By Matt Delaney, Director of Academic Design and Integration

In the course, Evolution of Society, we often refer to Goldilocks Conditions: a set of conditions that evolve over time, and in certain moments and contexts, create emergent properties. Goldilocks Conditions contribute to the creation of stars, the evolution of new species, the first steps of a child, and the emergence of modern society. In the terminology of evolutionary biology, goldilocks conditions drive the steps of punctuated equilibrium, accelerating development and movement toward greater complexity. While many of us feel that elements of our own or our family members’ regular development were stunted or interrupted over the course of our COVID-19 experience, there were
some silver linings that emerged.

As the school moved to EPSRemote in March 2020, many would have predicted that the next year and a half would be characterized by stagnation; for students, teachers, and the school overall. The onset of COVID-19 and resulting quarantine regulations pushed us to remote learning. While EPS students may have been at a distance from the school and each other, for many the societal flip-flop did not dampen their want to understand how the world works and make it better; these conditions amplified their interest. Whether exploring the domains of epidemiology, economics, the history of race in the U.S., or rendering engines, many students took the opportunity to zoom out or abstract on the human experience when society hit pause. The conditions were such that they were able to examine both the trees and the forest.

Similar to their soon-to-come collegiate experiences, students had more time to explore the world around them. Over the four academic terms of EPSRemote, a record number of eleventh and twelfth graders took on opportunities in the EPS Independent Curriculum.

During EPSRemote, independent study meetings, seminar discussions, and senior thesis check-ins were places of more personal exchange and connection that we were missing while at distance. As always, the fact that students and faculty opt into this part of the program results in smaller, more relaxed exchanges focused on academic topics in which participants have similar interest.

A set of goldilocks conditions—including the combination of MSFT Teams as a meeting and sharing platform, and more open schedules—fueled increased interest in, and execution of, independent work. Some of my more robust experiences during EPSRemote happened in the context of seminars, independent studies, and senior theses. As students developed more agency and ability to self-direct their learning, what emerged is a warm, green glow of collaborative understanding.

UPPER SCHOOL SEMINARS (GRADES 10-12)

Seminars ask students to: 1) explore academic discipline topics in depth, 2) make connections across the boundaries of those disciplines, and 3) apply learning to relevant, contemporary contexts. Seminars are 6-week experiences for groups of three to six students, and are facilitated by one or two faculty members. Below are each of the seminar topics that faculty and students took on since March 2020, including those that were offered in seminar registration for the 2021-2022 school year.

While students are not required to take a seminar before proposing an independent study, seminars are intentionally designed to be a model of what a well-structured, and genuine, independent inquiry looks like. Each is framed with a central or essential question, a weekly plan, and a culminating product aggregated over the course of the seminar. These experiences are collegiate in nature and driven by student engagement.