Stepping away from their usual daily academic routines, Mercersburg Academy students participated in Experiential Education Day last Monday. The program is running for the second year as it provides an opportunity for students to engage in a meaningful, hands-on experience beyond the classroom.
Director of Experiential Education Emily Parsons said, “We were trying to build the day around a focus: it was about leadership, citizenship, and how to be a good person in the community.”
To understand the history of the local community, ninth graders visited the Conococheague Institute, a well-preserved historic farmstead established in the eighteenth century for an interactive experience of American frontier life. Participating in many activities—such as archery, housekeeping, renovations, planting, retrieving water from a well, cleaning up manure, and playing with goats— helped strengthen the students’ collaboration and team-building skills.
Alexa Zagury ’29, who found the experience inclusive, stated, “Everybody got to do something, and even though we were learning about history, they made it fun. I've never been there before, but it was a very good first experience.” Grade Dean John David Bennett said, “Great opportunity to step away from phones. You find fun in surprising places. When the ninth graders arrived, they had no idea what to expect, but almost immediately, they were incredibly well engaged in what was happening.”
Headed off to Washington D.C., tenth graders divided into three groups, each with a unique specialization. The finance group visited the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, interacting with professionals to learn about the federal management and security of the U.S. financial system. The law group toured Capitol Hill and even watched the Senate in session from the gallery. Finally, the words group visited the National Archives and the Planet Word Museum; they also met with alum and Regent Fred Klein ’72 as well as Judge Richard Gergel, author of Unexampled Courage, which tells the story of the blinding of a black veteran during the Jim Crow era.
Mingyu Lee ’28, part of the law group, said, “It was a valuable experience to have been able to enter the National Archive, let alone talk with some of the judges and attorneys.” Additionally, Aakash Nath ’28 said, “It was exciting to go in a smaller group, it gives an opportunity to connect and bring us closer. I was talking to some people in the group that I had never talked to before.” Grade Dean Jamar Galbreath summarized: “Ex Ed Day is an opportunity to put learning in a different perspective. The cycle that we talk about looks at starting with a question, creating a good experience around that question. And being able to explore the ways in which that question informs us in terms of our leadership and abilities. So it's a good opportunity to get some hands-on learning in a vastly different area.”
Having been enrolled in a U.S. History course, the eleventh graders explored Philadelphia through a scavenger hunt and a guided tour of the Museum of the American Revolution, looking to answer the question: How does Philadelphia’s “built history” reveal the challenges and hopes of early America? With their advisory groups, the students were able to capture not only the deeper educational essence of the sites, but “Instagrammable pics” as well as stops including the President’s House, Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, Robert Morris Statue, Carpenter’s Hall, Christ Church Burial Ground, Betsy Ross’s house, and Elfreth’s Alley.
On visiting the museum, Ethan Ma ’27 shared, “It was cool to follow a tour guide and listen to her explain specific details of the American Revolution with artifacts as evidence. The way that the tour guide informed us about the history was actually different from what I'd expected. She provided all perspectives involved in the conflict: from the Patriots, the British, the slaves, and the Native American tribes.”
Following tradition, the seniors enjoyed a late start to the day and welcomed their younger pen pals from a local elementary school to campus. Arnav Rao ’26 said, “We connected well. He was very shy at first, not speaking at all. It taught me that I needed to be more patient when it comes to talking to younger students, because some people won't always be open towards you. If you have some patience, like I did with my pen pal, after lunch, he started to open up about everything, and it became fun.” Lilly Killinger ’26 added, “We did chalk drawing, and we were picking a lot of flowers. The experience helped me disconnect from my life here and really see eyes through a little kid. She had no worries, no care in the world, and it made me remember how nice the simple things in life are and realize what's really important.”
Careful planning went into all of the events, but especially the far-off-campus trips Parsons said, “It was hard to get all the students, faculty and staff engaged; there’s a lot of logistics, and Ms. [Alyse] McDowell helped me with buses and bookings. We were thinking about place-based education and making sure the kids understand when they go to Philadelphia, why Philadelphia is important, and what they can learn from a place like that. You're sort of understanding that place and the significance of it. So, there was certainly intention put into the places.”