“Experiential learning is the process of learning by doing.  By engaging students in hands on experiences and reflection they are better able to connect to real world learning situations.” (https://www.kent.edu/community/what-experiential-learning-and-why-it-important)  

The ultimate real-world learning experience is being in the world.   For the last 10 years at Greenville Middle School we have worked to balance this real-world experience with an affordable applicable field trip opportunity for 6th grade students.   Every Spring we have taken the 6th grade students to a large city utilizing Classic Student Tours as the company to facilitate our day long trip.  During this extended trip we are able visit three to five venues in a larger city at an affordable price.  Over the years the price has slowly increased but we have been able to cap the day at a $200 price tag.  This experience involves traveling to a city on a luxury bus (with wifi!), visiting at least one or two museums, a zoo, and a nice restaurant.  Additional learning benefits to this experience of a day long field trip is the chance to visit these sites in a unique way with classmates and classroom teachers as chaperones.  Social and emotional learning is part of the day as students must gain independence, focus on resolving conflicts, be open to new experiences, and be accountable for their behavior in a new way.  

Greenville Middle School 6th graders have enjoyed visits to Cincinnati, which included a mobile art tour of the murals in Cincinnati.   We have also visited Columbus in the past, but this year will be our first year to journey to Indianapolis, visiting the Indianapolis Zoo, the Children’s Museum and Buca di Beppo for real Italian family style dining.  The students receive matching shirts to help the chaperones quickly identify the Greenville Middle School group and the shirt is a souvenir for each child.    As the students traverse their day the chaperones use each opportunity as a real-life learning experience.  Students must budget their spending money, choose their lunch wisely with the money allotted from the tour company, and interact appropriately with classmates and strangers.  Former students have stated that the trip is a chance to “hang out with my friends all day and enjoy time away from school.”  “My favorite memory was when we put all our money together to order pizza and couldn’t eat it all.”  “The bus with wifi was really cool and the animals at the Zoo were awesome.”  As school personnel we are grateful to be able to provide this opportunity for our students to work toward a day of success outside of the school.  This is learning in the real-world in real-time developing a variety of lifelong skills.  

Written by:  Greenville Middle School Principal Rhonda Schaar