NESPA Winner: Editorial, 2023

The Searchlight, Walpole High School, Walpole, MA

While the pandemic made the occurrence of field-trips at high school over the past couple of years complicated, as most things return back to normal, so does the existence of non-traditional learning. Unfortunately, from student perspective, field-trips no longer contain the appeal that they used to in middle and elementary school. For many students, field-trips propose a problem: missing school.

WHS cites in their mission statement that their goal for educating students is to “foster learning through a collaborative process that engages students, educators and the community.” That being said, one of the best ways to offer student engagement within their community is through field trips. Furthermore, another part of the mission statement cites that WHS will “make every effort” to produce students that are “able to succeed in the increasingly complex world in which they will live.” Considering this, more experiential learning opportunities should be provided for students at WHS, as these experiences can more accurately provide students with the worldliness WHS claims to impart. So even though, on paper, field trips seem to be in alignment with the mission at WHS, why are so many students reluctant to attend them?

Read the full story here.