Experiential Learning at ULS | Learning Beyond the Classroom

IN THIS SECTION

Starting with our youngest students, experiential learning is an essential element of our educational approach, offering students the opportunity to grow outside the traditional classroom setting. Based on student interests and inquiries, teachers bring curriculum into project-based work that often brings the outside world into the classroom — and vice versa.

To kick off each school year, Middle and Upper School students embark on adventures that blend education with meaningful real-world experiences. From tackling ropes courses and performing community service to exploring historical sites across Michigan, these activities foster teamwork, respect, and confidence while creating deeper context for classroom learning. As new and returning students unite in shared challenges, they build friendships and embrace the joy of discovery. For seniors, this journey includes a focused start on their college applications, ensuring they're prepared for the next steps in their academic journey.

Exp Learning Service

Sixth Grade Experience: Pleasant Lake

Each spring, sixth grade students transition from traditional learning to an extraordinary week-long adventure at Pleasant Lake that connects directly to the curriculum. This break from the usual school routine immerses students in hands-on experiences that go beyond classroom walls, emphasizing collaboration, creativity, and personal growth without the pressure of grades.

Exp 6th

Seventh Grade Experience: Walled Lake

Seventh graders open the school year with opportunities to build teamwork skills, learn about gratitude, and explore what it means to be a positive community member. The program includes service-learning opportunities that allow students to learn valuable lessons about serving others while contributing to the community. They will also push their personal limits in a ropes course challenge, fostering teamwork and self-discovery!

Exp 7th

Eighth Grade Experience: Place-Based Learning

The opening week fall trip in eighth grade serves as the first unit of study in the students’ United States history course, which is a place-based survey of American history centered upon the story of Detroit and the Great Lakes region. On this three-day experience, students explore the interactions between Great Lakes Native American tribes and French traders and settlers to understand the interconnections of Americans and Europeans in the period following sustained contact between the continents.

Exp 8th

Ninth Grade Orientation and Retreat: Camp Tamarack

The move from Middle to Upper School is a critical one, and we have created robust programming to help our ninth grade students navigate this transition. We begin the year with a thoughtfully constructed series of activities designed to help students organically create relationships.

Exp 9th

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First, we invite all ninth grade students and their families to a meet and greet picnic before school begins where they meet their advisors and Junior Mentors for the first time. Students who are new to ULS or have attended the ULS Middle School can meet and interact for the first time without the additional demands of the first official day of Upper School. Next, we have Orientation Day. Again, our Junior Mentors and Advisors will be there to guide and help our freshmen through the morning. The day also includes School Tours, picture day, important tips and hints, fun activities and a brief visit to each class. Finally, the activity that truly allows our students to start the school year off feeling included and even more excited to be at ULS: Camp Tamarack. Camp Tamarack is an amazing outdoor experience found in Ortonville, Michigan. There are many team building activities that are run by both the camp counselors and Junior Mentors alike (who also participate on the trip). All students return tired but happy and ready to engage in the following week's normal class schedule.

First, we invite all ninth grade students and their families to a meet and greet picnic before school begins where they meet their advisors and Junior Mentors for the first time. Students who are new to ULS or have attended the ULS Middle School can meet and interact for the first time without the additional demands of the first official day of Upper School. Next, we have Orientation Day. Again, our Junior Mentors and Advisors will be there to guide and help our freshmen through the morning. The day also includes School Tours, picture day, important tips and hints, fun activities and a brief visit to each class.

Finally, the activity that truly allows our students to start the school year off feeling included and even more excited to be at ULS: Camp Tamarack. Camp Tamarack is an amazing outdoor experience found in Ortonville, Michigan. There are many team building activities that are run by both the camp counselors and Junior Mentors alike (who also participate on the trip). All students return tired but happy and ready to engage in the following week's normal class schedule.

Tenth Grade Experience: Building Community

The opening week experience for the tenth grade features an introduction to elements of the tenth grade curriculum, internal and external service, and less structured time to create additional opportunities to build community. These experiences will be contextualized with our core values and our mission statement, which were developed during the 2023-2024 school year. A visit to our state capitol will begin their study of civics-based U.S. History. A day of service and other activities on Belle Isle and work with other sites and organizations across Metro Detroit will help students understand the meaning of our core values and mission, and learn how to apply them to grow academically and personally.

Exp 10th

Eleventh Grade Experience: Service and Leadership Days

Our 11th grade fall experience, Service and Leadership Days, is a three-day immersion focusing on the ULS Core Values of integrity, community and respect. Our rising juniors take an active role in examining what the responsibility of being a leader in a community means and brainstorm how they can intentionally foster integrity and empowerment within communal spaces.

Exp 11th

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Through volunteering with various non-profits throughout the Metro-Detroit area, small group conversations with ULS alumni, and team-building activities, students deepen their understanding of what leadership qualities they see within themselves and determine what values they strive to invest in their communities. Each day students gather in advisory groups to reflect upon how their contributions can connect to our school's mission as well as how being committed to service is integral to their collective growth as emerging leaders within our society.

Through volunteering with various non-profits throughout the Metro-Detroit area, small group conversations with ULS alumni, and team-building activities, students deepen their understanding of what leadership qualities they see within themselves and determine what values they strive to invest in their communities. Each day students gather in advisory groups to reflect upon how their contributions can connect to our school's mission as well as how being committed to service is integral to their collective growth as emerging leaders within our society.

Twelfth Grade Experience: Looking Ahead

In the opening days of school, the seniors focus on their college applications. The College Guidance team, along with selected faculty members, assist the seniors in all aspects of the application process. Each day, seniors are given the opportunity to work on their applications, including receiving assistance with and feedback on their essays. Some seniors will begin their senior year with a solid draft of their application materials, while others may not be as far along. Regardless of their starting point, every senior receives the individual support and attention they need to ensure a successful start to the college application process.

Exp 12th