Glenn Sherwin is currently on a semester-long National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) trip in Baja California, hiking, sea kayaking & sailing. The only contact with family and friends has been a one-time letter, sent by snail-mail. She reports that the curriculum is simultaneously challenging and inspiring, and the scenery is breathtaking. According to the NOLS instructors, "there are 3 levels of fun. Level one fun is simply easy fun where everything goes your way. Level two fun is when it's still fun, but some crazy stuff happens and it is fun to talk about later. Level three fun is downright bananas and potentially life-threatening." She has experienced all but a full-on-level-three, and is thriving on the challenge in much the same way as her time at Oxbow pushed her to find her potential and live into it!
It's been a whirlwind week, but also a time when I sang the praises of Oxbow to my colleagues. I've been thinking much about how Oxbow is an exemplar of true education. That art centers the curriculum is hardly surprising, and for those of us who work within the traditional educational mold Oxbow offers a gold standard of focused project based learning. Beyond the school's approach to immersive experience are the intangibles which make Oxbow different. The sense of community and of working together, even as each student retained their strong individual presence is palpable. The feeling of warmth and trust between the adults and the nearly adults in the Oxbow community could be felt throughout the campus. The openness of the architecture and interconnectedness of the three studios in themselves speak of the Oxbow philosophy and identity. More than form follows function, the physical attributes of Oxbow have a distinct warmth and invite exploration.
I'm sure that the ongoing challenges of leading and reinventing your school might sometimes keep you from having the time to see Oxbow with the fresh eyes of a visitor, but your steady presence and vision are really visible in every detail. Thank you for inviting me to one of the most profound experiences in my career.
— Ken Rush, Visual Arts Department, Packer Collegiate Institute
Oxbow gave Will a voice and a community. Under the nurturing attention of his wonderful teachers, he learned that he had the intellectual capability to express himself and that his unique point of view was, in fact, an asset.
— David Becker, Parent
Advice I would give to future students is to just do it and come to Oxbow and not overthink it because it will most likely (99.9%) be the best decision you have made in your life.
— Malachi Snyder, Spring 2018
A School Like No Other