Packer's Upper School Symposium program was back in full swing this winter. While the entire 11th grade traveled abroad to Costa Rica and Greece (follow their adventures on Instagram @packerglobaltravel), the rest of the Upper School suspended regular classes for a week to participate in immersive, unique, faculty-designed learning experiences, which often included extensive travel around the city and beyond. Read on for a very small sampling of the rich Symposium offerings from the 22-23 school year. 

 

The Great Outdoors

Students spent a week in New Hampshire's White Mountains where they snowshoed, explored nature, learned to work as a team, prepared all of their own meals, built snow shelters, and more. 

Why Martial Arts?

Delving into the uses of and motivations for martial arts training in the past and present, students participated in physical movement, visits from martial art masters, and field trips to different types of martial art studios and museums. 

Where Land and Water Meet

Students built their own surfboards from scratch as a means to engage with the city’s coastline and the communities that live there. The course culminated in a brisk January surf session at Rockaway Beach. 

Lotions and Potions

In a course combining science, health, culture, and creative expression, students learned to understand natural products on a deeper level. By studying the roles skin and hair types, family history and allergies play in reactions to products, students became wiser consumers and developed skills needed to create their own products.

Sites of Social Justice

By exploring the peoples, places, and movements committed to social justice in NYC, students were able to learn how the toil and triumphs of activist movements impacted not just the city, but the world. Visits included the Stonewall Archive, the Tenement Museum, Seneca Village, and more. 

Find more photos and highlights follow @packercollegiate