Insight: EBC and a Few Things We Hope For

By David Kelly-Hedrick, Experiential Education Coordinator

They say the views are incredible from the top of the giant swing at Camp Orkila.  One might gaze into the Strait of Juan de Fuca and perhaps even further out into the mighty Pacific Ocean.  If a fifth grader swings their legs hard enough, it might just be possible to see the peaked roof of a tea house on the Nakasendo Way running between Kyoto and Tokyo.  The journey from fifth-grade camp at Orkila to eighth-grade travels in Kyoto represents more than geographic distance—it maps the entire arc of growth through our Middle and Upper School.

The Education Beyond the Classroom (EBC) program is a progression of experiences offering students both an external journey to new places and people, and an internal journey with changes and growth for the body, mind, and spirit.  As part of the life path of a student at EPS, I would like to describe a few of the things we hope for during this week of travel and education beyond the campus.

On EBC Week, we hope for attention.  Students will notice things large and small as they embark on exploration with a cadre of fellow students and faculty/staff chaperones out in the world.  This year, EPS students will be walking the streets of El Paso speaking with citizens and immigrants and officials as they explore the tense and emotional dynamics of a high-profile border region of our country.  Another cohort of students will encounter the Green Monster, the legendary left-field wall of Fenway Park as part of an early season baseball game that is part of a deeper dive into the history of this American pastime and its connections with race, gender, and history.  Other students will soak in the natural hot springs of Iceland and learn how geothermal energy is being tapped as a sustainable force for this country, and as an example for the world.  Students will also be peering into the waters of the Florida Keys and the Bahamas guided by naturalists and ocean researchers hoping to unlock further mysteries of the reefs and ocean.  Whether examining border dynamics in El Paso or studying star patterns in the night skies of Arizona, students develop the capacity to observe deeply and think critically about what they witness.

On EBC Week, we hope for regulation.  Students will come face to face with adversity and challenge.  They will be challenged by environments, by emotions, by stress and discomfort from a myriad of directions.  In nearby British Columbia, students will climb mountains on their skis and learn to read the snowpack in anticipation and prevention of avalanche.  They will saunter the streets of Seville and partake of Spanish paella, while unpacking layers of Christian, Muslim, and Jewish histories in Andalucia.  They will join host families in the rainforest of Costa Rica and eat meals together chatting in Spanish while a macaw sits and preens on the windowsill.  They will delve into the street art and architecture of Seattle and piece together civic history on foot. Learning to manage emotions, adapt to unexpected situations, and maintain composure under stress are essential life skills that emerge naturally from these challenging experiences.

On EBC Week, we hope for awe.  We want eye-opening and mind-expanding experiences.  Sixth graders will emerge from a trail through old-growth forest onto the sands of Third Beach and feel the pounding winter waves of the Pacific Ocean in their bones.  Eighth graders will stand before a small original painting by Georgia O’Keeffe of a desert scene that hauntingly reminds them of the place they went horseback riding the day before.  Upper School students will navigate slot canyons by rope and hand, turning sideways in the narrow chutes, chatting and laughing with new friends amongst the red rock sunshine of Utah.  Others will meet Aishihik First Nation elders and hear some of the story and anecdote that has traveled by oral tradition across generations of their people in the Yukon.

On EBC Week, we hope for reflection.  We practice taking time to review what happened, what was seen and learned, and what might be some of the personal and collective implications of this learning.  We hope you as families will also talk and reflect on these experiences with your students and hear how they are influencing their growth as caring, kind, innovative leaders in the world.  You might ask your student about a moment that surprised them, a challenge they overcame, or a new perspective they gained. These conversations help solidify learning and demonstrate your investment in their growth away from home.

We are grateful for your support of the EBC Week experience as it truly takes a community to plan, prepare, and execute this large program.  Huge thanks to the chaperone leaders and all chaperones who are stepping up to lead and watch over students 24/7 on these outings.  Thank you to our Business Office staff for processing transactions, contracts, fees, payments, and student cash cards for this year’s EBC Week.  Kudos to the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) and other key faculty and staff serving as the home base communications and emergency response team.  I would like to extend special thanks to my partners on the EBC team, Kim Marzano and Paul Hagen, for everything from big vision to tiny travel detail and lots of fun and camaraderie in putting it all together.

As students embark on these new experiences, we trust that they will return with broader horizons, deeper self-knowledge, and stories that will shape them for years to come.  We wish everyone a safe and adventurous EBC Week 2026.