In addition to the warm weather, softball games on the quad, and exciting milestones like Stepping Up and Commencement, the Spring Term at Trinity-Pawling also brings with it a sense of reflection and reminiscence. With another school year winding down, we have a chance to look back on the past several months and celebrate the many accomplishments of our school community. Accomplishments like the Institutes for Active Learning — Trinity-Pawling’s signature experiential learning program — which is nearing the finish line of its inaugural year.
Throughout the 2021-2022 school year and during each week’s Saturday Programming, students participated in exciting and challenging learning experiences from one of the four Institutes for Active Learning: Leadership, Citizenship, Entrepreneurship, and Environmental Stewardship.
At the start of the year, seniors chose which institute they wished to explore and were paired with faculty leaders. Each group was then assigned a specific Saturday in the Fall Term, Winter Term, and Spring Term for which their Institute organized engaging and hands-on activities. It has certainly been a year full of active, out-of-your-seat learning and real-world applications, as illustrated in these Institute snapshots:
ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP
The Environmental Stewardship Institute hosted an array of educational outdoor activities this year, including hikes that taught about orienteering and fire-starting; a campus-wide environmental clean-up; planting an orchard and blueberry bushes; building a compost bin; constructing bee hives for the new honey bees on the campus farm; and screening and discussing environmental documentaries on various topics, from climate change and plant-based diets for athletes, to plastics and coral reef health.
CITIZENSHIP
The Citizenship Institute held a Global Citizenship Campus Tour in the fall, where students visited 11 different cultural stations to learn about global culture, food, customs, architecture, and history. Between West African drumming, jerk chicken on the quad, and Thai shadow play, the morning felt like a tour around the world! The Institute also led a series of small group workshops in which students defined the many different aspects of citizenship, exploring what citizenship means to them, and how good citizenship impacts life at Trinity-Pawling and beyond.
LEADERSHIP
The Leadership Institute organized a series of critical thinking challenges and exercises for students to learn the skills needed to be an effective leader. Students experimented with different styles and types of leadership; participated in character-building workshops with a guest speaker; and explored the many qualities of a good leader.
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
The Entrepreneurship Institute led a variety of team-building and problem-solving activities throughout the year — each one encouraging the students to think critically, work together, communicate with one another, and persevere in the face of challenges.
The Institutes for Active Learning are strategically designed to develop problem-solving skills, promote interdisciplinary exploration, and provide engaging opportunities for teamwork, camaraderie, and the discovery of talents and passions. With the end of this school year quickly approaching, we look back with gratitude on a successful year of experiential learning while also looking eagerly ahead as Trinity-Pawling continues to blaze a new path for the future of boys’ education.
To learn more about the Institutes for Active Learning, please visit our website or view the Pride Perspectives webinar.
by Emma Christiantelli