Savannah's Progressive Educators: Nina Pape

Savannah’s three largest universities as well as its technical school (SCAD, Armstrong, Savannah State, Savannah Tech) currently have women presidents. This is unusual as only 26% of the college presidents in the U.S. are women. So we are well ahead of the curve. Maybe the reason for this in part is that women have been on the forefront of education in Savannah. There is a habit to berate and underestimate what is going on in Savannah’s educational system. But there have been times when Savannah has if not led the way was right there on the cusp of educational progress. In the next few blogs I want to explore some of Savannah’s leading educators and keeping with our current trend the women led especially in the early to mid- twentieth century. The first of the progressive women educators I will write about is Nina Pape.

Nina Pape (1869-1944) was born into a prestigious Savannah family. Her grandfather, Edward Clifford Anderson, was the city’s five-time mayor. Pape had access to the finest education available but she never took her advantages lightly. Her first job as a teacher was at Massie School. Nina’s philosophy on education was radical for its time. She de-emphasized harsh discipline and thought memorization was not as valuable as making learning fun.  She also emphasized each child was unique and needed to be treated as such.

While at Massie she started what would become one of her lasting legacies. Pape created the Froebel Society, based on the ideas of educator philosopher Frederic Froebel. The work of the Society was to be directed toward increasing the health and happiness of underprivileged children Nina was concerned about the children who came from poorer homes. She participated in the creation of seven kindergartens in deprived neighborhoods.  Theses kindergartens were the first in Savannah and would lead to the implementation of kindergartens throughout the system. But the Froebel Society did not stop there. She was concerned about the effects of poor children born in urban Savannah not having a chance to experience the beauty, wonder, and clean air of the beach. She established the Fresh Air Home (still in existence today) to bring children to the beach many for the first time. She was also found convincing the city leaders to create public playgrounds and sponsor youth festivals in Forsyth Park.

After teaching at Massie Elementary, Nina started the Pape School. The school quickly became one of the nation’s most highly respected college preparatory schools. And as could be predicted was one of the first schools in Georgia to include a kindergarten. The school also emphasized the education of girls to the standards expected of boys. Her school used the ideas of Froebel and John Dewey and other progressive educators so it was no surprise when she was the only person from Georgia to participate in the Progressive Education Association in its founding in 1919. The ideas of this organization has led to the following teaching methods (as found on Wikipedia):

• Emphasis on learning by doing – hands-on projects, expeditionary learning, experiential learning
• Integrated curriculum focused on thematic units
• Integration of entrepreneurship into education
• Strong emphasis on problem solving and critical thinking
• Group work and development of social skills
• Understanding and action as the goals of learning as opposed to rote knowledge
• Collaborative and cooperative learning projects
• Education for social responsibility and democracy
• Highly personalized learning accounting for each individual's personal goals
• Integration of community service and service learning projects into the daily curriculum
• Selection of subject content by looking forward to ask what skills will be needed in future society
• De-emphasis on textbooks in favor of varied learning resources
• Emphasis on lifelong learning and social skills
• Assessment by evaluation of child's projects and productions

She was also a great aid to her cousin Savannah’s own Juliette Gordon Low. In 1912 When Juliette made a phone call to her cousin Nina she stated, "I’ve got something for the girls of Savannah, and all America, and all the world, and we’re going to start it tonight." The first two Girl Scout troops in the US were the Pape School’s sixth and seventh grade girls. Pape used her experience and connections to assist in training and organizing leaders.

In 1955, of the Pape School including Pape's faculty, curriculum, the majority of its student body, and its facilities east of Forsyth Park were purchased by the founders of Savannah Country Day School, one of the prominent college preparatory schools in Savannah.  

​ Pape was inducted to the Georgia Women’s Hall of Fame in 2005.Her legacy can be seen in the thriving of Savannah Country Day School, the Fresh Air Home now opened for 8 weeks a year, with each child spending eleven days enjoying the ocean, salt air, playing on the beach. The maximum capacity of the Home at one time is 92 children. Her legacy can be seen in the playgrounds and public parks across Savannah, in the kindergartens of Georgia, and also in the growth of the Girl Scouts of America. She was truly a matron saint of children from Savannah.
 

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Pape School