Inspired by his work on the Strategic Plan Task Force focused on experiential learning, Sean spent his sabbatical searching for ways Wilmington Friends School can build even more meaningful connections for students in our Wilmington community. He tried to answer this question: How can we get students out into this community [Wilmington] so that they can have meaningful connections, experiences, and acquire different skills that they can’t just learn inside the classroom?

Sean visited a Place-Based Education Conference and eight schools during his time away from campus. Each school visit was purposeful, as he wanted to observe schools that partnered with local organizations, created opportunities for students to work (either at the school or outside of it), and focused on experiential learning. Each visit was different; some schools required job shadowing, while others developed an entire curriculum around plant teachings with local Indigenous tribes. Despite their differences, he came away with tools we can apply to our strategic plan task force's work on real-world connections and experiential learning for WFS students.

His big takeaway was to continue cultivating partnerships with local organizations, especially those where we can build long-term relationships, because that creates deeper, more consistent connections. If we can do this, students will have more opportunities to serve, learn from meaningful, formative experiences, and grow as citizens in our Friends community and beyond.  

Alex Mellow spent her sabbatical in Sicily, where she spent time with her in-laws, immersed herself in the culture, taught English, and made her own olive oil!

Alex, who spent each day homeschooling her own two children, also taught English to the youngest learners at Asilo La Nuvoletta (The Little Cloud Nursery School). While she may not have had the typical classroom materials she has here at WFS, she was reminded why she entered the teaching profession and of the importance of one of the Quaker testimonies: simplicity.

Alex reconnected with three American Field Service (AFS) exchange students who spent the year with her family and attended WFS in the early 2000s: Costanza Zingali, Erica Marcantoni, and Luca Rivolta Lippo. They caught up on life and reminisced about their time at Wilmington Friends School.

Lastly, Alex and her family harvested olives and made their own olive oil. They made so much olive oil that she brought some back for faculty and staff to try (it was delicious)! This work inspired her to apply and be selected as one of 25 Pilot Light Food Education Fellows, where she will bring food and nutrition topics into everyday classroom learning.