More than 70% of Proctor students spend a trimester off campus before they graduate. Mountain Classroom, Ocean Classroom, Proctor en Segovia, Proctor en Monteverde, and Global Art Classroom are all examples of an educational model that prioritizes depth alongside breadth and learning by doing and where students grapple with real-world challenges within a community where each is known both as a learner and as a person.
Although shorter in duration, Proctor’s summer off-campus programs and service trips ask something similar of students – to immerse themselves in an unfamiliar place and outside of their comfort zones, to lean into discomfort and challenge, and to return with an expanded perspective on the world and their place in it.
When Spanish teachers and a member of Proctor’s World Language Department, Liz Fortier, stepped off the plane in Lima this past June, returning to her country of origin for the first time in many years, the city looked quite different than the last time she had visited. There were more people, more buildings, more traffic, and the corners she once frequented with her family looked smaller and older than she remembered. Liz had come back this time with a group of Proctor students and co-leader Josie Sanchez with a specific goal in mind.
"When I brought the idea of this trip to Proctor, the goal was to share Peru, my country of origin, with the Proctor community," Liz said. "I wanted students to see that there's so much more than Machu Picchu, more than countryside poverty we often see in movies, but especially, I wanted students to see the difference between the cultures." Doing that in ten days was no small task, and students and trip leaders certainly kept busy as they experienced a true cross-section of the country. In partnership with EF Educational Tours, the group started in Lima, the metropolitan capital, with a stop at Manolo's Churrería, a spot Fortier frequented when she was young. From there they flew to Cusco, traveled to the Sacred Valley, and took the train to Aguas Calientes and up to Machu Picchu. The longest stretch carried them back through Cusco to Puno, where they visited the Uros Islands on Lake Titicaca and shared a Pachamanca meal and ceremony with a local shaman. They picked up a little Quechua along the way and acclimated to elevations above 13,500 feet. In Arequipa, they watched Andean condors ride the air over the Colca Canyon.
Away from the familiarity of Proctor's campus and their own home countries, students could not fall back on daily habits and were forced to stretch themselves and update and reimagine their mental maps. Being immersed in a completely novel environment made them pay attention to their surroundings – the sound of Spanish and Quechua, the rhythm of daily life, the history and culture they were surrounded by – and that heightened attention activated their learning. The Spanish the students had studied in Andover could be put to use on the streets of Peru, and deepened as they heard new, regional expressions.
Lela '28 reflected, "The Spanish aspect was very hands on ... Though one can excel in a classroom, a lot of the skill doesn't translate over because it's not something that is taught, only something you can learn by having a conversation and struggling." The challenge was not only in respect to the language barrier. Lela had worried about the altitude and found herself fine above 13,500 feet, bargaining in markets and adjusting to other aspects of the culture. "I became more confident while the trip went on," she said. What she carried home to the U.S. was more than increased language proficiency. "I learned about Peruvian culture and the importance of having an expanded understanding of others living," she said. "I find that having a different perspective can be impactful, and something I can reflect on."
Willa '28 found that starting a conversation in Spanish in the markets, rather than expecting English, allowed her to step outside the typical mindset of a tourist. "A lot of the time, tourists approach these conversations expecting English to be the common language, even though we're the visitors in someone else's country. Because of that, I always tried to start conversations in Spanish. Even if I wasn't perfect, people seemed genuinely appreciative that I was making the effort, and it often led to more meaningful interactions. I was able to ask people why they loved the place they lived and learn more about their lives and communities." Will added, "By the end of the trip, I felt much more confident speaking Spanish because I was using it in real conversations with real people."
On the floating Uros Islands, where each island has its own president, one leader welcomed the group and tried to speak only Quechua for visitors, though Spanish words kept slipping in. Seeing that up close was a reminder that even remote cultures are not immune to globalization and change from outside – and it caused students to reckon with their own role, as visitors, in that change.
Connection and unplanned moments are also hallmarks of Proctor's off-campus programs, and a shorter summer trip proved no different – the long bus rides and late-night games of mahjong and Uno built group camaraderie. One night in Puno, from their hotel right on the main plaza, students went out for ice cream after dinner, made friends with the young woman working the shop, and paid her well over the price of the cones because she had stayed open for them.
Ten days went by in a flash; however, this group of students and teachers will carry their experience back into the classroom in Andover and into other contexts of their lives. That is what makes off-campus learning powerful, regardless of length – the experience becomes a reference point, and participants keep learning from and making meaning of it long after they return. Willa reflected:
"It made me realize how easy it is to focus on what's next instead of appreciating what's happening right now, and Peru gave me a chance to slow down and do exactly that."
~ Willa '28
Liz summed up the experience in Spanish:
"Fue una tremenda experiencia para todos y ojalá que pronto podamos regresar. ¡Añay, Perú!"
"It was an extraordinary experience for everyone, and hopefully, we can return soon. Thank you, Peru!"
- Experiential Learning
- Off-Campus Program