FAQ

Please click on a Frequently Asked Question for more information.

• Is Project Week a requirement?

  • Yes! Every student is required to participate in Project Week each year they are enrolled at New Hampton.

• When will a list of projects be available?

  • Off-Campus Projects
    We begin planning our Off-Campus projects in April and May. These projects are reviewed over the summer and a list of proposed and approved projects will be posted on the 2016 Projects page as early as September.
    
    On-Campus and Near-Campus Projects
    Students and faculty have the opportunity to propose On-Campus and Near-Campus projects as soon as school begins in September. On-Campus and Near-Campus projects will be posted on the 2016 Projects page as soon as they are proposed, which can be as early as September but is more often in October and November.
    
    Final Project List
    The list of all available projects will be finalized in December prior to the Project Fair and Thanksgiving Break. The list of proposed and approved projects can change up to this time.

• How do students sign up for a project?

  • Off-Campus Projects
    Because we need to begin booking airline tickets and reserving lodging early in the academic year, students who wish to participate in an Off-Campus project must sign up between the start of school and October 17. To sign up for an Off-Campus project, students must do the following:
    

    (1) Check the Project Week Blog for more information on each project.
    (2) Have a conversation with their parents.
    (3) Have a face to face conversation with the Director of Experiential Learning (Mr. Joslin).
    (4) Wait for a confirmation email from the Director of EL asking for a deposit.
    (5) Submit a deposit to the Business Office by October 17.

    
    On-Campus and Near-Campus Projects
    All students not participating in an Off-Campus project will sign up for a project between the Thanksgiving and Winter Holidays. Students will submit their top 3 project choices by completing the Project Week Sign Up Form.

• Are certain students given priority when signing up for a project?

  • Yes. We place our students by seniority. Therefore, seniors are given first priority to sign up for projects. Then juniors, sophomores, and freshmen, respectively.
    
    Student leaders for a project are also given priority for that project regardless of their year.

• Can a student participate in the same project more than once?

  • Generally, no. We want our students to explore a broad range of topics during their time at New Hampton.
    
    However, a student may participate in a project a second time only if they are the student leader for the project and they take on an active role in planning, promoting, and executing the project. Student leaders for repeat projects are chosen by the Project Leaders.

• How can I submit the deposit or fee for a project?

  • However you pay, please indicate in which project your child is participating.
    
    Online Payment Portal
    The easiest way to make a payment is to use the online payment portal on our website. For domestic students, please use the domestic payment portal. For international students, please use the international student payment portal.
    
    Check or Cash
    You may also bring or mail cash or checks to the Business Office:
    

    New Hampton School
    70 Main St
    New Hampton, NH 03256

    Transfer from Student Account
    Students may transfer the money from their student account if their balance is sufficient to cover the fee. The student must give permission to the Business Office in person or via email to make this transfer.

• Can a student fly to another location at the end of their Off-Campus project?

  • It is the expectation that, when possible, every Project Week group participate in the Project Symposium on the Saturday prior to Spring Break. If an Off-Campus group has made travel plans to return for the Symposium, then every member of that group is expected to return to New Hampton regardless of their project location. Transportation back to New Hampton will be arranged as part of the project’s logistics. Students can then depart for Spring Break as usual, arranging for transportation to Manchester or Boston via the Student Life Office as needed.
    
    If an Off-Campus project cannot return for the Symposium due to travel restrictions, such as international flights, then students and their families may choose to arrange for alternative transportation from the project’s final location. For example, a student travelling to Europe for Project Week may choose to fly directly home from London at the end of the project instead of returning to Boston with the group. Please give your consent, in writing, to the School Life Office for your child to leave their group for alternative travel at the end of the project.
    
    Please note that New Hampton School will not alter a student’s itinerary from the group reservation and that there will be no reduction in the project fee. Therefore, students and their families are responsible for booking and purchasing any additional transportation. Unless otherwise stated, all off-campus projects will return to Boston either by bus, train, or airplane. Students who participate in groups not returning for the Symposium will need to arrange for transportation from Boston upon their group’s return.
    
    Please do not book any transportation for your child until you have verified the arrival and departure times and locations for your child’s project group.

• What happens if a student misses any part of Project Week, including the Project Symposium?

  • It is the expectation that every student participate in Project Week in its entirety. Students are expected to participate fully with their project group through the end of the Project Symposium, which ends at 11:30 am on Saturday, or until their group returns to Boston if that group misses the Symposium due to travel.
    
    Students missing, unexcused, from any portion of Project Week, including the Symposium, will receive unexcused absences. Students will receive three unexcused absences for each day not present. Students will receive two unexcused absences for missing any portion of the Project Symposium.
    
    All students who miss the Project Symposium, whether approved or unexcused, must participate in a make up Symposium session after Spring Break. They will be expected to present a mini-lesson similar to the lessons presented by their peers at the original Symposium, thus ensuring that all students complete the investigation of their Essential Question. Any student not participating in the make up Symposium will be sent to the Honor Board. The only exception to this policy is for students who take the SATs during the Symposium.

• What is included in the project fee?

  • We work hard to plan for every cost associated with each project, and therefore our project fees are generally all-inclusive. These fees cover transportation costs to and from New Hampton or Boston, meals, lodging, tips, entrance fees, materials, etc.
    
    Expenses NOT covered in the project fee include, but are not limited to, passport and visa fees, other expenses required to obtain passports or visas, or personal spending money.
    
    For our Off-Campus projects, we recommend that students bring between $100-200 cash for spending money, a debit/ATM card, or a credit card to cover things like souvenirs and snacks.