The Burch Ford Kaleidoscope Award recognizes three professionals each year, who have exemplified commitment, creativity and excellence in the area of Student and Residential Life.
The Award is named in honor of the late Mary Burch Tracy Ford (Burch), who served as the first full-time counselor at Groton School, the Dean of Students at Milton Academy and for 15 years, the Head of Miss Porter’s School.
Burch had a down-to-earth quality, side by side with a supremely idealistic point of view. She was a practical, can-do person, who brought her imagination, her remarkable experiences, and a devotion to service, to her work. A kaleidoscope is a fitting symbol of her graceful ability to combine her practicality, courage and renowned availability, with her creativity, playfulness and conviction of what is right. In addition to her many achievements as a leader in the boarding school community, she invented new traditions and created innovative programs that not only enriched students’ experiences, but gave them direction and confidence in great possibility. Striving for excellence was a mindset that Burch herself modeled and instilled in her colleagues and students. It became the fabric of the communities she served.
The Burch Ford Kaleidoscope Award, itself, is a handcrafted, engraved Kaleidoscope. It will be presented on behalf of TABS Board of Trustees to three individuals each year at TABS Conference.
Phillips Exeter Academy
Thomas Jefferson School
Asheville School
Join us in honoring excellence, innovation and commitment in the Student and Residential Life sector, by nominating your deserving colleagues for the 2023 Burch Ford Kaleidoscope Award.