Dawson School names new head and expands business, internship and dual-enrollment programs

Dawson School in Lafayette, Colorado, named Jonathan Schoenwald head of school effective July 1, 2026, while rolling out new Upper School initiatives tied to business, entrepreneurship and college credit. The moves signal a broader push to make the K-12 independent school more career-connected and academically distinctive.

Why it matters: - Dawson School is adding programs that connect classroom learning to business, internships and college coursework. - The changes are designed to give students more ways to show depth, earn credits and build real-world experience before graduation. - The leadership transition gives the school a new head as those initiatives expand across K-12.

What happened: - Jonathan Schoenwald became Head of School on July 1, 2026. - Dawson School is expanding Upper School initiatives alongside the leadership change. - The school is in Lafayette, Colorado. - Schoenwald said he sees students and teachers as partners in learning and wants to build on that model.

The details: - Schoenwald joined Dawson after 12 years at Gulliver Preparatory School in Miami, where he served as Assistant Head of School and Upper School Principal. - His earlier roles included Head of School at Rocky Hill School, Dean of Rockefeller College at Princeton, and Director of the Macaulay Honors College at Hunter College. - Schoenwald holds a Ph.D. in American History from Stanford and a Certificate in School Management and Leadership from Harvard. - His first move was renaming the Innovation and Technology Department to Business, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship. - The rename is meant to create a shared K-12 identity across the school. - Dawson will add two Upper School courses this fall: Introduction to Business and Analyzing Public Companies: Finance and Stock Trading. - Anne Hecox, Dawson’s Director of the Upper School, has led the Connections program and the new distinctions framework over the past two years. - Connections is now in its second year. - The internship program places Upper School students in real organizations across Colorado. - Students in grades 9-12 can take summer and after-school internships. - Juniors and seniors can complete a for-credit, semester-long internship during the school day. - Dawson plans to grow Connections by building partnerships in Aerospace & Defense, Smart Tech & AI, Renewable Energy, Healthcare & Biotech, New Media & Creative Arts, and Tourism & Outdoor Recreation. - Upper School distinctions go to students who complete advanced coursework and a culminating experience in Science, Civics, Business and Entrepreneurship, Art, or Innovation. - The culminating experience can be an internship, capstone, portfolio or performance. - Dawson says distinctions function like college majors and signal focused achievement to colleges. - Through CU Boulder’s High School ACCESS Program, eligible students in grades 10-12 can take university courses for both high school and college credit. - The partnership gives students college professors, college expectations and transferable credits.

Between the lines: - Dawson is shifting from a traditional independent-school model toward one that blends academic rigor with career exploration and early college access. - The school is also formalizing pathways that help students specialize, which could make Dawson more attractive to families looking for both breadth and distinction. - The emphasis on business, entrepreneurship and industry partnerships suggests the school is targeting emerging sectors in Colorado’s economy.

What's next: - The new business and entrepreneurship courses will begin this fall. - Dawson will continue expanding internship partnerships across Colorado. - Eligible students will be able to use the CU Boulder dual-enrollment option as the partnership rolls out. - The distinctions framework will continue to create graduation pathways for Upper School students.

The bottom line: - Dawson School is betting that future-ready education means more than strong academics. It now includes internships, dual enrollment and discipline-specific distinction pathways.