Learning happens in many ways at The Windward School. Windward students’ needs are different—their classroom requirements unique, their social-emotional journeys distinct. Part of the School’s approach to reshaping education is through field trips and Friday trips. Field trips are taken during school hours and are planned around the topics and themes that students are learning in the classroom. Friday trips, which are taken after school, help introduce students to the rich cultural opportunities in our region. Together, they give students additional learning benefits that cannot be acquired in the classroom.

Elly Steiker-Pearl, activities coordinator at our Manhattan campus, said, “Windward’s kids work incredibly hard. The academic program is rigorous, and students are constantly challenged. Most of our field trips are linked to the curriculum or are educational in some way, and it’s nice to change things up when you’re in a structured and routine daily environment.” For example, students often visit the Bronx Zoo to build upon lessons in their science classes; the Chinese Cultural Center has visited our lower schools to introduce important cultural concepts through dragon dance presentations and age-appropriate Q&A sessions. Classes have gone to planetariums and science centers to enhance their understanding of mathematics, and they’ve attended museums and history centers to better understand how topics like writing and history are influenced by the cultures of their times. According to Ms. Steiker-Pearl, “These robust offerings provide exposure to new interests and challenge the students to make more dynamic connections to classroom learning.”

Tom Kruze, activities coordinator at Westchester Lower School, believes taking trips makes learning more real. “Hands-on experiences are so beneficial,” he said. “Getting out into the field is exciting [for the students] and the field trips make a huge difference for kids who learn the way Windward students do.” Off-campus experiences bring learning to life and make connecting real-world situations and the topics discussed in class easier.

Field trips and Friday trips also impact the way students navigate their social-emotional journeys. “Kids open up more when outside school,” said Jason Steiker, activities coordinator at Westchester Middle School. “They get into fruitful discussions about things they may not ordinarily think about.” Field trips and Friday trips provide immeasurable opportunities for students to thrive and grow, both as learners and citizens of their greater communities.
Ms. Steiker-Pearl, Mr. Kruze, and Mr. Steiker agree that the trips, though beneficial as they are now, can expand even further. “There is definitely potential to touch more upon our DEIB efforts,” said Mr. Kruze. Ms. Steiker-Pearl shared, “We want to have a greater component relating to empathy, more of a connection to diversity.” This would mean more opportunities to visit spaces that highlight the unique experiences of others like the Tenement Museum, where students learn from the educational exhibits on immigration the struggles of immigrants, migrants, and refugees. These efforts will, from their perspective, help to create well-rounded citizens. “Those will be the moments that enrich a student,” said Mr. Steiker, “the moments that change the community.”