8th Grade Immersion in the World Beyond our Walls

From May 3-7, the 8th grade class will be heading south on a community service trip to Annapolis, MD and Washington, DC. After studying youth activism in Humanities class this trimester, this group will pitch in and help organizations that are making change in Washington, DC and Annapolis. We'll be serving meals with SOME (So That Others Might Eat), The Shrine of the Sacred Heart Dinner Program, and Food and Friends. We'll also work in a community garden (The Neighborhood Garden) and do trail maintenance and garden work for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. We'll be meeting with the co-director of Empower DC, a grassroots activist organization fighting for affordable housing and other rights for low income people there. Of course, we'll also do some sightseeing, watch an IMAX and enjoy some of the sights in Annapolis on the Chesapeake Bay such as the Naval Academy.

 

8th Grade Exchange with Springfield Renaissance:  During Project Week (June 1-9), the 8th graders (and a few 7th graders) will participate in an exchange with Springfield Renaissance Expeditionary Learning School in Springfield, MA. We have been corresponding with our new friends there throughout the year via letters and Facebook. During Project Week, we will spend a few days in Springfield and then students from Springfield Renaissance will come up and stay with us here in Vermont. The purpose of the exchange is to build understanding and compassion between different communities of youth (and to enjoy meeting people who live in a very different community).