Madeleine West of Mattapoisett, a member of the class of 2015 at Pomfret School in Pomfret, Connecticut, was recently part of an all-school academic experiment called Project: Pomfret. From December 2-17, in place of structured class time and homework, students were instead tackling one of 27 innovative exercises in learning that saw plenty of overlap between academic disciplines. The list of topics ranged from geocaching, engineering, environmental, theatre and dance projects, to exploring the American legal system, the LGBT community, and Hollywood’s take on World War II. Finished products included illustrated children’s books, a poignant and highly personal Hip-Hop playlist, and two par-3 miniature golf putting greens, complete with water hazard. There was even a project for aspiring photojournalists who documented the efforts of everyone else.
Madeleine was in the group of students and faculty who collaborated on a project entitled “Building C.O.U.R.A.G.E. (Conversations On Understanding Racial and Gendered Experiences),” in which students were assigned the challenges and responsibilities of developing, scheduling, and marketing a conference/retreat that will explore issues of race and gender. The event will be hosted by Pomfret School in the summer of 2015.