Experiential Learning
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This is the basis for the experiential learning theory. Experiential learning focuses on the idea that the best way to learn is by actually having experiences. Those experiences then stick out in your mind and help you retain information and remember facts.
In our Experiential Learning Program, students develop their interests, identify their strengths and find their path to purpose, through a variety of experiences that foster self-discovery. Opportunities are created for students to have real-world experiences based on the things they are learning in the classroom. Experiential learning involves a four-step process: having concrete life experiences, reflecting on those experiences, refining concepts based on the reflection and testing those new concepts. On-campus experiences and excursions are planned yearly to provide students an intimate encounter with gardens, mountains, seashores, cityscapes, deserts and river environments locally, nationally and internationally. Students are provided with opportunities for service and community-building, connecting the curriculum of the classroom to the larger world. Life, after all, is best explored through real-world engagement and experiences.
Laying the Foundation TK - 5
During the lower school years, students begin to understand and practice the process of experiential learning. They engage in a real world experience, begin to observe, draw connections and conclusions.
Refining the Process
6 - 8
In middle school, students have formed the academic habits necessary to engage in experiential learning. Students utilize these skills both on campus and off, beginning to take their first overnight trips.
Working the Process 9-12
By the time students reach upper school, they are well versed in the process of experiential learning. They are capable of asking overarching questions and using their observational skills and applied knowledge to find solutions.
Experiential learning takes place in the classroom, in our immediate community and around the world.
Experiential learning can take place anywhere, at any time. SMPREP provides a wide variety of experiential learning opportunities including service learning projects that address social issues, entrepreneurship programs for budding business leaders, STEM activities that build problem-solving skills, and outdoor education programs that connect students with the environment. Other formats like project-based learning, and simulation exercises also play a part in offering students a taste of the real world.