Alongside seven other instructors and an amazingly supportive administrative staff, I was able to design a 14-day educational camp experience from the ground up - twice, once in France and once in Japan. Our goal for these 45 high school students coming from all around the world was to encourage them to rethink the value of education and empower them to take ownership of the value they bring to every experience they take part in.

 

In France, we did this by having the students stage a revolution on Bastille Day. While solving various puzzles, the students were required to write a declaration together that outlined any changes that they would like to see put into place for the camp. This experience helped me understand the inner workings of a high school student and the ways an informal education space can help reframe education and inspire personal growth in students.