Experiential Learning

Trillium Academy’s intent with experiential learning is to implement a pedagogy of learning through skilled work that contributes to the development of skills foundational to a life of meaningful production and deeper understanding of self and others. 

In general, experiential learning takes many forms and has many names. As “hands-on learning,” it gives learners direct and immediate feedback from their environment (the materials they work with, the products they create). As “project-based” or “problem-based learning,” it requires problem-solving, collaboration, and effective communication. As “real world” learning, it provides students with skills and tools “as-needed,” helping them recognize the utility of these and letting them build a “toolbox” of their own as they tackle new challenges. 

Perhaps most importantly for Trillium Academy, experiential learning allows students several entryways into the curriculum so that they can come from a place of strength and personal interests. In other words, experiential learning creates opportunities for students to feel a genuine investment in the education available to them at school, which is often a critical need for 2e kids in order for them to feel motivated in their learning.

Experiential learning is integrated into much of what we do at Trillium, which sometimes generates spontaneous, student-centered or student-initiated learning opportunities, such as the new “cozy tent” designed and built by one of our middle schoolers because he saw a need, or the pottery corner in our Maker’s Space that has been built out as an applied math opportunity.

From a more formal, programmatic perspective, following are the designated Experiential Learning programs at Trillium Academy.

‍Wednesday Flex Days (all grades)

The intention of Wednesday Flex Days is to meet the needs of students in a variety of ways, offering co-curricular activities that provide opportunities to engage in community service, extended learning, societal engagement, and pursuit of special interests and passions. Each week, we move through a cycle of passion projects, academic enrichment and support, D&D, Pokemon, Magic the Gathering, and other social learning through games. On the first Wednesday of each month, we venture out on field trips, and on the last, we invite visiting experts in various fields to demonstrate their skills and share their professional experience. But our Flex Day programming also evolves based on student interest and feedback, and new offerings are being added regularly. For example, Sofia recently began offering cooking classes, and Matt Welsh will soon offer a game designing workshop (for middle and high schoolers) that will last three weeks.

There are a number of ways that Flex Days support our students’ learning goals: high school students may use large chunks of time on Flex days to advance their Praxis Projects, possibly even traveling off campus to meet with their Praxis Experts, who they may in fact meet in one of our visiting expert events. Students are often drawn to create their own cohorts organically around topics of interest, and Flex Days offer them the opportunity to do so. Students can also choose “study halls” on Flex Days (tech for study only) and can seek out the help of specific teachers. Whatever their need or passion, students can almost always find activities to enjoy and to be challenged by on Flex Days.

Explorations (grades 4-8)

2e children love playing with materials and ideas, and they often enjoy taking things apart, rearranging them, and making new things—both concrete and abstract. There is no better way to learn about the world around us than by trying things out. 

To support this curiosity and creativity, we offer our 4th - 8th graders opportunities for open-ended discovery and learning during project time on Wednesdays and during Explorations that take place during 6th period every day. These classes are areas of passion that teachers offer and students choose from to delve into for a period of about 8 weeks. These groups might visit the MakerSpace to use tools, the art room to try out new media, the kitchen to prepare a dish, or other spaces and resources to support their explorations. Besides participating in the Explorations program (and possibly inspired by what they discover there), middle school students will engage in “Passion Projects” during the second semester.

Some examples of Exploration classes we’ve had so far include:

  • Space Exploration
  • Green, Growing Things
  • Cooking
  • School Beautification
  • Crafting
  • Student Government & Civics
  • Bookworms

Offering students open-ended, partly self-guided, and interest-based learning opportunities brings them into the process as shapers of their own learning. 

Praxis Program (grades 9-12)

Each year, Trillium Academy high school students are invited to delve more deeply into disciplines they find fascinating and begin building expertise in those areas. This experiential learning program is called Praxis because students try things out in practice, both in the sense of discovery (“What does it mean to be a doctor, a chef, a video game reviewer?”) and in the sense of putting skills and knowledge to the test, for example, by creating a product that gives shape to an idea or concept (“Will my airplane fly if I build and test a  scale model of it?”).

The Praxis Support Team, made up of three Trillium Academy high school teachers with expertise in executive function, will provide students with the support and tools needed to stay organized and make steady progress toward completion of a year-long project. This includes significant guidance and scaffolding from teachers and other adults in the community, one of whom will be selected as a Praxis Expert for the project. Praxis Experts are professionals in fields and disciplines relevant to students’ projects who can offer their expertise to students.

From start to finish, students have Praxis Guides who collaborate with them and provide regular support for maintaining engagement, planning, organizing, and carrying out their Praxis Projects to completion. These guides are their regular advisor teachers who connect with and support students throughout the school year.

With help from the Support Team and their guides, students create a structured timeline for making progress with their project, from a starting idea to a reasonable and successful final product. Part of this is helping the student identify a developmentally appropriate amount of work so they can experience “productive struggle” throughout their project. We set aside blocks of time for this work on Flex Days, and that time can grow as needed as the year progresses in order to accommodate the ensuing research and development of projects, including travel off campus as needed to collaborate with Praxis Experts from the community. 

 The final phase of the Praxis Project is a presentation of students’ experiential learning. We emphasize that the majority of the Praxis Project work is focused on their learning. However, the presentation is a crucial final phase to communicate to peers, families, staff and faculty what the student learned and to celebrate their accomplishments.

Praxis Project Phases

  1. Research & Planning
  2. Application & Action
  3. Reflecting & Presenting

With special attention to the design, communication, and executive function skills needed to conduct a successful project, teachers, parents, and other community members are present to support students in their experiential learning endeavors. We are always seeking new experts from the community for our students, so please don’t hesitate to share any ideas with us.