Experiential Education
Experiential learning is at the core of the Drew experience. Learning through active exploration, hands-on activities, and authentic problem-solving leads to deeper understanding and enduring learning. Therefore, our experiential learning programs are woven into every semester, giving our students consistent opportunities to try new things, discover new perspectives, and connect their learning to the wider world.
At Drew, we design these programs for impact. Our programs are designed around essential questions, interdisciplinary topics, mixed-grade level groups, and 21st-century learning outcomes. We engage our entire school community, with every student and faculty participating in experiential learning every semester. I invite you to read more about our programs below to see the full scope of these opportunities at Drew.
DEALL Week
DEALL (Drew Education for Active Lifelong Learning) Week is an immersive event where all students and faculty participate in week-long experiential courses. Academic courses pause for the week, allowing the community to expand the meaning of the classroom into the local and global community and experience how their learning in school shapes their journey in the wider world. These programs include outdoor adventures, cultural immersion, service projects, and creative pursuits that push beyond the limits of our academic curriculum. Students will choose a different DEALL program every year from a catalog that includes a wide range of choices, from local Bay Area adventures to far-reaching overnight trips. After DEALL week, the students co-create DEALLFest, our annual event where students design interactive workshops to share their new skills and perspectives with the school community.
Experiential Electives
Experiential Electives expand your process of exploration and intellectual discovery. As regularly scheduled explorations within Drew’s academic schedule, you will select two Experiential Electives per year to delve more deeply into your individual interests and try new activities. The options change throughout the year and are taught by Drew faculty who share and deepen their own passions with you.
Senior Project
A capstone to each student's time at Drew, Senior Project challenges students to craft an independent project that enables them to explore an academic, creative, or professional interest that will facilitate their passage into a world beyond high school. We ask students: What are you passionate about? What would you create if you had more time and support? How can you use your skills to make a difference? While each project is individualized and unique, they all share a commitment to leaving a positive impact on the school or local community. We structure an 8-week senior project seminar to support their project development, and all students present at a symposium before graduation where they share their product and speak about what went well throughout their project, what was challenging, and their learning outcomes.
Experience What High School Should Be
Drew knows and believes in teenagers. We engage each student in a process of intellectual discovery to develop an individual voice, the confidence to express it, and the empathy to understand its impact.
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