Upper Schoolers at Charles Wright Academy spent the week of Presidents’ Day 2017 participating in the annual experiential education tradition known as Winterim.
Hundreds of students chose one of 24 course offerings ranging from local service learning opportunities to outdoor education hikes to international travel and cultural exchange programs. The goal of these courses is to provide Upper Schoolers with the opportunity to be introduced to a new skill, culture, language, or perspective outside of the classroom. For instance, International Student Coordinator Ann Vogel reflects on a story shared with her by an international student. “An Upper Schooler had really poignant things to say about the Adirondack chair Winterim,” Ms. Vogel says. “It was not one of her top three choices, and she was not all that excited about it. But then she worked with machines and power tools she’d never seen before, and she ended up being so proud of the chair she made. Her mom even called her at 3 in the morning one night to chat about how she was doing on it; she’s trying to figure out if someday she can get it to China. I just thought it was lovely. We spoke about how it’s so much about attitude, resilience, and the way you approach a new experience—if you do it the right way, you can discover things about yourself that you didn’t know were there.”
Other courses included an on-campus series in cooking and grilling; international excursions to Costa Rica, Japan, and Spain; treks through Joshua Tree and Havasu; explorations of our weird and wacky PNW backyard; lessons in baking, glassblowing, and screen printing; service learning with the Boys & Girls Club and local food banks; explorations of cinema, science fiction, and comic-book cover designs; and so much more. For a glimpse at the range of activities Tarriers undertook during Winterim 2017, please see the photo gallery below.
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