“Mr. Worrall’s Global Dynamics II class was my favorite, by far. We read books from lots of different cultures. Every book we read has impacted me in some way.” -Danny D. ‘21
Why Impact Learning?
Im·pact noun
/im pakt/
The powerful effect or influence of one person, thing, or action, especially new, has on another.
Im·pact verb
/im pakt/
To have a strong effect on someone or something.
Above all, your high school education should have a big impact on you – and you should feel great about the experience. Therefore, if you aren’t feeling great about your current high school experience, please talk with us.
For you and almost every other high school student out there, the research shows that you will learn and retain more:
- If the learning is interesting to you
- Believing that what you are learning will really matter to you
- Learning and remember more by doing than listening or watching
What Does Impact Learning Look Like?
For instance, a few examples include:
- Demystifying the politics of race – through studying the history of blues
- Practicing your writing and presentation skills as you develop a grant application for a local food pantry
- Discovering your leadership potential on the stage, on a team, or in the robotics lab
- Understanding bio and chem better – by studying the local streams and ponds
- Understanding cultural similarities and differences by spending time in an ethnic community
You Want to Change the World.
We’re Here to Help.
Service Learning
A project-based, contextualized course where students identify a problem, or an issue in the region and then work to fix it – working together with other students and community members. Service Learning showcases your interests, from the theater to animal rights. What do you and your friends feel the community or world need? Well, you can make it happen. Moreover, you and your friends put together the ideas, resources, and plan to make it happen. For example, a few recent projects include:
- Theater for Change: An After- School Theater Program for Elementary Students
- Local Poverty & Homeless Group: Hosted Community Dinners
- Soccer for Change: Raised Money for Local Soccer Clinic
Service Learning also provides you with one the most dynamic platforms to develop leadership and organizational skills. In addition, each year, a number of students “step-up” to be involved as student leaders. Would you be interested in becoming a leader through SL at Winchendon?
ColLABs
ColLABs (short for Collaborative Laboratory) are elective style workshops that culminate in interdisciplinary, immersive, collaborative projects. Above all, we offer opportunities for hands-on, and field-based study to get students into the real world. Students select from a range of ColLAB projects, all of which emphasize fundamental skills and habits central to The Winchendon School: character, collaboration, initiative, risk-taking, and persistence. For example, some recent ColLABs include:
- Introduction to Digital Filmmaking
- KPOP! A Field Study in Korean Pop Culture
- Living and Learning on the Long Trail: Ecology and Wilderness Ethics
- Internships and independent study in medicine, business, video production, design, marine biology, and animation
Where to Next?
We suggest checking out these pages:
