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Project Week is almost here 

Get Outside of Your Comfort Zone

The purpose of Project Week is to provide all students and faculty time for an extended and vigorous investigation of an essential question through outstanding educational opportunities that are not possible in the standard classroom setting.  Students engage in self-directed learning with appropriate adult guidance, and they self-reflect about the process, experience, and outcomes of their project throughout the week.

Project Week also allows us to dynamically pursue the New Hampton School mission of cultivating lifelong learners who will serve as active global citizens using project-based and experiential learning methods.

Mr. Shackett works with students in the Greenhouse.  He allowed students to take ownership of their project while offering guidance when necessary.

As a project leader I have had the opportunity to work with over 60 students in a variety of settings.  I've been fortunate enough to lead a local service-learning project, travel abroad with an international service-learning project, work on our own Greenhouse, and investigate the Tiny House Movement.  The colleagues I have been lucky enough to work with hall all embraced the opportunty of having co-ownership with students.

Students at our school in Rio San Juan, Dominican Republic.

Allowing students to have ownership over their experience allows for life-changing events.  At times, we are even forced to rely solely on our students.  While in the Dominican Republic we had only one student on the project who was fluent in Spanish. She instantly became vital for our experience, and embraced her leadership role throughout the week. 

Remarkable experiences happen when we get outside of our comfort zones.  So many of our students and faculty are doing exactly that this week.  We have built a culture of trying new things, allowing each other to take risks, possibly fail, and grow from our experiences.  Perhaps Joe '19 said it best in school meeting on Friday when explaining why he chose to be in the project The Show Must Go On.   He said he wanted to do this project because he had never done anything like it before.  It will be a new, exciting, and somewhat terrifying experience.  But Joe, and so many other students, will have rich, fulfilling experiences because of their willingness to try new things.

Project Week 2017

Countdown to Project Week!

Check back often for updates on each project, especially during Project Week, March 6-11th.

Final Products & Symposium Lessons

Assessment for Project Week has four components:
Student Self-Assessment
Project Leader Evaluation
Final Digital Product
Symposium Lesson

The overall goal of the Project Assessment is to record the behaviors, experiences, and learned outcomes and to provide feedback on how to improve Project Week in the future.

Student Self-Assessment
Students will complete a self-assessment at the end of the project to reflect on the following:

• personal participation, growth, and learning
• achievement of personal and group goals
• evaluation of the program

Project Leader Evaluation

Faculty leaders will complete a project leader evaluation to assess students' participation, performance, and learned outcomes, and they will provide a written group comment for feedback with the option to highlight individual student performances. Leaders will also indicate who needs to attend the Make-Up Symposium after Spring Break.

Final Digital Product
The goal of the Final Digital Product is to communicate not only what students did on Project Week, but also what they learned in a polished and compelling fashion that can be shared on the blog, the website, social media, and other digital outlets. The group final product must include the following information:

• Explanation of what the group did during Project Week
• Examination of the project's Essential Question
• Discussion of personal experiences, learned outcomes, and growth

The Final Digital Product should be:

• Available to view at the Project Week Symposium
• In a format that is sharable on line
• Well organized
• Mechanically (grammar, spelling) well edited
• Original (any music or photos are either created by the group or fulfill a specific purpose)
• Dynamic, interesting and creative
• Created by the whole group
• Accompanied by list of works cited

Examples of Final Digital Product include, but are not limited to:

• an original movie/short film
• a Story Map
• a compelling digital presentation (Keynote, PowerPoint, Prezi, Sliderocket, etc.)
• an original piece of art with accompanying personal reflections
• an interactive, multi-media blog
• a written journal with accompanying photos
• an functional website 

Symposium Lesson
The goal of the Symposium Lesson is to demonstrate the skills and concepts that the students have learned during Project Week. The lesson should be informative, interactive, short, and repeatable. If possible, multiple students should be able to teach the lesson at the same time, allowing more participants to engage with the group at once.

Examples of Symposium Lessons include, but are not limited to:

• teach how to cook on a camping stove (outside of course!)
• teach how to bake cookies
• teach how to build a raised bed for the greenhouse
• teach how the basics of stunts and fighting choreography
• teach a lesson on how to fly a model plane

Final Assessment
The Experiential Learning staff will bestow a Pass or Fail grade for each individual based on the completed student self-assessment, project leader evaluation, digital final product, and symposium lesson.

Project Symposium 2016

Project Symposium

What:	The Project Symposium is the culminating event of Project Week where students and faculty discuss their experiences, share what they have learned, and present their Final Digital Products and Symposium Lessons.
When:	9:30 to 11:30 am Saturday, March 12, 2016
Where:	The Lower Gym and McEvoy Theater New Hampton School 70 Main Street New Hampton, NH
Who:	All current students and faculty Parents and alumni are welcome to attend

Saturday's Schedule for Students and Faculty

7:00-8:00 am	Breakfast served in the Dining Hall
8:00-9:00 am	Preparation for Project Symposium Finalize Final Digital Product and Symposium Lesson
9:00-9:30 am	Set up for Project Symposium in designated space McEvoy Theater: Keeping Up With The Huskies Video The Lower Gym: all other groups
9:30-10:00 am	Gather in McEvoy Theater Opening Remarks Premier of Keeping Up With The Huskies Reality TV
10:00-10:45 am	Half of each project group (students and faculty) presents their final product at their designated space. The other half of each project group circulates through the Symposium and engages in meaningful discussions with their peers.
10:45-11:30 am	Project members switch so that the first half of each project group now circulates through the Symposium and engages in meaningful discussions with their peers. The other half of each project group presents their final product at their designated space.
11:30-12:00 am	Clean-up
12:00 am	Spring Break begins!

Just Do It! The Key to Success for Any Experiential Learning Program

We are 11 days from Project Week and Project Leaders school wide are anxiously preparing. There are materials to order, meetings to line up, and bags to pack. Are the rosters set? Does everyone have their passport? What if the kids don’t like their projects?

Relax. 

Just Do It. 

Thanks Nike for making me have to cite these three simple words with your best-ever advertising tagline. But really, Just Do It. This is the crux of experiential learning. So what if you fail? So what if the project turns out different than how you planned? As long as the students are doing something, they will be learning. Don’t overthink it, don’t over plan it, don’t force it. Let the students direct their learning and be flexible. Encourage, engage, and the keep the students safe, but let them take the reigns. Set high expectations, and accept that they may not be met. But be prepared to be blown away when expectations are met, or when they’re exceeded.

This is why we do Project Week.

Just Do It!

2016 Project Group Blog Labels

The following is a list of labels that you should use when creating a blog post for the 2016 Project Week. After you have entered the label once, you will be able to choose it again for future blog posts.

• 2016
• A Mindful Retreat
• Au Canada!
• Beyond Fitness
• British Culture
• Creative Life
• Ecuador Animal Rescue
• Global Citizenship and Ecotourism
• Go-Kart
• Greek Economy
• Husky High Altitude Balloon
• IB Extended Essay
• Indoor Adventure
• Keeping Up With The Huskies
• Lacrosse the Nations 
• Live and Let Live Farm
• Make An iPad App
• Mariposa Foundation
• Mountain Mechanics
• ReFashionista
• The Art & Science of Baking
• Tinker Shop
• Tiny House
• Training As An Athlete
• Ultimate Cooking
• Whaling And Its Aftermath
• Wilderness Survival
• Winter Expedition

Project Leader February Checklist

Project leaders, here is a short checklist of things that you should complete for Project Week during February. Check out the Project Leader Resources page to get more details.

All Projects

• Ensure all group members have paid project fee (if necessary)
• Fill out the Transportation Request Form for each separate trip
• Post coverage needs or sign up for 1 extra night of activity or house coverage on the House Duty and Activity Schedule
• Tell the Director of EL what you need by filling out the Project To-Do List
• Order materials and equipment by filling out PO's
• Get access to the Project Week Blog and write a post about your Essential Question
• Tweet about your project
• Meet with your group
• Prepare something to share during Friday School Meeting Send Off
• Plan the group's demonstration for the Project Fair

Additional Steps for Off-Campus and Near-Campus projects.

• Ensure all group members have returned the signed Hold Harmless (waiver) form
• Ensure all group members have returned the Permission to Travel form (international only)
• Ensure all group members have returned any project specific forms
• Book hotels, lodging, transportation by filling out PO's
• Finish Short-Term International Trip online course from United Educators

Sign Up For 2016 Projects

New Hampton School hosted its annual Project Fair today. Complete descriptions for all the 2016 projects can be found on the 2016 Project page of this blog.

Students, you can submit your top five project choices to the Director of Experiential Learning (Mr. Joslin) immediately following the Project Fair.

You will sign up for a project by completing the Student Sign Up Form. Please choose five projects in case you cannot be placed in your top choice for some reason. Please do not sign up for the same project more than once as this will not improve your odds of getting this project. In fact, it will hurt your odds of getting another project that you may want. Also, please carefully consider all of your top 5 choices as you may very well not get your top choice.

There is no guarantee that you will be placed in any of your top 5 project choices. Priority will be given to the class of 2016 and student leaders, and then to the classes of 2017, 2018, and 2019. If too many students in a class sign up for any given project, students will be chosen at random to fill the available positions. If you are not placed in one of your top 5 project choices, the Director of Experiential Learning will contact you and give you a list of the remaining available projects.

Please contact Mr. Joslin with any questions or problems that you may have in filling out the form.

Project Fair!

The annual Project Fair is an opportunity for students to learn about the available projects that will take place in March. There are a few remaining spots on some of the off-campus projects, but the primary focus of the Fair will be to promote on and near campus projects. Seniors will have an opportunity to begin signing up for projects at the Fair. Once all seniors have chosen their top three projects, juniors will begin signing up. We will work our way down to the freshman class in this order.

Information about the available projects can be found on the 2016 Projects Page of this blog. Students should preview the available projects prior to the Project Fair.

The Fair will be held in the Dining Hall on Monday, December 14 during School Meeting and Advisor Meeting.  

2016 Off-Campus Project Offerings

Please enjoy this short slideshow that introduces the seven off-campus projects that New Hampton School will offer in March, 2016. For more detailed information on all of our projects, please visit the 2016 Projects page of this site.

Off-Campus Projects 2016 from Justin Joslin

Project Ideas

Students! Have a great idea for Project Week 2016? 

Get your idea on the list below and start talking to faculty members who may share your passion or interest in learning something new. Once your project has both student and faculty leaders, the Director of Experiential Learning will help you craft a Project Proposal. Your project idea will then move to The Board, a post where you can find more detailed information about all of our proposed projects.

Please note that projects requiring a flight will generally not be considered at this point, but that doesn't mean your project has to be "on-campus". You can propose projects with bus or train distance from New Hampton.

Student Generated Project Ideas

• Make an iPad App (Kaya S. with Mr. Bergdahl(?))
• Live and Let Live Farm (Paige D., Ruby S., Ivan R., and Makayla D. with Ms. Gale & Ms. Bridgham)
• Wilderness Survival (Nicolai A. with Mr. Bergdahl(?))
• Fashion Design/Upcycling Clothing (Ria H. with Ms. Farr-Williams(?) or Ms. Brewster and Ms. McMahon)
• Indoor Adventure (Julia S. with Mr. Whitmore)
• Designing an Eco-House (Elliot S.)
• 3D Movies (Carter C.)
• Architecture, CAD, or 3D Printing (Junghoon K.)
• NHS Greenhouse (Bella C.)
• Virtual Stock Market (Elliot S.)
• Strength, Speed, Skill (Mike D.)
• Cosplay (??)
• IB Extended Essay (Bella C.)
• Make A Short Animation Movie (Tina Z.)

Project Week 2015 Recap

The Board 2016

The Board is where all project IDEAS for Project Week 2016 are posted. The Board contains the following information for each project:

• Title
• Project Leader(s)
• Student Leader (s)
• Location
• Essential Question
• Estimated Cost

There is no guarantee that any of the projects listed below will be offered during Project Week 2016. 

Every project idea must be submitted through the Project Proposal Form to the Director of Experiential Learning. The proposed projects will then be reviewed by the Project Week Committee.

On-Campus Projects (Proposed)

• Build An Electric Go-Kart (proposed)

  • Project Leader: Mr. Churchill
    Student Leaders: Dennis L.
    Essential Question: still needed
    Estimated Cost: $0 - $100
    

• The Ultimate Cooking Project (proposed)

  • Project Leader: Mr. Sampson
    Student Leaders: TBD
    Essential Question: still needed
    Estimated Cost: $0 - $100

Near-Campus Projects (Proposed)

• French Language and Culture in Quebec (proposed)

  • Project Leader: Ms. Coles
    Student Leaders: TBD
    Location: Montreal, Quebec (Canada)
    Essential Question: What is the relationship between language and national identity in Quebec?
    Estimated Cost: $1000 - $1500
    

• Whaling and Its Aftermath: Nantucket Then and Now (proposed)

  • Project Leader: Ms. Woodard
    Student Leaders: TBD
    Location: Nantucket Island, Massachusetts
    Essential Question: How does the history of a place shape its present culture and way of life?
    Estimated Cost: $1000 - $1500

Domestic Off-Campus Projects (Proposed)*

• Global Citizenship & Community Based Tourism in the Caribbean (under review)

  • Project Leader: Mr. Little and Ms. Joslin
    Student Leaders: TBD
    Location: Vieques, Puerto Rico
    Essential Question: What are the benefits and challenges of Community Based Tourism (CBT) for Vieques and how can CBT, partnered with engaged Global Citizens, create a sustainable future for the island?
    Estimated Cost: $2500 - $3000

• Whitewater Rafting in Utah with Outward Bound (under review)

  • Project Leader: Ms. McClure and Mr. Tyson
    Student Leaders: TBD
    Location: San Juan River, Utah
    Essential Question: Why are outdoor educational experiences valuable?
    Estimated Cost: $2500 - $3000

International Off-Campus Projects (Proposed)*

• History of British Theater (under review)

  • Project Leader: Ms. Brown and Mr. Beaulieu
    Student Leaders: Sarah S. and Emma W.
    Location: London, England
    Essential Question: To what extent did theatre contribute to the development of English Culture and society?
    Estimated Cost: $3000 - $3500

• Empower and Educate Youth with the Mariposa Foundation (under review)

  • Project Leader: Ms. Wilson and Mr. Schwab or Mr. Marcella
    Student Leaders: Nicki S., Kate D., Emily C., and Natalie T.
    Location: TBD, Dominican Republic
    Essential Question: How can service, education and empowerment of young girls help end the cycle of generational poverty in the Dominican Republic (and developing world)?
    Estimated Cost: $3000 - $3500

• Greece: From World Domination to Bankruptcy (conditional approval)

  • Project Leader: Mr. Mansur and Ms. Veilleux
    Student Leaders: Giotty A. and Caroline W.
    Location: Athens, Greece
    Essential Question: How did Greece fall from one of the most powerful empires in history to a struggling, bankrupt country?
    Estimated Cost: $3000 - $3500

• Study Wild and Captive Animals Through the Art of Observation (under review)

  • Project Leader: Ms. MacLeod and Ms. Frame
    Student Leaders: Katie T. and Megan B.
  • Location: Ecuador
    Essential Question: Through observation and journaling, how has human impact to the environment affected the behavior of both wild and captive animals?
    Estimated Cost: $3000 - $3500

• Community Building with Lacrosse The Nations (under review)

  • Project Leader: Mr. Simon
    Student Leaders: TBD
    Location: Costa, Rica
    Essential Question: still needed
    Estimated Cost: $3000 - $3500

*Once approved, off-campus projects will need the minimum number of students to submit deposits by the deposit deadline in October. If the minimum number of students do not submit deposits by this deadline, the project will no longer be offered and any submitted deposits will be refunded.

Essential Questions for Project Week 2016

It's hard to believe, but we need to start planning for Project Week 2016! This year, we will begin all project proposals with just the Essential Question. This is the most important factor of each new project, and it will be used to develop all other aspects, such as location, cost, activities, and final products.

Essential Questions must meet the following criteria:

• Must be 1 sentence only.
• Must define the scope and purpose of the entire project.
• Must be academically rigorous.

While the emphasis will be on developing our off-campus offerings this Spring due to logistical planning, any and all projects may be proposed at this time, including on-campus projects. The Director of Experiential Learning will help each project leader, both students and faculty, to complete the Project Proposal Form after an Essential Question has been submitted for review.

Steps for completing the Project Proposal Process and important dates to remember are listed below:

1. Submit Essential Questions for all 2016 Off-Campus Projects to the Director of Experiential Learning by May 4, 2015.
2. Meet with the Director of Experiential Learning to revise Essential Questions and begin filling out the Project Proposal Form in May, 2015.
3. Submit a final Project Proposal Form for all 2016 Off-Campus Projects to the Director of Experiential Learning by May 23, 2015.
4. All off-campus project proposals will be reviewed by the Project Week Committee in June, 2015. At this point, off-campus projects may be approved, denied, or revised based on the Committee's review.
5. A Draft Project Guide of all approved projects to-date will be available at the start of the school year in September, 2015. 

*Inclusion in the Draft Project Guide does not guarantee that an off-campus project will occur. Projects will occur if there is enough student interest and if deposit deadlines are met.

Student Self-Assessment and Feedback Form

Dear Students,

I hope that Project Week 2015 was fun, educational, and life-changing for you. Please help us improve the program by taking a few moments to thoughtfully and honestly respond to the questions on the Student Self Assessment Form. Please be as detailed and as honest as possible.

Here are some incentives for you:

The first group to reach 100% participation on the assessment form will earn a pizza party from the Director of Experiential Learning.

Each student who fully completes the assessment will be entered into a drawing for gift cards worth up to $50.

Throw Forth

Source: Google Dictionary

Project comes from the latin word proicere, which means to throw forth. While this definition is probably seen as being more literal, I think it is still very applicable to what we hope to accomplish during Project Week. We throw forth ideas long before March, and we think about them, develop them, and change them. This preliminary design takes significant time and planning to evolve. My wife has her next projects planned through 2017 already! Our teachers and students take the project design process seriously, and the more this week becomes a part of our culture, the more involved the planning process becomes. I truly believe everyone, especially our students, are benefitting from this process, and I am thankful to everyone who has put the time in to develop our 27 amazing projects this year.

Merriam-Webster defines project as:

a planned piece of work that has a specific purpose (such as to find information or to make something new) and that usually requires a lot of time

That definition is perfect! Each of our projects starts with a specific purpose that is written in the form of an Essential Question, and then every aspect of the project is developed in a way that hopefully allows our students to answer that question. Whether it's "What is the relationship between food, identity, and immigration trends in New Hampshire?" or "How can we gain skills in website design and project management to deliver a functional and user-friendly product?", our projects can generally be categorized as "finding information" or "making something new." I would argue that there is also a third category for many of our projects not found in the Webster definition, which is "service to others." The Essential Question for our Special Olympics group is "How do the Special Olympics help those with cognitive disabilities to achieve their goals through sports?", but even this has aspects of finding information (learning about the organization) and making something new (building connections and friendships with others in our community). Please see our Project Guide for all of the Essential Questions to our projects this year.

The end of the dictionary definition, "usually requires a lot of time," has been covered, but I want to emphasize that point. For all of our projects, students, staff, and faculty put in so much time and effort prior to Project Week. I encourage all of our students and project leaders to honor that time commitment by giving everything they have to the success of their project. I wrote about experiential learning being exhausting, but it's also engaging and exhilerating. I encourage everyone to stay focused on their specific purpose through the end of the week, including the Project Symposium, in order to get the most out of this program and to complete the project.

Experiential Learning is Exhausting, But In A Good Way

It's only Tuesday. I feel like I should be in the midst of a second Project Week, not just the second day of the week. But it's only Tuesday! How can I be this tired? Maybe it has something to do with a not-so-great-at-sleeping two year old, but my sleep functions have been calibrated to ignore that background noise for a while now. I think it has more to do with the fact that experiential learning is exhausting! Not the pulling an all-nighter while cramming for a test exhausting, although I do realize the irony of the timestamp at the bottom of this post. Rather, it's an exhaustion that comes from being turned on and tuned in for an entire day. It's an exhaustion that comes after spending a day focusing on a singular purpose. It's an exhaustion of satisfaction knowing that I have not wasted a day, but rather I have done something productive and worthwhile with my energy and time.

I know our students, faculty, and staff are feeling that exhaustion right now, too. I hear it from project leaders as groups return to campus each afternoon. I hear it from students as I read the blog posts each night. How many other days are our students begging to go to bed? And this thrills me! I'm excited because everyone's exhaustion means that we are fully engaging each day. We are using our minds and our muscles in the pursuit of learning, service, and creating. We are trying new things and stepping out of our comfort zones.

There is a danger, though, that we will let our exhaustion take over, that it will become our focus and our excuse instead of just a by-product of our output. Tuesday is over, and we have a choice to make. Will we let our excitement, purpose, and curiosity fade as we begin to think of the restful Spring Break looming on the horizon, or will we soldier on and continue to be inquisitive, thoughtful, and creative, all the while pushing the exhaustion to where it belongs, which is the end of each day?

It's only Tuesday.

My Project Week Is Mine, Not Yours

I often feel sorry for myself as the weeks prior to Project Week slip by and the excitement builds on campus. I'll admit it, I'm jealous of all my peers that get to co-lead such unique and interesting projects, a growing number of which are student inspired and created. I'm jealous of my friends that get to travel to Iceland, Italy, Nashville, DC, Seattle; and I'm super jealous of my wife who is spending the next 8 days in Vieques, Puerto Rico. I'm also jealous of my many peers and students who are spending the week building and creating stuff, a growing passion of mine. I really wish I could hone my archery skills, or my artistic skills, or even my writing, baking, and athletic skills. And let's not forget the adventure projects! What I would give for a week in the White Mountains or on the coast of Cali. Even my old friend Hans Mundahl is getting in on the action!

But then the first day of Project Week inevitably arrives, as it did today, and all the emails, meetings, and schedules fade into the past. My jealousy fades as well. It fades because I begin to remember that I have something that no one else has. Maybe I don't get to co-lead a project for the week. Maybe I don't get to travel to a far-off land. Maybe I don't get to build something with my hands this week. My unique experience is that I do get to be part of 27 different life-changing projects. I do get to see first hand the fruits of everyone's labors, the "A-Hah" moments of 300+ students, the support and strength of our community that makes this week the best week of the year. I do get to see faculty and students engage with a common purpose, learn by doing, and, maybe more importantly, by failing.

My Project Week experience is different than everyone else's, and I pray that your's is too. I hope that you find your own connections and purpose for Project Week, whether you're a student, teacher, staff member, parent, or alum. Take advantage of all that this week has to offer. Connect through social media. Challenge each other by asking tough questions, and then work with someone to find the answers. Generate ideas for new projects or for how to make this program better. Above all, take your passion, your newly developed interests, skills, or questions, and continue to search. Continue to learn. Continue to engage. Not just for Project Week, but for every week of every month of every year. You can't be an engaged global citizen or lifelong learner if you don't!

-J. Joslin