Experiential Learning
Pursue interests and passions both inside and outside of the classroom.
Experiential education is a teaching and learning philosophy where students engage in academically rigorous, complex problems and face real-life challenges both on and off campus. It is an integral component of a St. Mark’s School education, preparing graduates with the knowledge and the agency to live healthy and robust lives rooted in leadership and service. Alumni, parents, and other experts partner with the School to bring their insights and experiences to campus and create field-learning opportunities.
Through the following Experiential Learning programs, students develop important social skills and self-awareness by learning from each other and by immersion in unfamiliar cultures and physical environments, where they are stretching beyond what they know and understand. The multitude of perspectives, pursuits, talents, and worldviews of the St. Mark’s student body enlivens experiential learning. The five pillars of this program are: promoting connections between peers and faculty; developing a growth mindset; engaging in citizenship; learning by doing; and prioritizing student choice.
St. Mark’s Saturdays
Saturday courses offer students and faculty an innovative opportunity to engage in relevant, interdisciplinary, immersive experiences over three seasons: Fall, Winter and Spring.
Lion Term
At the end of each school year, all students engage in a 10-day Form-based experiential learning course, titled Lion Term, that seeks to challenge students with a developmentally appropriate curriculum.
Service Learning and Community Engagement
Service Learning-Community Engagement (SLCE) is a form of experiential education where learning occurs through a cycle of action and reflection as students seek to achieve real objectives for and in the community, and deeper understanding and skills for themselves.
