Principal for a Day 2024
Never has going to the principal’s office been more fun. As part of Dallas ISD’s Principal for a Day, Terri Von Lehmden, vice president, Human Resources Collaboration and Performance at Toyota Motor North America, brought the joy of learning to her inspiring day as the head of Dr. Elba and Domingo Garcia West Dallas STEM School.
A joint program of the Dallas ISD and Dallas Regional Chamber, Principal for a Day, now in its twenty-third year, invites local leaders to step into the shoes of a Dallas principal to learn about the district’s students, educators and administrators.
The school occupies a special place in Dallas ISD. STEM, which stands for science, technology, engineering and math, is critical to preparing students for careers in high-demand fields. As the model for the Toyota USA Foundation’s Driving Possibilities, the Dr. Elba and Domingo Garcia West Dallas STEM School was developed in partnership with the Simmons School of Education and Human Development at Southern Methodist University (SMU) specifically to bring a STEM curriculum to the school and open pathways to the jobs of tomorrow. Building on the success there, Driving Possibilities has now launched programs in eight locations across the country.
For “Principal” Von Lehmden, the day began by greeting Pre-K through first grade students as they arrived for school. Then, it was on to Ms. Waters’ first grade classroom for reading aloud with a book selected from the school’s new STEM library, filled with titles collected during a book drive led by the team in Toyota’s Sustainable Development division.
Other highlights included a tour of newly additional STEM labs, a new Tech Theater, and classrooms outfitted with teaching tools to support the STEM-based curriculum.
In addition to the labs inside the school that teach about plants, planets, computers and robotics, outside, on the school grounds, learning continues at the on-site learning garden. In the classroom, the students receive instruction on the growth cycle of seeds. In the garden, they can see it for themselves, growing squash, beans and broccoli, tasting the fruits—and vegetables—of their labors.
The Learning Garden is just one of the wraparound elements provided at the school for its students as part of Driving Possibilities’ holistic approach to education. Soon, the garden will be joined by a community center also on site which will support local families with a range of services. Additionally, mobility solutions for school drop-off and pickup are offered by Circuit, a free, all-electric, on-demand ride service available to the West Dallas community.
“The teachers are simply amazing, and the environment is warm, thoughtful and nurturing. Everyone truly cares,” said Von Lehmden. “You can see it in the quality of the instruction and in the smiles on the kids’ faces. As someone in human resources, I can see how the experience creates avenues to success for the students.”
Finally, it was time for lunch. After a full morning of classes, “Principal” Von Lehmden and the youngest students were able to enjoy the other side of their day at school: making friends, sharing a table, enjoying a nutritious lunch and cracking all the jokes that had to wait until recess.