Bears Repeating from Jess Hill: Why Winterim Works

It was a true stroke of genius.

Any freshman walking into her first Winterim class or alumna remembering her senior year internship would agree — for three weeks each January, Harpeth Hall’s Winterim program changes how our girls see themselves, their futures, and the world around them.

Now in its 53rd year, this program provides a high school experience like no other, and I am forever grateful to former head of school Idanelle McMurry and her faculty for bringing it to fruition. Year after year, we see the sense of wonder Winterim creates and the global understanding Winterim cultivates. New research underscores what we have known for decades: a program like Winterim checks all the boxes for the best way to engage and motivate teens.  

In his book “10 to 25: The Science of Motivating Young People,” University of Texas professor David Yeager, Ph.D., shares breakthroughs in developmental psychology. As his research explains, what we believe about young people affects how we interact with them. 

For years, we have used what he calls the “neurobiological incompetence model,” the idea — and now widely understood science — that the brain’s prefrontal cortex is not fully developed until age 25. As a result of this understanding, many adults believe that teens need to be continually directed and managed because their ability to make good judgments is still forming. The research is not wrong, even Plato spoke of working to tame “youthful passions,” but the methods of how we guide our teens and young adults could be updated to be more effective. 

Dr. Yeager’s studies indicate that when adults authoritatively tell their children, students, or young colleagues what is “healthier” or “smarter” or “safer” for them —  a habit he calls “grownsplaining” — it can backfire. Even when our intentions are protective, young people often hear this advice as if they are deficient and incapable in some way. Instead of feeling supported, they can end up feeling disrespected.  

According to Dr. Yeager’s research, adolescents and young adults are especially motivated by two things: status and respect. Additionally, they are highly sensitive to humiliation. When someone takes them seriously and believes they are a person capable of making good decisions and succeeding, the capacity for learning and growth soars. This simple form of respect can lead to exponentially higher motivation, confidence, and maturity. 

This is where Winterim becomes so powerful. Grownsplaining thrives in environments where adults make the decisions, and young people comply or not. (Dr. Yeager’s research says grownsplaining has a very low success rate.) Winterim is based on the opposite. Instead of being told what to do and how to do it, our students are invited to choose, to explore, and to take responsibility for their learning. The simple act of providing an array of Winterim course selections for a 9th grade student is a way of treating her like a college student. The atmosphere in the Winterim classroom is one of collaborative learning and sometimes simultaneous discovery, alongside the instructor — no grownsplaining there. The adult-like experiences of our juniors and seniors through internships and travel provide opportunities for healthy adolescent risk-taking, which is crucial to their development and transition to adulthood. Our upperclasswomen are placed in situations each day in Nashville, Washington, D.C., or abroad where we trust their judgment and decision-making. In these spaces, adults still guide and support, but they also demonstrate to our girls that we believe they are capable people who can think, decide, adapt, and are ready to be taken seriously.  In this way, our girls’ confidence expands, and their status is lifted.  

It is understandable that the incompetence model is deeply ingrained in many of us. Time and again, each older generation worries about the one coming behind it. We have a hard time remembering that our parents shared similar fears about us. Yes, the prefrontal cortex of every teenager is still developing, but so are her curiosity, creativity, and greater understanding of the world around her. When we lead with trust rather than control, we create conditions where those qualities can flourish. 

Fifty-three years ago, Ms. McMurry had the right idea on so many levels. Winterim is a magical time for our students. Now, research helps us better understand why.