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Experiential Learning A Vital Part of Highland School
Experiential Learning A Vital Part of Highland School
By Ally Blunt
Through engagement with the local community and its surrounding environment, Highland School’s field studies program provides handson learning experiences for students that extend beyond the traditional classroom.
Since 2006, this innovative program has fostered teamwork, critical thinking, and a deep connection to the community. Throughout the academic year, all Highland students participate in some type of off-campus field study, ranging from day trips to Warrenton’s Clifton Institute for lower school students to multi-day camping trips for middle and upper school students.
Lower School Director Jane Banse and science teacher Jessica Coffey have partnered with the Clifton Institute to create an outdoor curriculum for first through fourth grade students that combines observation and journaling of nature on Highland’s campus with visits to the Clifton Institute to conduct research.
The institute, with a 900-acre field station, provides environmental education, conducts ecological research, and restores habitats for native plants and animals.
The Highland program provides a building block for future field studies programs by developing curiosity about the natural world and learning scientific methodologies that will continue to be useful in the upper grades.
In fifth grade, students progress to overnight trips during the first weeks of the school year that provide an opportunity for connecting as a class and reflecting on the school year ahead.
“The entire middle school goes away to an overnight campsite,” said Middle School Director Sam Stover. “Eighth graders go a day early, which allows them to focus on leadership, legacy, and perspective. Activities include ropes courses, canoeing, team building challenges, a river study linked to the science curriculum, games, archery, wilderness survival, lake swim with zip line, and more.”
Middle school students finish the year with individual grade-level field studies trips that provide a culminating experience for each class.
Upper school field studies programs provide further opportunities for personal growth and the development of relationships. During the first weeks of school, each class has its own field studies adventure, allowing students to come together after the summer and bond at the beginning of the school year.
To close the academic year, upper school students participate in junior internships and month-long independent studies for graduating seniors that cap off their time at Highland and allow for exploration of potential careers and community engagement.
Highland graduate Lindsey Dengel has participated in field studies as a teacher and parent.
“Field Studies at Highland has had a positive impact on my kids,” she said. “My son Alexander’s favorite memory is Cox Farm in first grade, jumping off of hay bales, slides, and pumpkin patches. This year, he’s a senior. He enjoyed canoeing down the Shenandoah with friends he has had since kindergarten.”
The impact on students is profound. They graduate with a strong academic foundation along with a deep appreciation for their community, their peers, and the environment. The skills and values cultivated through this program prepare thoughtful, engaged citizens ready to tackle future challenges.
One current Highland fifth grader said it best when recounting the recent middle school trip.
“Camp Friendship gave me a happiness I had never felt before,” he said, “We learned so much about working together and building friendships.”
Ally Blunt is a senior at Highland School and will attend Wake Forest University in the fall.
