Faculty Profile - Amie DeHarpporte
Upper School social studies teacher Amie DeHarpporte has traveled to more than 25 countries. She visited the Soviet Union before the demise of communism and South Africa before apartheid ended. She's stayed with friends in Israel and taught English as a second language in Ecuador. And after finishing her master's degree at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, she rode her bike 2,000 miles from Cambridge back to her hometown of Edina. Yet even with the wide world of experience she now brings to her students, they still manage to give her a new perspective on the cultures and issues on which she teaches.
"The level of discussion [in my classroom] is one that I find absolutely stimulating," DeHarpporte said. "I'm always growing and learning something new."
DeHarpporte, who began the 2002–03 school year as a full-time faculty member, currently teaches the ninth grade World Cultures class, as well as the junior/senior economics and Moral Issues electives. With a bachelor's degree in political economics from Carleton College and master's in public policy from the Kennedy School of Government, DeHarpporte had not originally planned to become a teacher. Instead, she came to Blake as the founder of the LearningWorks program. "At LearningWorks, we taught young teachers how important it is to provide students with hands-on, interactive and avenues for discussion – opportunities for them to really think." She became so inspired by the young people she was training to teach that she jumped at the chance to get into the classroom herself when a position opened up in Blake's social studies department. DeHarpporte said she appreciates the strong sense of collegiality among her fellow Blake faculty members and feels they are wonderful mentors.
DeHarpporte and her husband, Jason, who is a part-time stay-at-home dad and urban planner, have two daughters, Hazel and Adeline. When she can find the time, DeHarpporte also loves biking, hiking, camping and playing ultimate Frisbee, a favorite sport from her Carleton days.
Tracy Grimm
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