The Whitfield School of Experience

WELCOME

Learning at a school of experience means showing up as your whole self, bringing both your mind and heart on a journey of trying new things, taking wise risks, and supporting friends and schoolmates as they make the same courageous leaps.

There are many places you can go to receive a great education, to prepare for college, and to open doors for your future.

But here, you can do all of this while also seeing, hearing, touching, and feeling how the world around you works— because at Whitfield, we know it’s the experience that counts.

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COMMUNITY

How much does a strong, supportive school community really matter?

Sometimes it’s considered nice to have but nonessential, quietly humming along in the background of more important things.

But at Whitfield, we see the academic, social, and emotional environment in which students live, learn, and grow in an entirely different light: Our culture is a catalyst for their accomplishments.

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When students feel cheered on as well as challenged, they also feel safe to dive more deeply into complexity and rise to higher academic expectations.

HABITS OF MIND & HEART Learn more about our character ed curriculum.

Whitfield’s distinctive approach to character education is an integral part of our curriculum.

This vital framework supports our students as they grow academically and personally, develop socially and emotionally, and evolve as empathetic peers, engaged citizens, and effective leaders.

THE TREBUCHET PROJECT

Building a full-size, working trebuchet from the ground up.

Building a foundational, functional understanding of the principles of physics.

Building a lifelong passion for exploring, inventing, and learning.

Putting what they’ve learned about kinetic energy and trajectory to work, Whitfield’s accelerated physics students launch water balloons with a trebuchet machine they’ve built and calibrated all on their own. The project brings math and science to life, fosters teamwork, and strengthens student/teacher relationships. From grasping gravity to growing curiosity, it’s the experience that counts.

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TRADITIONS

EXCITEMENT, CONNECTION, AND JOY At Whitfield, our school traditions not only facilitate active, experiential learning in the moment, but also foster a lively, connected community and forge friendships that last a lifetime. We know students develop faster intellectually, advance further academically, and engage more deeply emotionally when they love where they learn.

SPIRIT WEEK is a time to show school pride through games, special events, and student showcases.

ASSEMBLIES regularly bring our community together for student-led conversations, exhibitions, performances, and service opportunities.

SUNSHINE follows in the footsteps of all our beloved campus dogs before her, bringing warmth and happiness wherever she roams.

See more of our traditions unfold on Instagram.

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THE VOICES OF WHITFIELD

“The highly personalized learning approach at Whitf ield has provided an outstanding platform for my daughters to grow and thrive personally and academically. From the warm community to the broad spectrum of academic and club offerings to arguably the best college counseling team in St. Louis, Whitf ield feels like a home for everyone.”

Andy Bryan father to Whitney Bryan, class of 2025 and Catherine Bryan, class of 2028

At Whitfield, we partner with parents to support each child at every age, through their individual academic, social, and emotional journeys.

Our educators form meaningful bonds not only with their own students, but also with the families in our school community, keeping channels of communication open and remaining in a running, open conversation about achievements, challenges, or changes.

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THE VIRTUES PROJECT

Feeling inspired to pin down your values on paper.

Feeling empowered to translate them into works of art.

Feeling equipped to pursue your ideas across all disciplines.

Our English and Arts programs work together to produce The Virtues Project, which encourages thinking and creating across disciplines.

Students are encouraged to take what they’ve learned out of the silo of music or math and think about what these new understandings might mean for the way they look at literature, science, or art.

We don’t live in a vacuum, and at Whitfield, we don’t learn in one either. Across all academic divisions, it’s the experience that counts.

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EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING

THE WONDER OF W-DAYS

The Whitfield experience goes beyond the confines of traditional classrooms because we know that true learning happens through exploration, discovery, and meaningful engagement with the world around us. One of our most cherished ways of learning off-campus is through W-Days.

From visits to local museums and cultural sites to acts of service and immersive field trips, these experiences not only deepen academic understanding, but also foster empathy, critical thinking, and community engagement and shape well-rounded, engaged citizens of the world.

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How far will we go to instill a lifelong love of learning?

ACROSS THE CITY Microsoft Innovation Center

St. Louis Science Center

St. Louis Kaplan Feldman Holocaust Museum

St. Louis Art Museum Greenwood Cemetery

Central West End Farms

World Wide Technology

Forest Park

City Museum

BioGenerator Labs

Missouri History Museum

Cortex Innovation Community

Cahokia Mounds

AND AROUND THE WORLD Taiwan Poland Guatemala Panama Memphis, TN

THE VOICES OF WHITFIELD

“Whitfield cultivated the innovator in me: how to face a problem, brainstorm solutions, think creatively, and problem solve effectively— all skills I use leading my team today."

Caroline Baer Whitfield 2012 graduate –> Purdue University – > Apple Technical Program Manager

Whitfield graduates go out into a rapidly changing world equipped with confidence, compassion, intellectual dexterity, and personal resilience—ready to fully engage the experiences of college, career, and life itself.

Learn more about our extraordinary alumni.

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THE FRENCH GAMING PROJECT

Working through the conjugation of a tricky French verb.

Working out the bugs in a line of malfunctioning code.

Working on a way to help other students learn a new language through gaming.

Whitfield French students prepare for their final exams not by cramming, but by coding—building a video game that operates entirely in French, using vocabulary and grammar structures taught over the course of the year. Learners grow as collaborators, solve problems, build technological skills, and speak and write French in real-world situations.

It’s the experience that counts in all our world language programs (French, Mandarin, and Spanish).

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ACCESS FOR ALL

Whitfield is a school for all kinds of remarkable thinkers and learners, and a home base for families from every corner of greater St. Louis. We are an extraordinary academic community of innovation, inclusion, collaboration, and trust.

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We all benefit immeasurably when we learn in a rich interplay of perspectives that reflect the vibrance and variety of our remarkable city. We know the collegepreparatory experience is enriched when we expand access across all socioeconomic and demographic categories, learning styles and zip codes, and background and beliefs.

38%

students of color

60

zip codes represented

$3.92M

in tuition assistance awarded annually

At Whitfield, we’re committed to maintaining an economically diverse community— with family incomes of all levels represented.

We offer generous merit and character scholarships to deserving students and financial aid for families who demonstrate need.

Read about tuition and affordability.

THE VOICES OF WHITFIELD

“All Whitfield teachers are truly amazing people.

They genuinely care about not just grades, but also their students’ well-being and happiness.

Teachers at Whitfield make it easy to create bonds and a better school environment.”

Morgan Lee, Class of 2026

Our students are here to learn about the world around them—and about themselves.

Encouraged to explore their own passions and try out many disciplines and pursuits, Whitfield students take courage in an environment of warmth and support, rising to extraordinary challenges in our classrooms, on our courts and fields, and behind the podium, preparing them for college and beyond.

Meet more of our students.

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THE NATURAL HISTORY DAY PROJECT

Seeing a museum exhibit come together.

Seeing our country’s past come to life.

Seeing yourself making your own kind of history.

A deep understanding of our past can help our students make sense of our present—and prepare them for whatever the future may bring. As our students conduct and present original research, they learn to ask important questions, carry out responsible investigations, evaluate relevant sources, and communicate complicated ideas clearly and fairly. When it comes to building historical perspective, it’s the experience that counts.

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ARTS

CREATIVITY AND PERFORMANCE The arts at Whitfield—from instrumental and vocal music to performing and visual arts—provide students with another language for communication and offer another platform for problem solving. Our students vividly experience sound, color, movement, and form through the arts in ways that spark curiosity, build confidence, and develop creativity. At Whitfield, the experience of art is rich and layered, instilling many academic, interpersonal, and communications skills.

Musicians rehearse for a choral, instrumental, or theatrical performance—and also practice positive self-concept, social awareness, empathy, and community building.

Our digital studio participants can find themselves building a cardboard chair or hat—and considering the gap between computer models and physical prototypes.

And while exploring the idea of synesthesia, learners might create a piece of visual art to represent a sound—and reflect on the nuances of human communication.

Check out our arts offerings.

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EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING

BRINGING HISTORY AND LANGUAGE TO LIFE

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What does it mean to learn at a school of experience?

Deep-dive assignments and hands-on activities.

Native America Teaching Project and Presentation The Mandarin Advertisement Design Competition The NewField Consulting Project Mass Crimes Documentary Film Project Romeo & Juliet Dialogue: Change It Up Poetry TV: Translating Verse to Video The Story of America Humanities Project Reimagining Literary Classics: The Lens of Adaptation Sharing Spanish Celebrations: A Bilingual Infographic Project

THE GEOMETRY OF SUPERHEROES PROJECT

Creating comic book characters that can shrink, grow, or fly.

Creating mathematical profiles of their powers of rotation, reflection, and dilation.

Creating a new way of putting geometry to work in the world— and the multiverse.

Students write the backstories of superheroes while also examining the geometric formulas by which they move and graphing the ways they change. By marrying exciting narratives with intricate calculations, the project moves mathematical concepts from theoretical and abstract to practical and concrete. From finding answers to fighting crime, it’s the experience that counts.

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SCHOL AR-ATHLETES

EXCELLENCE ON AND OFF THE COURT Whitfield seamlessly blends rigorous academics with a robust athletic program, making it the ideal environment for scholar-athletes who strive for success in both arenas.

Choosing Whitfield means committing to excellence in both academics and athletics. Our supportive environment ensures that every scholar-athlete can reach their full potential and excel in their future endeavors.

STUDENT-ATHLETE BENEFITS STATE-OF-THE-ART FACILITIES: Our modern fields, courts, and training centers provide the perfect environment for athletes to hone their skills and reach peak performance.

EXPERT COACHING STAFF: Our highly qualified coaches are dedicated to the development of each athlete, offering personalized training and guidance to maximize potential.

STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING PROGRAMS: Comprehensive training programs enhance athletic performance, improve strength, and prevent injuries.

ACADEMIC SUPPORT: Tailored guidance ensures studentathletes can balance their rigorous academic schedule with their athletic commitments, helping them excel in both areas.

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EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING

DIVE INTO SCIENCE AND REIMAGINE MATH

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What does it mean to learn at a school of experience?

Confronting real problems and creating real prototypes.

The Physics of Golf Course Design Make a Mobile, Figure out Fulcrums The Rube Goldberg Challenge The Great Rock Pocket Mouse Study Code Your Own Ringtone Collaborative Calculations: Whiteboard Work for Math Write Your Own Calculus Guidebook Eduprotocols: Tools for Talking about Big Ideas

THE VOICES OF WHITFIELD

“Whitfield taught me to think critically for myself by fostering an interdisciplinary approach to problem solving and challenging me to lead in everyday activities.

In addition to giving me confidence in my approach to problem solving and creative thinking, I am also thankful for the community. From my first Homecoming in 6th grade to senior graduation, I really felt part of a community."

Alex Bluestone Whitfield 2010 graduate –> Washington University – > London School of Economics – > Penta Group

Whitfield graduates go out into a rapidly changing world equipped with confidence, compassion, intellectual dexterity, and personal resilience—ready to fully engage the experiences of college, career, and life itself.

Learn more about our extraordinary alumni.

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COLLEGE COUNSELING

EXTRAORDINARY NEXT STEPS Whitfield graduates are equipped to go far in whatever direction they believe is right for them—right from the start. Our college counseling program offers personalized, careful attention starting informally in the sixth grade, becomes more detailed and strategic in the ninth and tenth grades, and evolves into a one-on-one student/parent/ counselor partnership in eleventh and twelfth grades.

We also see this journey as a learning opportunity in itself: The college counseling program uses a spiraling curriculum, which introduces and develops the skills central to higher level executive function and decision-making. As they consider their best-fit colleges, our students also develop self-awareness, planning skills, problem-solving capacities, the ability to analyze like entities, prioritization, organization, time management, and effective communication.

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Whitfield alums are uniquely empowered to find their own best fit for college and take the right next steps in life.

So, where did our most recent class of graduates go from here?

Read more about our alums.

In every direction: All 75 seniors went to college at 52 schools in 22 states + the UK Into many disciplines: 50% STEM majors 10% art majors 100% bold choices Onto bigger fields: Of our 22 individual state champions and 5 team state champions, 12 are future college athletes.

THE SCIENCE HOODIE PROJEC T

Making a sweatshirt design from the structures of a cell.

Making sense of a complicated biological process.

Making it into a top STEAM program at your first-choice college.

A science-themed hoodie seems like a whimsical project, and it is. But it’s also an opportunity for students to engage, create, and translate an intricate biological model—which can help cement their understanding of a foundational concept.

In preparing students for a future of rapid scientific changes and technological challenges, it’s the experience that counts.

See how we do STEAM.

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ATHLETICS

CHAMPIONSHIPS AT WHITFIELD Whitfield proudly boasts a legacy of athletic excellence.

Our teams consistently demonstrate skill, determination, and sportsmanship, leading to an impressive record of victories across various sports.

Winning Warrior stats: 38 State Championships 96 District Championships 85 Individual State Medalists 12 2024 grads committed to play collegiate athletics 17 2023 grads committed to play collegiate athletics

See the complete list of athletic opportunities by season.

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AC TIVITIES

ALL KINDS OF CLUBS FOR EVERY KIND OF STUDENT

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S T U D E N T- L E D C LU B S A N D O RG A N I Z AT I O N S Admissions Club

Green Scene

Sports Activities

Art Club

Literary Magazine Perspectives

Student Council

Business and Entrepreneurship Club Climbing Club Community Service Club Fashion Club Film Club Garden Club

Math Club

Students Demand Action

Mindfulness and Meditation Club

Student Diversity Council

Model UN

Technology Student Association

Ping Pong Club Special Olympics Young Athletes Program

Thespian Society Yearbook The Iliad

AFFINIT Y GROUPS Asian Student Union

Gender and Sexuality Alliance

Jewish Student Union

Black Student Union

Hispanic Student Union

Muslim Student Union

Fellowship of Christian Athletes

International Student Association

Women’s Alliance

Don't see a club or group for you? Create your own!

COLLEGE COUNSELING

UNBOUNDED OPPORTUNITIES, CONSIDERED CHOICES Our recent graduates tell the story of where you can go with a Whitfield education: From prestigious private colleges and flagship research universities to elite art schools and esteemed STEM institutions—and beyond—our alums take their next steps with confidence, courage, and excitement.

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Recent Whitfield graduates have been accepted to extraordinary colleges and universities, including: American University Baylor University Boston University Colorado College Case Western Reserve University Dartmouth College Elon University Kenyon College New York University Northwestern University Oberlin College

Savannah College of Art and Design Spelman College Texas Christian University The George Washington University University of Michigan University of Missouri University of Southern California Vanderbilt University Washington University of St. Louis

Learn more about our college counseling program.

THE VOICES OF WHITFIELD

“Whitfield prepared me exceptionally well for college and beyond by instilling critical thinking, effective communication, and time management skills.

The rigorous academic curriculum, coupled with opportunities for leadership and collaboration, equipped me with the confidence and competence to tackle complex challenges in academic and professional settings.”

Grace Vera Farr Whitfield 2020 graduate –> Dartmouth College – > HawkPartners

Whitfield graduates go out into a rapidly changing world equipped with confidence, compassion, intellectual dexterity, and personal resilience—ready to fully engage the experiences of college, career, and life itself.

Learn more about our extraordinary alumni.

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