The value of experiential education was on full display during the week of February 19. Freshmen left their usual classes in the Upper School and headed out into the community to learn much more about the topic of immigration and homelessness in Denver. Led by a dedicated and energetic group of faculty, students deepened their knowledge of this current issues through hands-on learning, including field trips to multiple sites in the Denver metro area, as well as the US-Mexico border.

 

Some of the highlights of the week:

--One group shadowed recent immigrants and refugees who currently attend South High School. They interviewed these students about their experiences and learned a lot about students who had come from places like Iraq, Eritrea, Afghanistan, Sudan, Colombia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. An added point of interest was that the DPS strike had just concluded so our students learned about the impact and after effects of that.

--One group gained more empathy towards people experiencing homelessness by hearing first-hand accounts at local shelters and spending the day downtown simulating some of the challenges faced by this population.

--One group traveled to El Paso, Texas, for an immersive border studies program. Among the many highlights of that experience, our students helped prepare and serve two meals for recently released refugees and asylum seekers whose cases had been processed through detention centers and were now about to go off to live with “sponsor” families throughout the United States.

--One group submitted a saliva sample to Ancestry.com, then got a full written report back on their own ancestry. They then researched and reported on their family’s specific immigration story.

--Another group spent time interviewing employers in the restaurant and ski resort industry to learn the impact of immigrant labor in their businesses.

 

There were many other highlights, experiences and adventures, too numerous to account for here. In all, the many personal stories our students heard really resonated with them. They were able to build empathy, challenge their previously held notions, meet people directly involved with living with and enforcing immigration policies and laws, and open their eyes to new perspectives. The feedback we collected from the students at the end of the week indicated that the vast majority felt they had learned a significant amount, highly valued the experiences, and emerged with a greater understanding of the complexity of this multi-faceted topic. Parents reported that their students came home full of observations and wanting to share their experiences.

 

My thanks to all the many faculty who helped shape this Intensive program for the students and to the many people in the “real world” who shared their lives and stories with all of us.