Christian Henry's office has a portal.
For some, it might be a photo of a turquoise beach, a common decoration in offices around the world. His Zoom backgrounds often feature cameos.
But for Henry, the new president of Nouvelles-Découvertes, the French-registered non-profit that manages News Decoder, his beach photos are a symbol and gateway to an era of advocacy for education and students.
“My passion for science started in childhood. Just curiosity, an interest in learning and finding joy in the learning process, that’s where I started,” Henry said. “What I ended up doing was watching people grow through the learning process, discover wonder, and discover themselves in some way. This is my love for beautiful places and science now.”
Originally a biology and marine science teacher, Henry first encountered News Decoder in 2018 through founder Nelson Graves. Over the past five years, Henry has been a board member and treasurer of Nouvelles-Découvertes, as well as watching the team grow from one to seven people through several grants.
“We continue to provide channels for young people to engage with their world as storytellers, observers and journalists, giving them opportunities to exercise agency and participation outside of what is a customary part of the school curriculum,” said Henry. said: He will succeed Graves as Chairman of the Board.
Connecting students to the wider world
During his time on the board, Henry observed other constants at News Decoder, such as cross-border connections among students.
“What’s different is the scale of the impact,” Henry said. “We were able to grow organically. “It all depends on having really talented, veteran correspondents to mentor and edit.”
Henry's love of education is mostly associated with co-founding The Island School, located in the Bahamas. Henry sees Island School as just the beginning of his list of upcoming recognitions for student activities. Currently, he is also the principal of Narwhal Talent Partners, which specializes in educational ventures in the Boston area, where he currently works.
“I really enjoy watching young people grow,” Henry said. “But high school students are not always given the opportunity to demonstrate that they can create knowledge rather than simply consume it, that they can work together as a team, and that they can influence conversations and present what they have learned. People beyond the classroom. The process is inspiring to watch.”
Serving as Chairman of News Decoder's Board of Directors is a big part of his motivation. He believes that the greatest challenge of modern society is to face problems from diverse perspectives. Henry believes News Decoder can turn the tide in promoting acceptance of cross-border connectivity.
“For young people to see the world they live in, connecting with people with expertise in the areas they are interested in, capturing and talking about different perspectives helps create better understanding and community. “I prepared for the future.” Henry said.
Graves said Henry has grown with News Decoder over the past five years and will help it grow to new heights in the coming years. “Christian is a selfless and dedicated educator who puts the best interests of both young people and the organization first,” Graves said. “As Chairman of our Board of Directors, he brings a startup mentality, discipline tempered with flexibility, a keen interest in people, and respect for the financial health of nonprofit organizations.”
knowledge in action
A citizen of the world, Henry grew up between the United States and Europe while his father served in the U.S. Army.
“I appreciate the sense of belonging, feeling like an outsider, and making new friends in a new place,” Henry said. “It informed part of my choice to spend part of my early career overseas in the Bahamas and remain involved with News Decoder.”
“My favorite saying I learned from an Island School student was, ‘If you know and don’t do, you don’t know.’” Henry said. “Therefore, knowledge without practice is like not knowing.”
That call to action was already evident during his presidency. “Christian is a collaborator and a doer,” said Maria Krasinski, Executive Director of News Decoder. “Whether it’s seeking out like-minded organizations to gain insight or streamlining operations to better focus on our core educational work, he is actively addressing the steps that will take News Decoder to the next level.”
Looking to the future, Henry sees action-based knowledge and training as a key strength of News Decoder's expansion.
“I think being invited to collect stories about the environment helps young people find themselves, tell their stories and find out what actions they can take to bring about change in the environment,” Henry said. “If you can’t see yourself in the story, don’t take action.”
Henry added that News Decoder's vibrant journalism pushes students to make their stories part of a broader story. This is what makes student journalism from around the world relevant to everyone. In other words, it is a portal into other cultures and countries around the world.
“That’s my hope for News Decoder,” Henry said. “It can create a context for that to happen consistently across schools, across districts.”