An infinite playground of passions
The Upper School experience includes dynamic educational adventures beyond classroom walls. With advanced courses in athletics, outdoor education, performing and visual arts, global programs and service learning, students can access an array of exciting outlets for self-expression, leadership and personal growth. As they hone their passions, they discover that they’re capable of so much more than they ever thought possible.
Athletics
Chadwick’s Upper School Athletics program offers a mix of 15 sports to choose from, with the program continuing to expand and excel with each passing year. Students strive to break records and achieve victory, but they also know that winning isn’t everything. Athletics is also about personal wellness, overcoming adversity and being your best self at every opportunity. Learning to fail gracefully builds the resilience to conquer future challenges.
outdoor education
Facing fears. Overcoming discomfort. Working together. Being self-reliant. Adapting powerfully to your surroundings. These are just some of the powerful life lessons learned in the outdoors. The Upper School Outdoor Education program challenges students to make critical choices that impact themselves, their group and the environment. Each spectacular adventure yields a profound respect for nature, a deeper understanding of the cultural and historical circumstances that shape our world, and a newfound appreciation for the place students call home.
performing arts
The Upper School Performing Arts program is a vibrant forum where students get to express their artistry through the study, practice and performance of musical (instrumental and vocal) and theatrical works. Students lead ensembles, select and even compose music for concerts, clubs and competitions. They draw inspiration from a variety of cultural influences and experience the thrill of the creative process on a higher level. Theater students practice improvisation, script work, applied drama and theater as an art form through solo and ensemble performances.
VISUAL ARTS
As Visual Arts students hone their creativity, they gain the technical and personal skills to succeed in a media-driven world. Students experiment with and critically reflect upon a range of mediums like film, sculpture, sketching, photography, graphic design, painting and more. Students document and curate art, and research relevant artists, methods and works. Learning emphasizes a holistic fine art experience and culminates in a final exhibition project where students showcase their work.
GLOBAL PROGRAMS
The Upper School Global Programs offer robust opportunities for students to experience different cultures and discover their potential to impact the world. Exchanges between Chadwick School in California and Chadwick International students in Songdo foster cross-cultural connections, eye-opening experiences and lasting memories. Programs like Model United Nations (MUN) allow students to debate global issues at conferences that mirror the UN, while the Global Issues Network (GIN) encourages students to pioneer initiatives to global problems.
Through the Alliance for Multicultural Women club, students from Chadwick School in California flew to Songdo to join forces with students at Chadwick International in their effort to raise awareness for the rights of multicultural women struggling to assimilate in Korea.
SERVICE LEARNING
Service has always been a critical and often transformative part of the Chadwick student experience. Through partnerships with local, national and international agencies, Chadwick’s Service Learning program unites committed students, teachers, parents, and staff in their efforts to support communities in need. Using their time and talents to benefit others helps students discover their own humanity. They gain an acute awareness of societal issues and find creative ways to take action. Students can join service-based clubs, create their own initiatives and serve as tutors or mentors to Village and Middle School students.
The Kenya Service Project took Chadwick students to the Likoni School for the Visually Impaired where they provided vital equipment like braille machines, embossed paper and audiobooks to local students. On the Philippines Service Trip, Chadwick students helped provide consistent meals for local students in Labo Camarines Norte. They also created a reading initiative that added over 800 donated books and reading aid videos to the new library.
Student service clubs like Two for One help North Korea refugees while in the Key Club, students raise funds for UNICEF through school activities.
Beyond the Classroom
