Women to Watch: Ilene Wise

July 12, 2019July 12, 2019 SPONSORED CONTENT

Ilene Wise, admission director at Waldorf School of Baltimore, is pictured at the school's campus. (Photo by Steve Ruark)

WaldorfSchool of Baltimore

4801 Tamarind Road

Baltimore,Md.

410-367-6808

waldorfschoolofbaltimore.org

Ilene Wise has spent 37 years in the field of education. “I’ve loved every minute of it,” she says. As admission director of the Waldorf School of Baltimore, Wise is dedicated to helping families make the best educational choices for their child.

Theguiding philosophy of Waldorf is based on a profound understanding of humandevelopment that addresses the needs of the growing child. Waldorf teacherstransform education into an art that educates the whole child — the heart andthe hands, as well as the head.

“Weeducate and inspire children to think, feel and act with depth, imagination andpurpose,” Wise says with a warm smile.

“Whenchildren use all their senses to engage in their learning, their learning trulybecomes a part of them – they own it deeply,” says Wise, adding that Waldorf’sobjectives are to help children become self-confident, creative thinkers who embracechallenges. “We’re not just preparing them for high school,” says Wise. “We’repreparing them for life.”

Wiseis passionate about Waldorf and the sense of community that the faculty andstaff, parents and students all share. The school is growing, with newclassrooms being added, and the enrollment increasing in their Parent and Childclasses, pre-school and kindergarten through eighth grade.

One of Wise’s priorities in her role as admission director is to get to know each family and child with whom she works. “That’s why it’s admission—and not admissions—director,” she says. “I want each family and each child to feel special.”