Birchwood Founders are Recognized for Excellence in Education and Their Dedication to Cleveland
On Tuesday, April 23, Birchwood School of Hawken co-founders, Chuck and Helene Debelak, traveled to Fenn Tower where they were recognized as one of Cleveland State University’s Fascinating Alumni. It is their dedication to each student “becoming” (a phrase often heard around Birchwood School of Hawken) and their commitment to providing Cleveland residence exceptional education at a reasonable cost that caused this spotlight to fall on them.
In 1984, founders, Chuck and Helene Debelak, assembled a team of teachers and parents, who shared a common vision articulated in the mission: To equip children to lead a life of becoming – growing, thriving and flourishing – through the development of intellect and character. To this end, these two founders determined that Birchwood must include the highest standards of academic training while nurturing a schoolwide ethos that forged the development of good character. Knowing that work habits and achievement ethics are just as important to success as a strong intellect, Birchwood has developed a systematic approach to teaching and training good habits. Both of these factors are intertwined in the development of individual potential.
It all comes down to intrinsic motivation, the Debelaks assert. “When you are intrinsically driven to do and accomplish and achieve, and when you learn to give to others for their betterment, your life is full. You are in a constant state of becoming. That’s where we want to see our kids.” And it isn’t easy to cultivate. Quite the opposite. “It’s hard,” they admit. “It’s hard on the parent, it’s hard on the kid, and it’s hard on the teacher – but the end result is worth it because of what you’re able to shape.
In October of 2016, Birchwood School merged with Hawken School due to their shared commitment to a high standard in the development of intellect and character.
Chuck and Helene’s resolve to extend high academic standards to the brightest students led them both to pursue master’s degrees in curriculum and instruction with a focus on gifted education at Cleveland State. They understood that academic ceilings must be lifted in order to nurture the habits of hard work and persistence in students of all levels of ability. Birchwood doesn’t single out students with high IQ; course work and research in the tenants of creative and critical thinking skills and creative problem solving are applied to each child’s personal path of growth. Cleveland State provided an important foundation in their constant pursuit to ground practice with elements that are time-tested, research-based, and benchmarked against the best educational programs nationally and internationally. The impact on student achievement is evident. Birchwood students consistently gain local, state and national recognition for their academic achievements.
Chuck and Helene are committed to remaining in the City of Cleveland. A day at Birchwood School of Hawken is like a day at the United Nations. Seventy percent of the students are children of immigrants from around the world, embracing a broad spectrum of social, economic, and racial backgrounds. Birchwood’s location also offers a viable educational option to professional families living in Cleveland.
Prior to the school’s founding, Chuck taught in public and private schools as well as Seoul, South Korea, and designed the gifted program for Willoughby-Eastlake schools. Alongside his role as head of school, he continues to teach mathematics to fifth through eighth-grade students. He and his students have earned local, state, and national recognition including receiving the 2012-13 Math Olympiads Highest Team Award, being named Ohio’s MATHCOUNTS Coach in 2011, and being a three-time recipient of the Ohio Governor’s Award for Excellence in Math and Science.
Helene is currently director of curriculum and continues to teach literature. In 1994, she co-authored the National History Standards K-4. Awards include the History Channel Teacher of the year and an honorary doctorate from Valparaiso University.
