E-PROJECTS (EMPATHY, ENGAGEMENT & EXPERIENCE)

Overview

EPS Experiential Projects are specifically designed to increase agency, autonomy and self-direction for students as they progress

from the 5th

through the 12th

Grade. Students learn to self-manage a formal project design process that is both transferrable to their

academic coursework and their lives beyond EPS. Capstone project expectations for both the Middle and Upper Schools are defined

by the culminating experiences for 8th

grade students and for graduating Seniors.

Process

Focusing on grade-level guiding questions (see below), students:

(1) investigate relevant issues and problems

(2) employ empathy to identify the audiences they wish to impact

(3) brainstorm effective project paths and iterate multiple, possible solutions

(4) reflect on their learning process

Experience

(1) connects to the EPS Big Questions and Ideas; (2) takes place in a public environment; (3) enhances a student’s ability to DO something; (4) enables a student to identify a range of achievable personal outcomes and articulate specific purpose and personal

learning; (5) encourages self and group reflection on a learning and process

Context

For several years, EPS has provided an opportunity to enhance student learning through our experiential education program,

which included service learning, impact projects, Spring Adventures and EPSummer. As we reflected on the overall

coherence and mission “centeredness” of the curriculum we recognized the strengths of each distinct component of the

curriculum. However, a consequence of having created these programs over a series of years was that they were too

discrete, i.e., they were a series of unrelated activities

The new program connects experiential education opportunities with a year-long curriculum to maximize the learning of our

students and reinforce the coherence of the curriculum. Spring Adventures, which offered an array of travel and other

experiential opportunities from which Upper School students could choose and provided grade level experiences for Middle

School students, has, essentially been moved to EPSummer. Accordingly, the EPSummer program has continued to expand,

offering the “Adventure” opportunities that students have so enjoyed in the past.

At the same time, we wanted to enhance the experiential education opportunities that take place during the school year,

and we wanted those opportunities to relate, very specifically, to the overall curriculum. Hence we now offer E-Projects. The

core elements of the Experiential Education Program are illustrated on the next page.

One component of E-Projects will be the Spring Retreat Program. Retreats are scheduled to take place April 23-26, 2012, when

students will gather in grade level groups to bring their E-Projects to a conclusion and to prepare for all school presentation day on

Monday, May 1.

In addition to a desire for greater curricular coherence, we were also motivated to make this change because of the financial

pressure families experienced when Spring Adventures was a part of our required program. Exciting travel opportunities will

continue to be available to EPS students through EPSummer – which is NOT a required component of the program. Those

experiences will likely continue to be fairly expensive. The Spring Retreat Program will be much more reasonable financially ($500

maximum) and will give students a great opportunity to reflect on all of their successes for the year.

Finally, on May 1, 2012, we will host our first all day workshop-based E-Project Presentations. Students will have the opportunity to

observe the work of other students, and parents will have a chance to see their sons and daughters present/perform the final

outcome of their year of design thinking, service, and self-generated production.