Connecting with the Community on Experiential Learning Day

To take their learning beyond the classroom and into the community, Upper Schoolers spent the morning of Oct. 30 participating in Experiential Learning Day, a day focused on providing students the opportunity to learn through hands-on experiences and real-world engagement.

Each grade level engaged with the community and one another in a different way, from serving local nonprofits to learning about poverty and Cincinnati’s role in the Underground Railroad.

“Any time students can participate in immersive learning, with preparation beforehand and reflection afterward, it can be a really powerful learning experience,” said Karen Glum, director of experiential learning. “These experiences allow students to engage with their community and with one another in ways that go beyond the everyday classroom experience.”

Ninth graders served nonprofits around the city with their advisories, volunteering with organizations such as People Working Cooperatively, Bea Taylor Market, Scrap2Home, and Chow Now Pantry.

Tenth graders further developed their understanding of poverty in Greater Cincinnati through four rotating workshops led by the Poverty Liberation Collective. Building on their ninth-grade experience at the Ozanam Center, where students simulated the challenges of navigating a month in poverty, the workshops encouraged students to learn directly from people with lived experiences.

One workshop took the form of a human library, where students met in small groups with individuals who have experienced or are currently experiencing poverty. Students had the opportunity to listen to their stories and ask questions, gaining perspectives that cannot be fully captured through a simulation.

Eleventh graders visited the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center to deepen their understanding of Cincinnati’s historical significance as a hub of the Underground Railroad.

Seniors began the day with college counselors, then watched the Lower School Halloween parades before gathering at Element Eatery for lunch. The gathering marked the first of many opportunities for seniors to come together and celebrate their culminating year at Seven Hills.

In the afternoon, Student Government and 7-Up organized Halloween festivities for the entire Upper School, bringing students together for a schoolwide celebration. Read “Seven Hills Celebrates Halloween” for more information.

For Glum, the value of these experiences extends beyond the activities themselves. Taking time to prepare for an experience and reflect on it afterward helps students connect what they have learned to their lives beyond school.

“We want these experiences to be more than just a fun day or a field trip,” Glum said. “When students have time to think about what they’ve experienced and reflect on it afterward, they can begin to integrate those experiences into who they are and who they want to be.”