Title:Baker Trust for Transformational Learning supports Georgetown’s ‘freedom to experiment’

Through the Baker Trust, the university seeks to increase experiential learning opportunities for every Georgetown student with capacity-building activities, leadership opportunities, internship, research, fieldwork, and other kinds of personal and professional development.

“This university-wide collaboration brings applied learning from the margins to the center of the educational experience,” says Professor Randall Bass, vice president for strategic education initiatives. “The Baker Trust for Transformational Learning serves as an integrative force, helping to drive change by working across boundaries to enhance the student learning experience equitably, so that it is the new norm for every Georgetown student.” (Learn more about educational innovation at Georgetown in a Q&A with Randy Bass.)

Addressing today’s challenges

A few years ago, Georgetown parent Patricia Baker heard Bass speak at an event in Boston. As leader of the Designing the Future(s) of the University initiative, he shared his vision for how Georgetown could build on its strengths and develop an ever-expanding new model of education that will better address today’s challenges, including access and affordability.

Mrs. Baker left the meeting feeling energized.

“I liked what he said about ‘the freedom to experiment’ and the idea of ‘extending ourselves’ as we think about what education can achieve,” she recalls.

Patricia Baker joined the Board of Regents and co-chaired a committee focused on reinventing what a Georgetown education might look like five, 10, or 15 years from now, while maintaining our Jesuit ideal of cura personalis, or “care of the whole person,” as well as a commitment to the traditional core values of inquiry and excellence.

She and her husband Jon—parents of Jon (B’89), Catherine (C’91), Carlin (C’94), and grandparents of Sarah (C’20)—believe in Bass’ vision for these efforts.

“He’s been focused on this work for nearly two decades, and we want to support its integration across the university,” says Jon Baker, a 1964 alumnus of Georgetown College, former member of the Georgetown Board of Regents, and 1991 recipient of the John Carroll Award, the highest university honor bestowed on alumni.

The couple began meeting with Provost Robert Groves and President DeGioia in late 2018 to discuss the new Baker Trust.

“This all needs to happen at Georgetown: the Jesuit mission and D.C. location make it a perfect fit,” adds Jon Baker. “If done right, it will be transformative globally.”

Creating synergy on the Hilltop

In 2014, the Bakers’ $10M gift established the Baker Center for Leadership & Governance within the McCourt School of Public Policy. The Center’s primary mission is cultivating students to become future leaders, preparing them with the skills, capabilities, and adaptive mindset they need to meet the rapidly evolving challenges of 21st century government, business, and civil society.

The Baker Center’s programming is sustained within the new Baker Trust.

“We saw the Center gain momentum through its collaborative relationships with other Georgetown entities,” explains Jon Baker. “We would like to see that level of synergy continue—and grow. The Baker Trust sets up more experiential opportunities across Georgetown’s campuses.”