Professional Associations Archives

Walking With Elders

Posted onFebruary 7February 6AuthorVicki Weeks

As part of developing the Global Service Learning program at Lakeside School, we took a group of middle school students to the Makah Indian Reservation in Neah Bay, Washington for a two week project. Because it was summer and many of the young people in the community were away visiting relatives, we mostly interacted and worked with tribal elders. We learned songs, stories and games, delved into the whaling controversy, helped transcribe language tapes, gathered medicinal plants, and prepared for their annual festival. Lovely connections arose between the students and their Makah teachers. During a reflection at the end of the trip, one of the boys looked up from his journal and said: “How come we don’t have elders? We just have old people!”

First Nations Elders welcome us with song

I have thought of that moment and the ensuing conversation about what the difference is, and how we can change our perception and treatment of “old people” to honor them as elders in our community for the wisdom, experience, and lessons they have to teach us. Thus, it was with great anticipation that I traveled to Victoria, B.C. for ISEEN’s Winter institute with the theme Walking With Elders. Throughout the four days of learning, networking and celebrating, 150 educators explored what it means to have elders, to be elders, to mentor and to seek mentorship. First Nations elders told stories, sang songs, and introduced themselves by way of the land that is their mother. We learned from the students and faculty at St. Michaels University School who shared their experiential programs — from film making to salmon studies to coffee roasting to serving food to converting an automobile engine to making cedar bracelets. We took risks, shared stories about our school programs, practiced reflection techniques, and enjoyed the beautiful environment in and around Victoria.

The World According to Garv

The theme really resonated with me, as I move into elderhood and become more comfortable with standing in my own truth, claiming the life experience I have, and offering to share it with others. It was also very meaningful to be around the First Nations elders who speak at a different cadence, allow for silence and the stretching of time, and share their commitment to teaching young people the old ways. At the same time, there were particular people there who mentored me by example and story, and I loved gobbling up their wisdom. Dave Mochel, who works with people to manage stress, led us in a series of mindfulness practices, reminding us it only takes 15 seconds to change the energy in a room, get everyone grounded and ready for the next activity. James Toole, long a leader in the Service Learning movement, demonstrated his work with young people around the world to harness their “Superpowers” to solve problems that gnaw at them. And Dan Garvey, a guru in Experiential Education through his work at Prescott College and Semester at Sea, regaled us in a small group session with “The World According to Garv” which I took to heart and share with you here:

1. APPRECIATE YOUR STUDENTS.

When we see them as co-creators of the learning, amazing things can happen.

2. ASSUME POSITIVE INTENT.

Understand that administrators are not your enemy, and you will have much better success if you see that they are on your side.

3. AVOID THE DRAMA.

Enough said.

4. PACE YOURSELF.

Decide what’s most important to you — People, Purpose, or Place, and make decisions accordingly to avoid burnout and/or resentment.

5. PLAN YOUR EXIT.

Know when it’s time to go, and recognize that “your competence is your tenure in life.”

This network of Experiential Educators

It was a magical whirlwind of time among people who value experiential education and are committed to bringing it to students and schools. I felt equally inspired by people who were new to the work as by masters who have been living the pedagogy for decades. As we were challenged to bring one thing home we wanted more of in our life and commit to doing that thing, I chose singing and took the risk to lead a call and response chant I learned from one of my yoga teachers at the end of the institute: Lokaa Samasta Sukhino Bhavantu: May all beings everywhere be happy and free from suffering. It seemed a fitting way to end a magical time in a beautiful place, and I offer it to you now.

Partnerships

Posted onDecember 12AuthorVicki Weeks

If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” — an African proverb

I love this quote in spite of its unknown origins and somewhat vague reference to an entire continent rather than a specific person, country or culture. I like it because it is one of my core beliefs. People need each other. We hunger for connection. We do better when we work together. We are meant to exist in groups and can accomplish so much more in teams than we ever could on our own. For many of us, myself included, it is simply way more fun!

Purpose group in Peru

That is why, as a consultant, I am constantly seeking people with whom to partner. When I work with a school or other educational organization, I consider our time together co-creative and hopefully mutually beneficial. I look for organizations not only to hire me to add value to their work, but who truly want to share power, responsibility, and rewards. I serve on boards of organizations I believe in so I can feel part of something greater than my own individual company.

ISEEN board retreat in New York

I would like to highlight two particular partners in this post. The first is the board of the Independent Schools Experiential Education Network (ISEEN), an organization whose mission is “transformative teaching and learning in an interconnected world.” Chairing this board is a rich, rewarding, exciting endeavor, even when we are wrestling with challenging issues and moving into uncharted territory. All of the board members are engaged, hard-working people with full time jobs and busy lives, yet they volunteer their time to attend meetings, create strategic plans, work out minute details of budgeting and finance, and manage to have a good time doing it! I am so grateful to know each and every one of them, and to chair the board during this time of tremendous growth. Though I have a title, we function with a shared leadership model and as a true team. I look forward to the annual Winter Institute for program directors and administrators, Summer Institute for classroom teachers, and our new initiatives for regional meetings and an international institute. In all of these cases, we partner with local schools and community organizations to create our offerings.

Collaborating with Ross Wehner in Peru

The second is World Leadership School, an organization that seeks to “empower young leaders to find innovative solutions to the world’s pressing problems, by partnering with K-12 schools to make the shift to 21st century learning.” I have worked with them as a trip leader on both student and faculty trips, leader trainings, and other initiatives as they evolve such as TabLabs. I am currently partnered with Ross Wehner, World Leadership School Founder, on a project to create curriculum based on Purpose for schools. At the same time, I am working with Shayna Cooke, Director of Educator Development, on an excursion in the Peruvian Andes where teachers will explore innovative educational practices and create their own projects to bring home to their own schools. You can read more about it here: we’d love to have you join us!

On a student trip to Peru

Why do I love partnerships? Maybe growing up in a family of six children had something to do with it, maybe it’s my extroverted personality, maybe all those years of going to summer camp, and maybe a combination of all these things; it doesn’t really matter. What matters is that I love working in teams and feel energized, fortunate and happy when I find people and organizations interested in these kinds of generative partnerships.

Purpose and Reflection

Posted onJune 2AuthorVicki Weeks

It is June. School is out or almost out for the summer. Educators and students are looking forward to time off to reflect, refresh, and rejuvenate. We have different ways of doing so, but for all of us, it is crucial time away from school that allows us to return in the fall ready for more. Even if we work or attend school in the summer, there is simply an alternate pace to summer, more time outside, a rhythm that invites us to slow down and tune into something besides the busyness of school life.

Last year’s ISEEN Summer Institute Crew

The first thing I am excited to delve deeply into this summer is the Independent Schools Experiential Education (ISEEN) teacher institute in Santa Fe in mid-June. Educators from various parts of the world will come together to explore what it means to bring experiential pedagogy into classroom practice. Working in small subject-area cohorts, educators will have the chance to share ideas, learn from experienced facilitators, and develop lesson plans that will enhance their classroom practice. All in the stunning Southwest setting. This is the third year of this institute, and if past years are any indication, it will be a wonderful time of conversation, regional exploration, deep dives into classroom practice, and a lot of laughter. I can’t wait!

Our Purpose Logo

In July I am thrilled to return to Andean Peru, one of my favorite spots on the planet, to spend 10 days with another group of educators from around the globe. This time I will co-facilitate a course on the subject of Purpose — how we discover and deepen our understanding of a significant goal outside of ourselves that motivates us to action. We will use the Sacred Valley of the Inca as our lab to explore our calling, our deepest reason for our vocation: as Frederick Buechner says, “where our greatest joy meets the world’s greatest need.”

As we examine our own sense of purpose, we will create ways to help students find theirs. I am looking forward to being with other courageous educators and my friend and collaborator Ross Wehner of World Leadership School, learning about life in the Andes, cultural and educational practices, and ourselves. I predict this experience will be as profound as the one I had last summer on an educator course in Nepal: I really love seeing the impact of this kind of work!

So, whatever your plans are for the summer, I wish you reflection, relaxation, time with loved ones, and whatever you need to re energize you for another year of learning! Take care of yourself, and enjoy every minute.

Inspiring Talks and Walks

Posted onApril 13April 19AuthorVicki Weeks

As an experiential educator and someone who has always learned best when my whole self is engaged in doing something, I was recently reminded that powerful educational moments come in many forms.

Representing ISEEN at GEBG

Last week, I attended the fifth annual Global Education Benchmark Group (GEBG) annual conference hosted by Chadwick School in Los Angeles. It was wonderful to be among longtime friends and make new ones, share stories and program ideas, gather in the sunshine and hear about new GEBG initiatives. Four parts of the conference stand out as particularly inspirational and transformative.

Wade Davis during his keynote

The first two were the keynote speakers, and they reminded me that a powerful lecture can be a life-changing event. Wade Davis, an anthropologist, National Geographic writer and photographer and author of books such as The Serpent and the Rainbow, spoke nonstop for an hour in what I can only describe as pure poetry accompanied by stunning visuals from around the globe to highlight the impact of vanishing languages and cultures on all of our lives. And Sonia Nazario, award-winning journalist and author of Enrique’s Journey, regaled us with the harrowing tales of young people making the perilous journey from Central America to the United States in search of their mothers who left to seek a better life for their families. The fact that she made the journey three times herself in order to understand and document it makes it all the more astounding, and her description of her own transformation from a journalist reporting the stories to actually advocating for change, plus the timeliness of the topic had us all riveted. Both speakers captivated my intellect and my emotions simultaneously and left me inspired to see more, learn more, and do more.

With my Lakeside colleagues

The third Inspiring moment came when I attended a workshop facilitated by two educators from Lakeside School, where I worked before starting Global Weeks. The presentation they gave on the initiatives the school has undertaken since I left broughy me grest happiness. The foundation we built in the Global Service Learning program is still rock solid, and from that foundation, they have forged ahead and created wonderful new projects that are more integrated into the life of the school. It is so exciting to have a Middle School program where global education is expressed locally, as well as yearlong elective courses in the Upper School with an embedded travel component. It was such a joy to see the core elements of the program I designed preserved and learn how they have improved upon them to offer programs that are even more transformative for students and teachers.

The post-conference crew

Finally, GEBG pioneered an optional post-conference activity that I found especially meaningful and enjoyable. Twelve of us set off to explore using Los Angeles as our classroom to learn about issues of immigration, race, and social justice, based on courses that two of our colleagues teach. We spent time in the Japanese American National Museum engrossed in stories of immigration, internment, and influence in Little Tokyo. The stories of Japanese internment were all the more moving since our colleague’s family members had been interned. We had a tour of Koreatown, stopping into restaurants and a grocery store, learning about architecture, history, food culture and growth from “migration to immigration to gentrification” in the area. We spent five hours in a small group, getting to know each other better with the city as our classroom. It was a wonderful way to end the conference, and reminded me once again how global education is everywhere, and we do not need to travel far to be steeped in its mysteries, learning opportunities, and richly rewarding experiences.

Taking an Experiential Leap Forward

Posted onJanuary 25AuthorVicki Weeks1 Comment

Delivering the opening remarks at the 2017 ISEEN Winter Institute

Last week, I had the distinct pleasure of attending the Independent Schools Experiential Education Network (ISEEN) Winter Institute, hosted by Hawken School in Cleveland, Ohio. It was exhilarating, inspiring, and challenging in all the right ways. (Full disclosure: I am ISEEN’s board chair). The organization has been around for over a decade, and it has never been content with the status quo: this is a group of people who are moving forward, seeking connections between members and also looking outside the independent school bubble to learn from and contribute to progressive education everywhere.

Last year we were in Honolulu and focused our place-based education theme on a variety of cultural influences, in particular the love for the islands and sea expressed through native Hawaiian lore and practice.

Our warm welcome from the Hawken mascot

This year we continued to explore place-based education, but in an urban setting with a particular emphasis on social justice issues. As we learned about some of the innovative initiatives at Hawken School, we got a taste of the student experience as we fanned out into the city to discover its rich history, current challenges, and solutions in action. I participated in the workshop We the People: The Immigrant Experience, examining Cleveland’s rich immigration history past and present by doing original research using census data and the treasure that is the Western Reserve Archive. Another workshop, Experiencing Homelessness, explored the topic by visiting a local shelter, meeting with an advocacy group, and talking to people experiencing homelessness in the community. Another group participated in a workshop called In Pursuit of Justice, examining the justice system through the eyes of a judge, parole hearings in a courtroom, and a conversation with a US Marshall. Other seminars in printmaking, design, and digital fabrication took advantage of the rich visual art landscape in the city, and teams went out to interview residents and wrote narrative nonfiction based on their discoveries. Everything we did could be done in any kind of school, and experiencing it ourselves rather than just hearing about it, gave us such good ideas about where to take it.

Sharing ideas

We created the time to reflect on our experience and examine how to integrate more of this kind of learning at our own schools. We took on challenging topics like how to make meaningful connections with public schools in our area and be part of the change that needs to happen in our communities. I am especially excited by the way the institute dovetails into the course for educators I am co-leading this summer in Peru on examining Purpose.

We deepened our connections to one another and celebrated our work together at local restaurants and a renovated hotel that represent the revitalization that is happening in this rust belt city. It was a deeply moving and enjoyable week, and we are all returning home not only reenergized, but recommitted to using the flexibility and privilege that we have in our schools to take a leap forward to better education for all.

The whole ISEEN gang (being goofy!)