The Meeting School featured in Monadnock Living

The Spring/Summer 2009 edition of the New Hampshire magazine Monadnock Living features an article about The Meeting School on p. 10.

Many thanks to Sheila Garrett for her help with the piece.

Here's the text, just in case you can't read the 1 point font in the image...

The Meeting School
Experiential Education At Its Best
by Jonathan Allen

For over 50 years, The Meeting School in Rindge, NH has been preparing teenagers for life beyond high school with a unique balance of traditional academic study and experiential education. Founded by Quakers in 1957, the school encourages its day and boarding students to live in a close-knit community that demonstrates simplicity, integrity and equality.

Much of the coursework is project-based and hands on. “Students learn with all their senses,” explains Sheila Garrett, member of the senior faculty. “They can focus on subjects that they are particularly drawn to, and therefore enjoy a deeper learning.” Grades are issued on a pass/fail basis, accompanied by detailed evaluations from teachers, thanks to small class sizes that rarely exceed 10 students. In addition to traditional college preparatory courses, students learn by working on the organic farm and preparing meals.

In March, students returned from Intersession (a month-long, off-campus educational project) with a rich mix of educational experiences. Five students who traveled to India had the opportu- nity to live with a Tibetan family, meet with former political prisoners, and attend an event led by his Holiness, the Dalai Lama. Other projects ranged from ecology work and research at Lake Champlain, to psychology research and kayak building in Vermont.

The Meeting School’s unique educational program attracts students from all over the country. Many go on to attend colleges such as Drew, Smith, Earlham, Warren Wilson, and the Universities of Massachusetts, Montana and Vermont. Alumni have pursued careers in finance, teaching, medicine, architecture and social sciences, as well as farming and the arts.