community partnership that supports the city’s school children and their families from birth through high school. She will begin her new role on March 6.
Jerry Buckley, chair of Geneva 2030’s executive board, said that the search committee was impressed by Schwilk’s strong commitment to K-12 school success, her track record in building community partnerships, and her enthusiasm for developing, executing, and evaluating programs that align with the mission and goals of Geneva 2030.
Schwilk, who has been with the Children’s Hour School since 2016, has developed experiential education curriculum for diverse, multi-age classes and supported parent engagement. She also managed administrative functions, including enrollment, fundraising, and budget, and collaborated with the Geneva Peeps Egg Co-op, an example of the school’s emphasis on outdoor education.
At Big Brothers Big Sisters, Schwilk spent several years enhancing the agency’s presence in Ontario and Wayne counties. She partnered with school districts and community organizations, including Child and Family Resources, Inc., and the Department of Education to create and align programming to specifically engage youth. Schwilk also developed three college-based mentoring programs and additional initiatives to service higher risk youth and youth with incarcerated parents.
As Executive Director of Geneva 2030, Schwilk will report to the organization’s Executive Board and work with the Community Advisory Board and Action Teams. She will also partner with the Geneva City School District, Finger Lakes Community College, and numerous community organizations. Geneva 2030 is funded by Hobart and William Smith, The Breitfeld Group, Strive Together, The Wyckoff Family Foundation, the Max and Marian Farash Charitable Foundation, the ESL Charitable Foundation, the Rochester Area Community Foundation, the City of Geneva, and the Town of Geneva.
Those interested in getting involved with Geneva 2030 or serving on one of the eight Acton Teams (Birth to Kindergarten School Readiness, Literacy, Bilingual Education Success, Data, STEAM, Food Security, College to Career Readiness, and Parent and Community Engagement) are encouraged to contact Schwilk at [email protected].
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