Oakwood’s Statement of Philosophy compels us to have students “grapple meaningfully with ideas, to discover relationships among disciplines, and to become independent and moral thinkers.”
Experiential learning engages students viscerally and intellectually, employing their senses to challenge their understanding of the world, and open doors to developing new concepts and ideas. Through experiential learning, we seize opportunities to inhabit the spaces between traditional and progressive pedagogy, and we dissolve the barriers between the classroom and the world around us.
Outdoor Education
The goal of Oakwood’s Outdoor Education program is to encourage socialization and class cohesion while giving students the opportunities to make curricular connections beyond the classroom. Class-level trips include 7th Grade to Kings Canyon & Sequoia National Park, 9th Grade to Kennedy Meadow Campground, 11th Grade to the Russian River, and 12th Grade to Palomar Mountain.
Immersion Program
Oakwood’s Immersion program provides an intense two-week period in the academic year for students to be fully engaged in rich and challenging learning experiences. Immersion courses are experiential—learning is hands-on, exploratory, and unrestricted by the boundaries of the regular classroom.
Student life at Oakwood is enriched by participation in a wide variety of clubs and organizations. Working with both peers and facilitators, student passions are engaged to instill a sense of purpose and help create proactive members of our community.