Beyond Expectations

The first day of Project Week at New Hampton School blew away any expectations that I had. I knew that this would be a great week, but I had no idea that we would kick it off with such style. I have to give huge thanks to all the faculty leaders that worked hard to prepare amazing experiences for our students right out of the gate. Here are just a few of the highlights:

• Keith Dorrington, writer and producer for the film The Fighter, visited campus to talk with our Write On! group about inspiration, working hard, and believing in yourself.
• Larry Kelly also visited campus to share his personal experiences in professional sports management. He also gave some great insights into how social media is changing the profession.
• The Creating Music group spent their first day in a professional recording studio learning what it takes to produce high quality recordings.
• Is Science Good Or Bad members had a Skype conversation about stem cell research with Dr. Green of Dartmouth College's ethics department, and then they visited the renowned ivy league school to interview other professors in the field.
• Several groups participated in service projects, including helping out the local Mowglis summer camp and the Preble Street Soup Kitchen in Portland, ME.
• Many others began expressing their creativity through large scale art projects, salvaging discarded materials to be repurposed, or digging into writing, shooting, and editing short films.
• Winter-X participants conquered their nerves and headed out into the cold elements for a 5-day back-packing trip that is sure to test their resolve and build character.
• My Big Backyard students sacrificed all technology for a week, a potentially singular experience for many, to get in touch with nature at a local mountain lodge.

The Twitter traffic for #nhsprojectweek has spread like wildfire. I really appreciate the thoughtful and informative tweets from students and faculty alike. Keep the little bird singing throughout the week. I look forward to hearing more from some of our long distance groups as they get settled into their new surroundings. Keep following us here and over at Twitter, and remember to join us for the Project Symposium on campus this Saturday to hear from our students directly.

Mr. Joslin