Each spring, GFA’s Middle School concludes the academic year with Culminating Experience Week. Designed by faculty across grades and disciplines, the week gives students an opportunity to step away from their usual schedules and engage with the work from the year one last time.
The experiences during the week are tailored to the unique character of each grade level. Students may explore history through immersive workshops and field trips, tackle collaborative challenges, mentor younger students, present capstone work, or spend time reflecting on their growth as learners and community members. Rather than rushing towards the finish line, students are encouraged to take their time and be curious, ask questions, and revisit the ideas that have shaped their learning alongside their peers. At the same time, the week creates space for forms of growth that are often harder to capture in a classroom setting—from leadership and collaboration to confidence, perspective, and a stronger sense of belonging.
Culminating Experience Week offers a glimpse into what learning at GFA looks like at its best. By creating space for students to revisit their year, they are able to see how much they have learned, how much they have grown, and how those two things are often inseparable.
View photos from the week here.