Grades 9-12
Home to Harlem

What made Harlem such an inviting destination for African Americans in the early part of the 20th Century? How did the art, music, literature, and culture of the Harlem Renaissance influence American Society?

In the 1920s, African-American literature, art, music, dance, and social commentary flourished in Harlem, in uptown New York City. This cultural movement, which redefined African-American expression, became known as the Harlem Renaissance.

This ESW program enabled upper school students to learn more about this unique time in American history by visiting important Harlem landmarks, studying the work of artists like Zora Neale Hurston, Langston Hughes, and Duke Ellington, and creating works of visual, literary, and performing art that connected the Harlem Renaissance to their experiences in America today.

Grades 9-12
Biodiversity in Costa Rica

How has the biodiversity of Costa Rica affected its rich history and culture as well as its relationships with the world?

This unforgettable tour of Costa Rica explored one of Central America’s most spectacular and bio-diverse areas. Students visited Arenal Volcano and hiked through Monteverde Cloudforest – home to 400 species of birds, 100 kinds of mammals, and over 500 types of butterflies.

Our Costa Rican guides taught us about this amazing landscape and wildlife, and introduced us to local culture. Students also participated in a snorkeling trip with sea turtles in Tortuguero National Park, and a heart-pounding whitewater rafting trip on the Rio Reventazón!

Grades 10-12
Oman Cultural Exchange and Arabic Language Study

How has Oman’s unique geographic location and culture had an influence on Middle East policy and global diplomacy?

Students on the ESW trip to Oman were guests of the Center for International Learning—an institution specializing in the teaching of Arabic and Middle Eastern studies. Two houses were used by Barrie School students and chaperones during their stay.

Students took three hours of introductory Arabic each day, followed by trips to places such as the Royal Opera House, the National Museum, archaeological sites, beaches, the Grand Mosque, and several restaurants serving Indian, Persian, Arab, and African foods. Students and chaperones had consistent access to translators, docents, internet service, and American embassy contacts.

Oman is situated in the Middle East—bordered in the Northwest by the United Arab Emirates and other moderate nations of the region. It is also bordered by Saudi Arabia to the west and Yemen to the south. The people of Zanzibar, Tanzania, India, Pakistan, and Persia contribute to the collective Omani bloodline. Ethnic diversity has encouraged religious diversity; people of all religions are allowed to practice religion freely in Oman. Oman is an ally of the United States and has been instrumental in brokering political agreements that serve the interest of peace and security in the world.

Grades 9-12 - Electric Utopia

Can skateboards make the world a better place to live?

This ESW focused on care for the environment, specifically climate change, and ways that students as individuals can help solve a problem of such magnitude. The Electric Utopia ESW explored one possible solution: the electric skateboard!

Electric skateboards are the least expensive and the most convenient electric vehicles that we have today. For this ESW, each student had their own electric skateboard. The challenge was to use this skateboard, along with mass transit, as one’s sole means of transportation for one week.

As a way of learning the advantages and disadvantages of electric vehicles, students planned many of the week’s activities. When we weren't riding our skateboards, we were learning about the science and politics of climate change, the inner workings of electric vehicles, and other ways in which an ordinary person can help to reduce their carbon footprint.

Grades 9-12: Half Volt Hacks

How can we turn "junk electronics" into useful, functional items?

Half Volt Hacks is a program designed around the idea that we can “hack” items around us, to create new and interesting objects. In this program students focused on electronics hacks, by taking apart cheap toys and gadgets from local thrift and dollar stores, seeing what makes them tick, and reassembling them into new and useful things- and also some not-so-useful-but-fun things.

Along the way we learned the basics of DC circuits, radio control, the proper use of soldering irons and multi-meters, and rechargeable battery technology.

There was lots of duct tape, hot glue, and elbow grease involved, and while there was no guarantee our creations wouldn't break before the end of the week, at least we knew how to fix them!

Grades 9-12: Clay: Earth & Fire

What raw materials add color to pottery? And what is clay anyway? What variables are involved with creating pottery without electricity?

How are ceramics and chemistry related? In this hands-on program students expanded their knowledge of what clay is and how it can be processed. They learned the properties of different clays and glazes, and how ancient peoples used the material to create functional objects before there were electric kilns or wheels.

We will visited ceramics studios and galleries, interviewed artists, and created individual and group projects using experimental techniques. Students also harvested their own clay from a local mine, created their own glaze from basic elements, and experienced different types of alternative firing techniques.