Milton Hershey School Announces Five-Year Strategic Plan

Milton Hershey School has announced its newest five-year strategic plan called the MILT Plan: Our Future in Focus. The plan outlines the school’s priorities for the next five years while reinforcing the original vision of founders Milton and Catherine Hershey.

The strategic plan, which will span from 2020 to 2025, creates an operational framework that will guide the school as it continues to expand and evolve to meet the needs of the children it serves from low-income backgrounds. Developed using in-depth research, industry best practices, and insight from students and staff, the ambitious plan is focused on four key areas:

• Modeling Character and Well-Being. By advancing The Compass Project, the school’s character and leadership development initiative, MHS will equip students with Sacred Values-inspired character, skills, and work ethic to lead fulfilling and productive lives.
• Innovating Career-Focused Education. MHS will provide relevant, experiential education and individualized learning pathways to students, complemented by broadened post-graduate opportunities for recent graduates.
• Leveraging Impact. As a leading expert in student instruction and care, MHS will develop forward-looking programs to serve more low-income children and have a positive impact on future generations.
• Teamwork to Strengthen Community Alignment and Engagement. Through enhanced talent recruitment and personal growth and leadership opportunities, MHS will empower staff to be their best selves. The school will also work to deepen the sense of belonging and collaboration among students, employees, parents/sponsors, and alumni.

“Extensive and recurring strategic planning is a vital part of Milton Hershey School’s successful path forward. In five years, MHS will advance existing programs, develop new initiatives, serve more children, and invest in opportunities that will further the curriculum and career-readiness experiences of students and recent graduates,” said MHS President Pete G. Gurt ’85. “Our ability to accomplish these goals will involve the collaboration of our entire MHS community and taps into our employees’ passion for making a lasting impact on the lives of our students and their families.”

The school’s previous strategic plan, the 2020 Vision, was launched during the 2014-15 school under the leadership of President Gurt. During its five years, the 2020 Vision resulted in vast accomplishments for the benefit of students, including: the launch of the school’s Graduate Programs for Success (GPS) Division to support young graduates; the development of a one to one technology learning environment; the implementation of three state-registered pre-apprenticeship programs; the attainment of the largest student enrollment in school history and highest retention rate in 50 years; the creation of the Multicultural and Global Education program and domestic service learning experiences; continued accreditation status from the Pennsylvania Association of Independent School (PAIS); and much more.

Like the 2020 Vision, the 2020-25 MILT Plan: Our Future in Focus affirms the MHS community’s commitment to the Hersheys’ proud mission of giving low-income children exceptional educational opportunities, high-quality care, and the resources and support needed to overcome the barriers poverty has created in their lives. Year one of the strategic plan will also involve overcoming and navigating the challenges associated with COVID-19. As a life-sustaining organization, the school has remained open throughout the pandemic to provide care and support to students at a time they needed it most. The ongoing pandemic further underscores the increasingly important role MHS plays in the lives and futures of its students and their families.

More information on the 2020-25 strategic plan is now available at mhskids.org.

Learn More About 2025 Strategic Plan

Milton Hershey School is carefully following federal and state guidelines, CDC considerations, and MHS-established health and safety protocols to keep our campus a safe, nurturing, and healthy place. Any group photos of unmasked subjects were taken prior to the face coverings mandate.