experience
learning by doing
At Lupine, experiential learning is the foundation of our academic program. It is through this model that our students master academic, social and personal skills that will prepare them for life. Students learn core subjects and critical life lessons through hands-on, thematic learning experiences. Lessons are taught both individually and within integrated Thematic studies and may take place in the classroom or out in the community during field trips. This approach makes learning meaningful and lasting and helps link curriculum to real life experiences.
“Learning is the process whereby knowledge is created through the transformation of experience."
– David Kolb
Experience
Lupine students engage in rich and meaningful experiences to deepen learning develop mastery of the academic disciplines. Our youngest students forage for acorns and apples during their Native American study; our middle grade students visit a farmers market and interview artisans before creating their own student market; our oldest students travel to Alaska to see the effects of climate change first hand. Direct and authentic personal lessons happen in our classrooms, in our local community, and on our overnight trips.
reflection
After the experience, students spend significant time reflecting on the process and what they have learned. They discuss, journal, paint, and create in order to synthesize and share the important academic and personal lessons they have learned. The reflection on the experience is as important as the experience itself.
application
After reflection, the important third step of application and transference happens. For example, our middle-grade students attended a musical about Jane Goodall and explored Portland State University’s Walk of the Heroines. Students used this experience to strengthen their character development while writing creative myths during their study of Ancient Greece. With the application, students are always building upon, practicing, and more deeply understanding what they have learned.
Authentic Experiences at Lupine
hands-on in the real world
We believe that learning is most authentic and meaningful when we can experience it. Experiential is who we are. It is the blueprint on which we were founded. Our experiential approach to learning deepens understanding, forges connections throughout the community, and helps students develop confidence and independence.
FielD trips & over-nights
Lupine field trips enrich our thematic studies and vary in length and location. From small jaunts to the local library, children’s theater, science museum, and nature preserves, to our overnight trips that all classes experience. Field trips happen regularly for all Lupine students and provide enrichment to our curricular studies. As Oliver Wendell Holmes stated, “A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions.” It is this belief that is foundational to the Lupine education.
regular outdoor school
Time spent outdoors immersed in nature is a favorite Lupine experience. We have regular outdoor school scheduled every-other Friday from September to November and March to June. Students spend the entire school-day in the beautiful environment of Camp Hope along the Lewisville River. Spending time outdoors engages students, supports a connection to nature, and increases mental and physical health. Environmental Science topics are seen, felt, heard and experienced, allowing students to create connections and cement understanding. We also believe that free-play in nature is an essential component to child development.
celebration of learning
Here at Lupine, we believe that teaching our students to recognize and celebrate their own and each other’s knowledge and capabilities is an important life skill. Each homeroom hosts a Celebration of Learning event at the end of each Learning Cycle for all family members, caregivers, and friends. Students present finished products they have been working on as part of their thematics topic, including song performances, art, sculptures, murals, stories, and more.
Music night performances
Once per school year, Lupine hosts a Music Night where students get to perform music pieces they learn in music class. A fun, melodious event that brings the whole community together to celebrate the hard work and practice that students have put into their instrument learning. Depending on student homeroom, performances include drums, recorders, ukuleles, guitars, xylophones, and more!
student service work
Serving our community is an important value we both model and teach. Students are involved in service projects from conception through execution to conclusion and reflection. In the past, students have chosen to provide services for, donate items to, raise money for, and contribute to many local non-profits and charities in the community.
When our students aren’t out adventuring, their classroom time is often spent working on integrated thematic studies and hands-on projects.
explore, learn, connect
Come explore with us...
Lupine Experiential School is a registered 501(c)3 organization.
EIN: 84-3818935