1

Project Guide2013 – 2014

2

New Hampton School cultivates lifelong learners who will serve as active global citizens.

NEW HAMPTON SCHOOL’S MISSION STATEMENT

New Hampton School defines global citizenship as:

• Experiencing, exploring, and appreciating world cultures, traditions, histories, languages, and religions.

• Connecting to relevant economic, social, and political issues to gain a sense of international-mindedness.

• Engaging with real world issues to gain optimism, compassion, and empathy for individuals and communities that differ from those we know.

• Using analytical thinking and social skills to be creative and to communicate effectively through academics, athletics, artistic expression, and service.

• Increasing awareness of our relationship and responsibility to global sustainability.

Members of the New Hampton School Community demonstrate:

Respect: for self, others and New Hampton School by:• Working to our potential and making sound, healthy decisions.• Empathizing with others—exercising kindness and compassion and celebrating

differences as strengths.• Caring for our campus home and stewarding the School’s legacy.

Responsibility: to evolve, make positive decisions and contribute by:• Growing every day and taking full advantage of the many resources afforded by NHS.• Practicing honesty and integrity in all matters—always thinking before acting.• Contributing to all areas of school life—academics, athletics, residential, advisor group—in

order to foster a strong campus community and positively impact the world beyond our campus boundaries.

3

School Mission and Core Values .......................................................................................................2Welcome Letter ..................................................................................................................................5

PROJECT OFFERINGSOn-Campus Projects ..........................................................................................................................6Near-Campus Projects ................................................................................................................... 10Off-Campus Projects ...................................................................................................................... 11

PROJECT SELECTION PROCESSParental/Guardian Consent ............................................................................................................ 15Project Fair ...................................................................................................................................... 15Student Placement ......................................................................................................................... 16

Contents

4

Dear Students and Parents,

Many educators have recognized the value of experiential learning in a student’s formal education since the 1930s, although it is once again becoming a popular buzzword in school systems around the world. While others may be discovering experiential learning for the first time, New Hampton School has a deep tradition of experiential programs dating back to at least 1970, which is when the first formal Project Period was initiated. Other programs, such as Community Service Saturdays, the Senior Leadership Project (SLP), the Service Learning Capstone (SLC), the Sophomore Cooperative Expedition (Soph-X), and the Junior Urban Adventure (JUA), evolved out of and eventually replaced the original Project Period. Regardless of what the program has been called, experiential learning has been a vital component of a balanced New Hampton School education for over 40 years.

Last year, New Hampton returned to its experiential education roots by once again offering a project period in March. Project Week is a unique and valuable learning opportunity for students and faculty alike because everyone is able to concentrate their efforts on a project that is of interest to them. During Project Week, the entire community pauses from our daily routine of classes, co-curricular activities, and study hall to engage in experiential learning projects that would be challenging to pursue in the context of the regular school schedule. This year, Project Week will run from March 3 through March 8, 2014, preceding our two-week spring vacation.

When I assumed a new role as the Director of Experiential Learning last year, I knew that Project Week could be a singularly defin-ing moment in the educational experience of many of our students. What I did not anticipate was how quickly this program would transform our entire community and tighten an already close-knit culture through the exploration and sharing of deep and profound experiences. Project Week was a tremendous success last year because faculty and students saw the value of the opportunities that were available, bought in to dreaming, planning, and implementing sound educational experiences to rigorously investigate an essential question, and willingly shared their experiences through a variety of media and the culminating Project Symposium.

This year, students will once again engage in self-directed learning, and they will self reflect about the process, experience, and out-comes of their project throughout the week using a variety of social media. You can follow all of this year’s projects and review posts from last year’s projects at nhsprojectweek.blogspot.com. On Twitter, you can search tweets using the #nhsprojectweek hash tag, and I post important information, project updates, and photos under the @NHSProjectWeek handle. You may also join us for the Project Symposium in the New Hampton School Lower Gymnasium on Saturday, March 8, to meet and talk with our students as they share their experiences. This Project Guide contains descriptions of the projects that have been proposed by both students and faculty, an outline of how these projects were developed, and an explanation of how students will be placed in a project. We recognize that there are truly exceptional educational opportunities that will take some of our students and faculty away from campus. Though we fully support the pursuit of these opportunities, students and their families may be asked to cover the additional cost of these trips. We are planning three tiers of projects for our students and families to consider: (1) on-campus projects using existing resources and materials with limited travel that have an estimated cost of $0-300; (2) near-campus projects needing some additional resources (such as materials, transportation, or lodging) that have an estimated cost of $0-1,000; and (3) off-campus projects requiring significant travel and lodging that have an esti-mated cost of $1,000-3,500. Some of the proposed projects in this guide may not occur due to low student interest, significant increas-es in cost, or changing travel conditions. In such cases, we will do our best to place students in another project of their choice.

Project Week is mandatory for all students, and participation is a graduation requirement for each year a student is enrolled at New Hampton. Although some projects may be serviced-based, New Hampton School still requires all underclassmen to participate in Ser-vice Learning Saturdays and all seniors and postgraduates to complete an SLC project prior to graduation.

We are very excited to see the ideas and issues that our students pursue this March, to hear their incredible stories, and to share their amazing experiences with all of you. Please contact me with questions or comments, and we look forward to your support as we con-tinue to strengthen the tradition of Project Week at New Hampton School.

Sincerely,

Justin C. JoslinDirector of Experiential LearningTel: 603-677-3504jjoslin@newhampton.orgTwitter: @NHSProjectWeek

November 2013

5

Project Offerings

6

On-Campus ProjectsThe majority of this year’s projects will be on campus and will have no additional cost for our students. These projects are designed to give students the maximum amount of time to delve into their project’s topic or issue with minimal or no cost. These projects will take place either entirely on New Hampton School’s campus or at local destinations. Students participating in these projects will sleep in campus housing and eat most of their meals at the dining hall. The maximum additional cost for on-campus projects is $300.

COMFORTING CHaDLocation: New Hampton SchoolCost: $0Essential Question: Can quilting be a community building activity that brings a small community together to aid a big cause?Description: CHaD stands for The Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth-Hitchcock. The hospital has several primary and specialty care locations all around New Hampshire and provides children with care ranging from routine well-care visits to the most challenging childhood diseases. The mission of Comforting CHaD is to bring a little comfort to those children who must stay in the hospital and to learn a skill while helping. Our goal is to use sewing machines and hand sewing techniques to make fun blankets for the children and deliver them to the hospital. We will shop for materials, make a plan, learn how to use patterns, learn how to use sewing machines and hand sewing techniques. Students will also close the circle of learning and giving by delivering their handmade blankets to the hospital. Children’s hospitals across the country make great strides to have their hospitals warm and caring environments. Bright colors, toys, games, books, and smiles help those children feel more secure, but they are still in a hospital bed when they lay down to go to sleep. Comforting CHaD hopes to provide a soft warm sense of home for those children and a gift that shows the families that people care.

CRIMINAL JUSTICELocation: New Hampton SchoolCost: $0Essential Question: What are our pre-conceived notions of the Criminal Justice system and are they accurate? How does the criminal justice system actually work, and does it work FOR the people most affected —those charged, convicted and sentenced?Description: Is what we see in the media (news, TV shows and movies) accurate? Is there always a clear “good guy” and “bad guy”? What is life like on the “inside”? What is the reality? Project week will give us an opportunity to learn more about the legal road that is traveled when people are charged and convicted and sentenced. Each day of the week, we will focus in on a different sub-question to further develop our response to the essential questions. We will meet with lawyers, both defense and prosecution. We will talk with inmates about their experience behind bars and their plans for life outside. We will tour correctional facilities and speak with the men and women in charge of life on the “inside.” Through this project, we will work at having a better understanding of the criminal justice system. We will compare what we see and experience with samples of movies and TV shows and other media centered around our subject (Law and Order, Dead Man Walking, Criminal Minds). Others will be able to follow our discoveries and observations via daily posts on our group blog. Students will each post a discovery per day. During the course of our project, myths will be busted, questions will be answered, and your perspective will be validated or totally changed. Is it really criminal justice?

7

FOOD + MOVEMENT= HEALTH AND HAPPINESS (F+M=H2)Location: New Hampton SchoolCost: $0Essential Question: How can you incorporate different foods and exercises into your life to positively affect your health and happiness?Description: Do you know exactly what you put into your body and how it affects your well being? What kind of ex-ercises do you enjoy the most that you make a part of your regular routine? We are going to spend the week eating a Whole-Food Plant-based diet (which will not include meat or dairy foods), sampling different kinds of exercise routines (including but not limited to cardio, strength training, and yoga), and learning from people, movies, and pre-sentations about the food industry. We will write daily about what we’re experiencing and spend time breaking down myths about the food we consume.Participants must be physically able to sustain an exercise routine for 30-60 minutes at a time. Potential risks include injuries from physical activities. In addition, students will be expected to follow the suggested dietary guide-lines for the duration of Project Week. All allergies will be taken into consideration.

INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE EXTENDED ESSAYLocation: New Hampton SchoolCost: $0Essential Question: Is it possible to write an extended essay in one week?Description: The extended essay is a required component of the IB Diploma Programme, but many students do not find the time to write it during the fall of their senior year. NHS is offering the opportunity for IB students to write their essay during Project Week. We will begin by discussing the research process, research skills and how to write. Students will spend the week working on their essays. At the end of the week, students will have produced a second draft of their essay and will be prepared to submit their essay to IB during the spring. Although most of the project will take place in the ARC, we will be taking several trips around NH to meet with librarians and to acquire research materials. This project is open to full IB students only. Students MUST submit their idea for an essay to Ms. Cas-cadden at least two weeks prior to the beginning of Project Week so that we can plan research trips.

MAKING A MOCKUMENTARYLocation: New Hampton SchoolCost: $0Essential Question: How do you show satire of a topic through film?Description: Do you enjoy making fun of things, particularly in creative and unorthodox ways? In response to the earnestness of documentaries, filmmakers have long produced mockumentaries, which utilize fictional events por-trayed in a documentary style to create a satire or a parody. Prominent examples include films such as Best in Show and This is Spinal Tap as well as the popular television shows Parks and Recreation and Reno 911!. We will stay on New Hampton’s campus and create a mockumentary about some aspect of New Hampton life, left up to the choos-ing of the students in the project.

NHS GREENHOUSELocation: New Hampton SchoolCost: $0Essential Question: What are the limitations to growing food year-round in New Hampshire and how can a hoop house help address this issue? Why is it important to know how to grow your own food?Description: How often do you think about where your food comes from? Did you know that your food choices can have a greater impact on climate change than your vehicle use? Would you like to build something that will have a lasting impact on NHS and influence the education and lives of future Huskies? Join us in building New Hampton School’s first hoop house (kind of like a greenhouse). Students will participate in siting, building, and planning for the use of the hoop house while exploring many topics relating to food and gardening. We will explore how to grow food in New England, the benefits of local food, and how a hoop house can be used to extend the growing season in New Hampshire. Eating and enjoying food will, no doubt, be part of this experience. A field trip to UNH’s MacFarlane Greenhouse Facility will inspire and educate us about the endless possibilities for how our hoop house can be used at an educational institution. We will be working outside during March so exposure to cold temperatures is a potential risk. In addition, students will be using construction tools when building the hoop house and will need to exercise caution.

8

ROBOTICSLocation: New Hampton SchoolCost: $0Essential Question: In robotics, what are the necessary skills to create a machine that will follow orders (either programmed or on- the- fly) to successfully achieve a pre- determined goal?Description: Robotics is a project learning the components of robotics using the FIRST FTC components and guidelines. Students will design, construct, and analyze their own robot while learning basic robotics programming for both manual and autonomous control. There is no prior experience necessary. Additional features of the project could include tours of MIT’s robotics department and/or the MIT museum, a trip to the FIRST headquarters to learn about the expectations of their programs, and a visit to another school to see their team in action.

THE BUSINESS OF UPCYCLINGLocation: New Hampton SchoolCost: $0Essential Question: How do I design a functional and marketable product from materials that are often considered waste?Description: Taking a cue from Hipcycle, whose “…mission is to offer upcycled alternatives to traditional home décor, jewelry and fashion as a way to reduce global waste,” students will learn to see the potential in things we consider waste. Before Project Week, we will collect the materials needed in order to design, execute, and produce a final upcycled piece. The final product needs to be functional and sellable. Students need to pre-plan what they are making, taking into consideration their target market, their available resources, time constraints, and their own abilities. Some examples of what can be made from simple “trash” items are purses and wallets made from plarn, soda tabs, or candy wrappers, trashcans made from magazines, or vases made from light bulbs. The options are limited only by the students’ creativity.

MAKE A SCI-FI ACTION MOVIELocation: New Hampton SchoolCost: $30Essential Question: How do you bring an idea to the screen?Description: This project will explore how action films are made by writing, planning, shooting, and editing a short action film. We will learn the basics of fight choreography, special effects, acting, storyboarding and foley. Exten-sion activities could include helping on a local film set or visiting film schools in Boston. Lights, camera, action!

BECOME A LIFEGUARDLocation: Laconia, NHCost: $50Essential Question: How should I respond in an emergency to keep people safe? What am I going to do this summer?Description: Every summer thousands of teenagers take the stand at beaches and pools nationwide in order to protect patrons cooling off. They are all trained in specific water rescues, emergency preparedness, and prevention. New Hampton wants to offer students this training at a discounted rate. If you feel compelled to diligently protect swimmers and earn a little cash this summer, this week-long training could be a good fit. At the end of this training, students will be American Red Cross Lifeguards as well as American Red Cross Professional Rescuers. Most days will be between the water learning skills and in the classroom preparing for the end-of-course exam.Participants must be at least 16 and able to swim 300 yards, tread water for 3 minutes, and rescue a 12-pound brick from the bottom of the pool.

HUSKY HIGH ALTITUDE BALLOONLocation: New Hampton SchoolCost: $70Essential Question: What are conditions like at the edge of space?Description: Were you inspired by Felix Baumgartner’s death-defying descent from the edge of space back to Earth? Do you want to investigate the far reaches of our atmosphere? Are you mechanically inclined, interested in engineering, or like to solve technical/scientific problems? If so, this is the project for you. Work with your partners to design, build, launch, and recover a high-altitude weather balloon equipped with a camera and GPS. Capture pictures of the curvature of the Earth’s surface and see into near outer space with off-the-shelf devices and compo-nents. Use the GPS capabilities that you installed to track and recover the remains of the balloon after it has fallen back to Earth.

9

THE ART AND SCIENCE OF BAKINGLocation: New Hampton SchoolCost: $80Essential Question: What ingredients and techniques produce the best baked goods?Description: Ever wonder how to make the perfect cookie? Should it be crunchy or chewy? How do you make a perfectly moist and fluffy cake? Join The Science of Baking and find out how ingredients and procedures affect the final dessert. Experiment with cookies, cake, pie, and biscuits. In addition to creating our own confections here on campus, we will venture out to the larger community and speak with the owners of bakeries and restaurants to find out how they make all of their sweet treats. We will also discuss alternative recipes to make desserts healthier and accessible to people with a variety of dietary needs. We will, of course, sample our own work to make sure it is deli-cious, but we will also donate sweets to the local food pantry and prepare samples for the symposium on Saturday.

FREEZE FRAMELocation: New Hampton SchoolCost: $175Essential Question: What does it take to be a professional studio photographer?Description: In this project we will explore all the aspects of studio photography. We’ll learn how to set up and use the basic gear, the technical aspects of light, methods of lighting single portraits and groups of people, as well as how to photograph food and products. We’ll cover the details of running a photography business. We’ll work with professional photographers throughout the week, both on campus and in their studios. You will be using your camera all week, collaborating and creating your own images. By then end of the week you will have new skills and a portfolio of work.Each student must have a DSLR camera to use in order to participate in this project.

PROJECT FLIGHTLocation: New Hampton SchoolCost: $230Essential Question: What are the scientific and mechanical principles that govern the flight of an aircraft?Description: From the beginning of time, people have gazed up at the birds and dreamed of conquering the air and freeing themselves from the natural limits that bind them to the earth. From kites to gliders to the first sustained flight in an airplane, every step was a journey into the unknown. That vast and undiscovered country which inspires human kind to seek new frontiers no matter what the cost. Further, faster, and higher, each new aeronautical con-cept was born of a vision to try something that had never been tried before and might never succeed. And as the boundaries of flight were pushed above and beyond the limits of the past, so too were the limits of human endur-ance, bravery and imagination. Students will explore the properties of flight. We will follow in the footsteps of those before us and start small with paper gliders, learning basic principles of aerodynamics and flight controls. We will then explore on a larger scale with Remote Controlled airplanes, learning the stick and rudder skills to control an airfoil moving through the air. The week will be completely dedicated to all aspects of flight, from origami gliders, paper airplanes, balsa-wood elastic-propelled gliders, to remote-controlled airplanes, and possibly riding in a single engine airplane. The students will learn all aspects of the aviation world.

10

Near-Campus ProjectsProject Week offers students and faculty the unique opportunity to explore in more depth the fascinating and diverse region that is New England. There are varieties of projects that look to branch out from New Hampton School to take advantage of all that this region has to offer. From its history and culture, to its environment and natural resources, and from its urban centers to its rural regions, New England provides a host of experiential educational opportunities. The near-campus projects will use the New Hampton School campus as a launching point to explore New England. Some projects will leave for a night to interview professionals in Boston, while others will spend the entire week engaging in service learning on the coast of Maine. New Hampton has offset the cost of most of these projects, but some will require an additional fee to meet lodging, transportation, and food costs. The maximum additional cost for near-campus projects is $500.

KIDS HELPING KIDS–VERMONTLocation: Westminster, VermontCost: $0Essential Question: The history of Kurn Hattin Homes began in the late 1800s with a mission to help boys and girls “who needed a secure place to live, go to school, and grow up to become happy, productive adults.” Given all we now have over 100 years later, are there still children in need or orphans who could be cared for in a nurturing rural setting?Description: “Kids Helping Kids” participants will assist other teens in the farmlands of Vermont. Driving from New Hampton to Brattleboro, Vermont, this group will spend two days enjoying the sights and sounds of southern Ver-mont and three days at the Kurn Hattin Homes for Children. Using journalism techniques, students will investigate how this institution, which began in the early 1800s, evolved into a 21st-century educational facility with the same initial mission and core values from its beginning. An emphasis of this trip is service to others, particularly teens in need. Work at a soup kitchen as well as Kurn Hattin is scheduled to coincide with fun in Vermont.

WINTER EXPEDITION (WINTER-X)Location: White Mountains, New HampshireCost: $150Essential Question: What are my strengths and weaknesses as a leader of my peers?Description: “Break clear away, once in awhile, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean.” – John Muir. Do you crave adventure and a chance to experience the wild beauty of the mountains? Do you want an opportunity to pause and reflect? The wilderness expedition project will heed the words of John Muir and spend a week in the woods. The goal of this project is not to hike long miles, or carry heavy packs, but rather to see what the mountains can teach us. No prior experience is necessary.

MOUNTAIN MECHANICSLocation: New Hampton School and Jay Peak, VermontCost: $380Essential Question: What does it take for a ski resort to be profitable and functional throughout the year? What goes on “behind the scenes” at ski resorts that allows people to enjoy such a wonderful experience?Description: Every winter New Englanders head up to their local ski resort in search of fresh air, adventure, and challenging trails. Have you ever wondered who keeps these resorts functioning? In this project, students will observe and participate in various roles associated with a ski resort. Students will interview park rangers, mountain administrators, ski patrol, snow making operators, and event coordinators in hopes of gaining a better understand-ing on how a ski resort functions throughout the year. Students will explore various resorts in the White Mountains and will have the opportunity to take an overnight trip to Jay Peak, Vermont. Students will document their experi-ences through video edits, journals and an online blog.Participants should be intermediate skiers and snowboarders, have their own gear (including helmet), and have a basic understanding of mountain safety/etiquette.

11

Off-Campus ProjectsWe recognize that there are exceptional experiential learning opportunities that can only take place far from our quaint campus in the heart of rural New Hampshire. To further New Hampton School’s mission of creating global citizens, sometimes we need to travel throughout our vast and diverse country or even across oceans to distant lands. While these projects will undoubtedly offer unique and memorable learning experiences, they do carry an additional cost to cover their associated logistical needs. The maximum additional cost for off-campus projects is $3,500.

MAKING IT IN BOSTONLocation: Boston, MassachusettsCost: $900Essential Question: How do different professionals establish a successful career in Boston?Description: Want to view Boston from a professional perspective? We will spend three days meeting and experi-encing the nuances of Boston with NHS alums who are successful professionals in the areas of arts, business, and education. The fourth day will be devoted to college visits of your choice, e.g. Boston University, Boston College, Northeastern, etc. We will explore daily life in Boston and enjoy a theater production and other events in the eve-ning.

WHAT IS AN AMERICAN?Location: Washington, DCCost: $900Essential Question: What does it mean to be an American?Description: The participants of this project will look at both the history and culture of the US and visit places like the Smithsonian Museums, a theatre performance, a professional sporting event, a visit to American University or Georgetown, a restaurant tour, a visit to a Congressman or Congresswoman’s office, a tour of Arlington National Cemetery, and maybe a trip to a local civil war battle field like Manassas, Virginia, where the first battle of the Civil War was fought.This project will depart Sunday, March 3rd in the afternoon, which is a day earlier than other projects.

CREATING MUSIC IN A PROFESSIONAL RECORDING STUDIOLocation: San Francisco, CaliforniaCost: $1,350Essential Question: How does the deeper understanding of the music making process and the music recording process prepare students for possible career choices and life-long involvement in the arts?Description: Students will travel to San Francisco, California (Bay Area) to record music at the Sea Change Studio on 9th in Berkeley. Students will spend 15 hours in the studio working with professionals exploring the ins and outs of the recording business while recording three to five tracks to present to our school community. Students will doc-ument their work through social media, the project blog, and will create an iMovie that captures their experiences. The recordings will be featured on the New Hampton School website and will be used in admissions materials to re-cruit new musicians to Husky nation. When not in the studio, students will explore everything San Francisco has to offer. We will be going to see the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, Lombard Street, Haight-Ashbury, Pier 39 and more.

12

BLACK GOLDLocation: Managua, NicaraguaCost: $1,900Essential Question: Where does our coffee come from?Description: As part of an interdisciplinary course being offered this fall, the Black Gold class will be taking a trip to Nicaragua to study everything coffee, from the science of how it is grown to the economic and social effects that coffee has on the local communities. Students will visit a 1,000 acre, hydro-electric powered coffee farm near Matagalpa. They will meet with members of CECOCAFEN, a Fair Trade coffee cooperative, to discuss the impor-tance of farm diversification, cooperative farming, and fair trade practices. Students will also be able to tour the city of Granada and visit the Masaya volcano. We are proud to partner with current board member Rick Peyser, who is the Director of Social Advocacy and Coffee Community Outreach at Green Mountain Coffee, on this exciting and unique project. Rick will be joining our students on this project to lend his time and expertise.Because this is an international trip, risks associated with international travel apply.

MENTAL TOUGHNESSLocation: Sarasota, FloridaCost: $2,000Essential Question: How will an athlete develop into a whole person by becoming mentally, physically and emotion-ally tougher?Description: IMG Academy is a private athletic training institute for youth, high school, collegiate and professional athletes located in Florida. The academy offers programs for tennis, golf, baseball, basketball, lacrosse, soccer, football, and athletic and personal development. Students in this project will train with professional instructors at the IMG facilities for three full days. Morning sessions will include strength and conditioning, mental toughness, and team building strategies. Athletes in the afternoon session will split up depending on their respective sports and train specifically for them. Accommodations and meals will be provided on-site at IMG in order to maximize training and instruction time. We will depart Sunday, March 2nd.

PROJECT ADVENTURELocation: Moab, UtahCost: $2,000Essential Question: Is there a connection between trying new things and being adventurous and succeeding in our daily lives?Description: Have you ever pushed yourself to try a new and adventurous activity in the outdoors? What skills will you need to survive and thrive in the wilderness? How can the skills you learn in the desert of Moab, Utah be applied to your daily life? This trip will be an opportunity to learn many outdoor skills, to work together as a team to camp, hike, raft, and explore. A typical day for this project may include: rafting down the Colorado River, mountain biking the Slick Rock Trail, rappelling into desert canyons and exploring the national parks surrounding Moab, Utah. If you enjoy the outdoors, are excited to try something new, are willing to push yourself to new limits, and would like to experience all the beauty of the Moab desert, this is the trip for you.Since the group will be participating in various outdoor activities, there will be risks associated with them, however on high-risk activities such as white water rafting and canyoneering, there will be certified guides leading the group.

13

PAVING PARADISE: AN EXPLORATION OF THE HISTORY, CULTURE, AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDSLocation: Oahu, HawaiiCost: $2,000Essential Question: What happens when cultures collide? Description: Ever wonder how Hawaii, a string of small Pacific islands over 2,000 miles from San Francisco, be-came the nation’s 50th state? Want to know where World War II truly started for the United States? Curious what a humuhumunukunukuapua’a is? This project will seek answers to these questions and many more in the land com-monly known as “paradise.” Students will trace the progress of culture on the islands from its origins as independent chiefdoms to its current status as a diverse state heavily reliant on tourism. We will investigate aspects of Hawaiian culture, including the ancient Hawaiian language, the hula dance, and the role of surfing, as well as learn about the land itself and its volcanic origins. Students will learn about the cultural and political effects of European and American missionaries on the islanders, and they will visit Pearl Harbor and learn about the role of the Unites States military in the islands’ history. After tracing the islands’ timeline with excursions all over the island of Oahu, students will conclude the trip with an investigation of the benefits of and problems with the state’s reliance on tourism and commercial development. Come experience the natural beauty, the sunshine, and the rich history of the Hawaiian Islands on the Paving Paradise trip. Aloha!This trip will leave campus on the morning of Sunday, March 2 and return on the evening of Saturday, March 8.

SERVICE LEARNING IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLICLocation: Rio San Juan, Dominican RepublicCost: $2675Essential Question: How are children in the Dominican Republic caught in a cycle of poverty, and what can be done to break the cycle? Description: In the Dominican Republic, youth between the ages of 10-24 make up 30% of the population. In terms of education, roughly 22,000 of youth ages 10-14 do not attend school and another 69,000 ages 15-24 are unable to read and write. Those that do attend school are a product of the poor education system, which is plagued by limited supplies, lack of qualified teachers, and a high level of dropouts. The EF DREAM Public School Initiative embraces a collaborative approach to supporting underfunded public schools all over the Dominican Republic. This objective is accomplished through infrastructure improvements, quality educational programs, environmental awareness and cultural exchange. Students will travel to Rio San Juan, Dominican Republic and work directly with school-aged children at the DREAM project location. Students will participate in infrastructure projects, which not only benefit the direct community, but also help to install a value of education. Students will also provide ESL workshops to school-aged Dominican children. The program is created on a platform based on mutual respect for cultural diversity, language appreciation, and a variety of cultural exchange opportunities that will allow both international and local students to flourish as global citizensAs with any international travel expedition, certain risks apply.

IRELANDLocation: Killarney and Dublin, IrelandCost: $2,800Essential Question: How have the Irish preserved their culture throughout history?Description: Ireland has a deep and storied history full of literature, art, and conflict. Throughout Ireland’s long his-tory, the Irish have maintained their self-identity and their unique culture. This project will explore the history of Irish culture while experiencing the people and places of this European island nation firsthand. Students and faculty will join a tour operated by EF Educational Tours, and they will visit many historical places in Ireland such as the Blarney Stone, the Ring of Kerry, Cashel Rock, the Book of Kells at Trinity College, and St. Patrick’s Cathedral. The tour will explore in depth the cities of Killarney and Dublin, and students will have the opportunity to interview local people to gain a deeper perspective on Irish culture and history. We will depart Sunday, March 2 and return on Saturday, March 8. Because this is an international trip, risks associ-ated with international travel apply.

14

Project Selection Process

15

Project ProposalsThis fall, faculty and students were given the opportunity to develop project ideas that they are passionate about through a proposal process. It was required that the following information be provided in the project proposals:

• A title

• An essential question to be investigated or pursued

• Names of faculty sponsors or proposers willing to lead the project

• Project logistics, including location, transportation, housing, and materials needs

• An estimated per student project cost

• A description of how the experiences or learned outcomes of the students will be shared with the greater New Hampton School community.

Project proposals were submitted to the Direct of Experiential Learning and were thoroughly reviewed by at least three members of the Project Week Committee, which included members of the teaching faculty, the Dean of Faculty, and representatives from the Academic, Admissions, Alumni & Development, Business, and Commu-nications offices. Each project received a specific recommendation from the reviewers, and the remaining mem-bers of the committee were given the opportunity to comment on each project. Based on this review process, the Director of Experiential Learning and the Dean of Faculty made the final approval decision for each project.

Project FairThe community will gather between the Thanksgiving and Winter Breaks to participate in a Project Fair. The purpose of the fair is to connect project proposers with potential student participants. You, students and par-ents, have been given this Project Guide in advance of the Project Fair to learn of the potential opportunities students have for Project Week. Please read the this guide thoroughly over the Thanksgiving Holiday and use the information in it to have a conversation with each other, students and parents, to see which projects are viable options, specifically in terms of costs and logistics. During the Project Fair, students will circulate through the Dining Hall to interview the various project proposers, which may consist of faculty and other students, to gather more information. They will also be given the opportunity to generate new ideas in the event that more projects are needed. After the Project Fair, students will submit their top three project choices to via an online survey to the Director of Experiential Learning. This Project Guide will be made available to the parents via the Weekly Parent E-Newsletter and the Parent Portal on the New Hampton School website to ensure that they will be better informed about the available project options. It will also be posted on the Project Week blog and the Experiential Learning page on New Hampton School’s website.

16

Student PlacementUpon their return to New Hampton School after the Thanksgiving break, and after students have participated in the Project Fair, students will be asked to prioritize their top 3 project choices. Seniors will be given prior-ity during project placement because this is the last or only year they will have the opportunity to participate in Project Week. Priority for available positions within projects will then be given to juniors, sophomores, and freshmen, respectively. Though every attempt will be made to place each student in a project that he or she is passionate about or interested in, we cannot guarantee that this will happen in every case. We encourage under-classmen to prioritize at least some on-campus projects as we anticipate that many off-campus projects will be filled by upperclassmen.

Parental ConsentStudents are expected to initiate a conversation about Project Week with their parents or guardians over the Thanksgiving break. Parents will be able to review the available Project Week options via the Project Guide to help them make a decision concerning their children’s participation in any given project. If more information is needed about a project, parents may contact the Director of Experiential Learning:

Justin Joslin603-677-3504jjoslin@newhampton.org

After students are placed in a project, parents will be requested to electronically sign a letter of consent to in-dicate that they give thier child permission to participate in that specific project. Please consider the estimated additional cost and logistics of each project before giving your child permission to participate in a project. If this electronic signature is not completed, a student may not be able to participate in their assigned project. This specifically applies to near-campus and off-campus projects and projects that have an additional fee.

17

NEW HAMPTON SCHOOL