Mission and Vision

To the NCSM Membership:

From time to time, it is important for an organization to revisit its mission and vision statement. Last revised in 2001, the NCSM Board followed the wisdom of Roland Barth and others that recommend a renewed examination of the mission and vision every five to seven years. The task of clarifying our vision has lead to new interactions and insights, as mission and vision plays an important role in clarifying our purpose and direction.

As we worked through the revision process (led by Regional Director Carol Newman), we considered three critical questions:

• Has current research given us new insights into how NCSM can fulfill our mission most effectively?
• Have there been significant changes in the internal and external factors affecting NCSM?
• Is the NCSM described in our revised vision statement still the organization we want to create?

How does the revised document serve us? The mission statement is our purpose - why do we exist for our members? The vision statement is based upon four "stories" or elements of pursuit by our Board and members. Based upon the acronym that has been our legacy for forty years, our revised vision is built upon the pillars of:

N: Networking with other stakeholders.

C: Communicating research-based craft knowledge.

S: Sustaining improved student achievement.

M: Motivating our commitment to equity.

We hope you will join us in our pursuit of becoming N C S M.

Most sincerely,

Timothy D. Kanold, President

Click here to view our new Mission and Vision!