Experiential Education

Campbell Hall recognizes that in order to educate students both intellectually and emotionally, the school must explore those areas of learning which stimulate the processes of self-discovery.

Experiential Education is an experiential program which nurtures values of cooperative learning, individual and group responsibility, and security in a natural environment. The program teaches students that:

• the earth is a living organism and each of us is an integral part of that organism;
• within a natural setting, the individual can better appreciate the coordination of sensory, intellectual, and aesthetic powers;
• self-examination combined with collective enterprise and positive risk-taking are often more fully realized in an unfamiliar setting;
• educational experiences will be greatly enriched and personalized in an experiential context.

In pursuit of these goals, the school's curriculum includes participation in the environmental education program for students beginning in grades 4-12. With the wide variety of geography available, excursions are planned yearly to provide each class with an intimate encounter with mountain, island, seashore, desert, or river environments and to include opportunities for service, community-building, and to connect the curriculum of the classroom to the world beyond our gates.

Highly experienced and well-trained instructors are accompanied by faculty chaperones from Campbell Hall, all of whom are certified in first aid and CPR. The trips are coordinated by the Environmental Education Coordinator at each division. Parent meetings are scheduled shortly prior to each trip to provide information and to answer questions.