EBC Week Opportunities 2021

Welcome to EBC Week 2021, April 12-16.  This is a different year and a different EBC.  Experience Beyond the Classroom (EBC) at its core remains an intensive, shared experience with a diverse group of EPS students and one or more faculty.  Here is a chance to do something outside the typical class experience that leads to deep learning, and quite often, brings amazing and lasting memories.
This year we are offering a wide range of courses, workshops, practicums, and other types of experiences for all students at EPS.  Most of these opportunities are designed and created by your EPS faculty drawing upon their own passions, interests, and connections in the community.  For others, we have reached out to artists, professionals, and organizations in our community as partners, to offer age-appropriate projects in their areas of expertise. While providing unique opportunities for learning Beyond the Classroom, EBC Week is a part of the regular academic experience at EPS and is required.

Here are a few things to consider as you look through the list of EBC Offerings:

  • 5th and 6th Grade Levels—these grades will be going on their own, unique set of experiences during EBC week.  These will be similar to the offerings below—with rich, hands-on experiences scheduled for each day—but will also involve intentional community building and enhancing efforts for these students.  Most of these will be organized in small pods and all will also include COVID-19 health protocols.  5th and 6th grade students and families, please stay tuned for more information on this EBC Week experience arriving through your grade-level teams.
  • COVID-19 Protocols and Precautions—All EBC projects and experiences will follow a strict set of health and safety protocols.  Obviously, these will vary with each project and will depend on our current public health situation and state guidelines at the time of EBC in April.  Please note that any of the few EBC options with an overnight option will require additional considerations and safety protocols.
  • Remote versus Live versus Part-Live versus Overnight (rare)—Our EBC offerings this year run the gamut from completely remote to a few that have backcountry overnight accommodations.  We know decisions about which experience to participate in are personal and will require students and families to consider a wide range of factors and risks.  We encourage families to have open and honest discussion about their options, knowing that there are great opportunities for all.  This year registrations will open on Monday, February 1 and will close on Monday, February 8, giving you plenty of time to consider your options.  Please also know that selections are not made on a first-come basis. Take your time to deliberate carefully before making your choices—choose experiences that you will find richly educational, naturally interesting, and deeply meaningful.
  • Fees and Transportation—The fee ranges include estimates for all materials, rental equipment, professional services, and transportation associated with the project.  For the in-person projects, students will be largely expected to bring their own packed snacks and lunch.  The overnight trips include meal costs.  For day trips in the local area, we will be asking students to be dropped-off and picked-up at a pre-determined location each day.  Some transportation assistance will be provided to ensure participation of all students.

More Details to Follow Once Projects are Finalized with Students are Registered—While the framework for each of these experiences are in place, the details have not been fully worked out yet in many cases.  Things are still uncertain and we ask for your patience as we continue to monitor COVID numbers, arrange logistics, and coordinate with our community partners. While the dates for EBC Week are set, the times for individual experiences listed are approximations and may still be adjusted to accommodate specific activities. Likewise, the cost of each trip is given as a range and will be solidified once students are placed.  Once confirmed on a project in mid-February, EBC experience leaders will send additional information to prepare students and families for their EBC adventure.

Key Dates for EBC Week 2021

  • EBC Open Registration: Monday, February 1st through Monday, February 8th
  • EBC Selection Notifications: Mid-February
  • EBC Payment Due: March 1, 2021
  • EBC Groups Meeting to Prepare for EBC Trips (in Middle Band): March/April 2021
  • EBC Week: Monday April 12th – Friday April 16th

For additional information, please contact any member of the EBC Team: David Kelly-Hedrick, Kim Richards, and Paul Hagen