Working outside engages several senses at once, increasing awareness of, and connections to, our surroundings. Placebased learning experiences also offer real-world applications, widening the scope of student learning beyond the classroom. As explained by David Sorbel in Placebased Education: Connecting Classrooms & Communities, “This approach to education increases academic achievement, helps students develop stronger ties to their community, enhances students’ appreciation for the natural world, and creates a heightened commitment to serving as active, contributing citizens.” With its lush woods, meandering Goose Creek, verdant community and ornamental gardens, expansive pastures, and old-growth trees, our campus provides unique interdisciplinary and service learning opportunities. The beauty and wonders of nature have been a central theme in our academic and residential programs. Many of these lessons have fostered meaningful connections among separate academic disciplines as well as outside community organizations. We have cultivated aligned missions with the Goose Creek Association, Oak Spring Garden Foundation, The Artists in Middleburg Gallery, and Virginia Piedmont Heritage Association, all to heighten our school’s understanding of, appreciation for, and dedication to the environment, the arts, and to the greater community. By developing a strong sense of place right here in the Blue Ridge Valley, our students feel responsible for their impact and empowered to foster positive change.
Unfold these pages for a look at some of our lessons from this beautiful land.
