When you are designing and setting up a new entity, you get to take a step back, look at the drawing board and decide what you stand for. Here at Salt and Clay, we weave elements of Expeditionary Learning into everything we do.
Expeditionary Learning was created by educator and Outward Bound founder Kurt Hahn and has since expanded into educational organization’s philosophies (like us!), research studies and a network of more than 150 Expeditionary Learning schools in 30 US States and the District of Columbia. The recipe for expeditionary learning is simple: take a ready, motivated learner into a prescribed, unfamiliar environment, along with a group of curious fellow learners. The group faces a series of increasingly challenging situations requiring adaptive coping and skill building. “The cumulative effect of these experiences leads to a reorganization of the self-conceptions and information the learner holds about him/herself.
Post transformational experience, the learner will continue to seek further learning and development experiences, engaging with them positively.
Expeditionary Learning is a common practice in experiential and outdoor education that has spread to traditional school settings. In Expeditionary Learning schools, students learn by conducting "learning expeditions" rather than by sitting in a classroom being taught one subject at a time. The curriculum also develops the character, as well as the intellect, of the students. The learning expeditions and character development are supported by an overall shift in the school’s culture, which is exemplified through various practices. We found the following practice super compelling:
-Students often track their own grades, attendance and progress on goals to promote self-discipline
-The idea that students are “crew” not “passengers.” This approach is more of a ritual, not a requirement and centers around a small-group of students led by an advisor as they navigate their schoolwork, community and - the intentional building of both.
-Developing a relationship with the natural world centered on refreshing the human spirit through outdoor activities and serving as stewards of our Earth
-Success and Failure are equally celebrated - and taking risks in increasingly difficult challenges is viewed as necessary.
-“The Having of Wonderful Ideas” places emphasis on fostering curiosity about the world, which includes time to experiment and time to reflect on what was observed
The full list of the 10 Building Blocks of Expeditionary Learning are key principles of our programming. But it is really this quote from the enigmatic Kurt Hahn that summarizes expeditionary learning:
“We are all better than we know. If only we can be brought to realize this, we may never again be prepared to settle for anything else.”
When you are called to be excellent, how will you respond?
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