About Us
The Civic Lab at Georgetown Day School equips young people today to realize the promise of our democracy by building their skills, opportunities, and networks to address tomorrow’s most complex societal challenges. We play our part in a collaborative effort among communities to empower youth with the tools to enact necessary social change.Civic Lab’s audacious vision is of “a democracy renewed and sustained by the civic participation, advocacy, and action of youth in the DMV region and beyond.” Our ambition is for the Civic Lab to play a role in preparing young people—GDS students as well as other students from public and private schools from across the region and nation—to address our society’s most complex challenges by improving and elevating our civic dialogue and developing the skills and mindsets needed to steward positive change.
Meet The Team
Barbara Eghan
Founding Executive Director
Barbara is the Founding Executive Director of the Civic Lab at Georgetown Day School, where her work focuses on building programs to equip young people regionally and nationally with the skills to renew and sustain our democracy. She is passionate about developing the agency of young people to envision and enact change by getting them directly involved in creative innovations and collaborations that serve the common good.
Barbara first joined the Georgetown Day School community in 2014 as Director of Enrollment Management and Financial Aid, a role in which she oversaw significant increases in enrollment demand and lent her expertise to various regional and national professional associations. Prior to joining GDS, Barbara worked at Polytechnic School (CA) as the inaugural Director of Community Outreach, where her work included building institutional partnerships and civic learning experiences for students in Grades K-12. Barbara started her career as an admissions officer and English teacher at Groton School (MA) and later served as a board member at Oak Meadow School (MA).
Barbara received her A.B. in History & Literature from Harvard University and her Ed.M. in School Leadership from Harvard Graduate School of Education.
Tuan Nguyen
Program Associate
Tuan is the Program Associate for the Civic Lab at Georgetown Day School. His work plays a key role as part of the founding staff to support the Executive Director in the establishment of this new enterprise. He is a strategic and tactical partner to the executive director as the center develops and grows its programmatic offerings.
Tuan started at Georgetown Day School in 2013 as the high school Technology Specialist and a digital arts teacher in 2018. In his time there he has played many leadership roles including steering committee STEAM Conference, steering committee Asian Educators Alliance Conference, People of Color Conference affinity group facilitator, and AAA (Asian American Affinity) student co-advisor.
Tuan received his B.A. in Imaging & Digital Arts from the University of Maryland, Baltimore, and is continuing his education in getting an Ed.M. in School Leadership from Harvard Graduate School of Education.