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Experiential Education

Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ has six decades of Experiential Learning - on campus, across Colorado, and around the world.

“The greatest traditions of experiential education value everyone being heard and the fact that leadership is shared.�
Margaret White Campbell, Ä¢¹½´«Ã½'s Founding Headmistress

What is Experiential Education at Ä¢¹½´«Ã½? Experiential learning happens every day at Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ in all grade levels. Each division is organized below to explain our Experiential Programs offered at Ä¢¹½´«Ã½.

At Ä¢¹½´«Ã½, we believe that students learn best by doing. Our experiential education philosophy begins with a growth mindset and engages the whole student through a cycle of direct experience, reflection, analysis, and experimentation. Our programs empower students to cultivate meaningful connections with deep, applied learning, inspiring personal growth and motivating them to become active global citizens. In doing so, they make a lasting impact in creating a more just, equitable, and sustainable world where everyone belongs.

  • Activity-based Learning uses hands-on experiments and activities. Students often collaborate to achieve stated objectives.
  • Problem-based Learning challenges students to actively engage in real-world problems and, ultimately, develop critical-thinking skills and enhance their creativity.
  • Project-based Learning includes a variety of curricula and encourages students to develop essential skills such as communication, research and inquiry, and time management.
  • Place-based Learning uses a location or environment as a starting point to teach concepts and ideas across the curriculum. Students learn to make choices that impact the future, cultures, and the environmental landscape.
  • Service Learning extends beyond community service. It builds character, encourages life-long civic responsibility, and provides students with new skills and understandings of the world around them.

Although applied differently across each division of the School, every experience-based lesson is geared toward promoting age-appropriate personal growth, problem-solving skills, decision-making capability, and academic analysis. All are designed to enhance and support the college-preparatory curriculum.

Experiential education at Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ dates back to 1962, when founding headmistress Margaret White Campbell brought with her the influence of John Dewey, the American philosopher and reformer she studied under at Columbia University. Dewey’s emphasis on problem-based, hands-on learning—innovative at the time—continues to shape Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ programs and guide teaching today.


““We are reminded often of why we chose Ä¢¹½´«Ã½, but mostly when our boys come home from their travel opportunities. They often need a few days to simply process and digest everything they’ve experienced. At first, they don’t have much to say, and we can almost see them quietly sorting through the depth of it all. Then, little by little, the floodgates open, and out comes this incredible growth, mature conversation, and profound ideas and concepts that seem far beyond their years. It’s amazing to watch them process what they’ve experienced and see how deeply those moments are shaping who they are becoming.â€�â€�
Lina & Karey Klaus, Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ Family Since 2012


Experiential Education Coordinator

Lynn Shepherd - lshepherd@css.org

(719)-434-3536