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Experiential Learning

FASRI’s experience integrates an array of experiential learning opportunities, which make learning purposeful, relevant, and concrete. Regular field trips are articulated with the curriculum progress, and inquiry concept questions guide the projects designed by faculty.

Maternelle/Preschool and Elementary students discover the world around them in Providence and Rhode Island while Middle School students have the opportunity to expand their horizon to national and international destinations.

FASRI’s unique experiential learning model intentionally creates opportunities to reinforce academics, develop social and emotional skills, and inspire character development.

Below are examples of a variety of experiential learning opportunities.

Maternelle/Preschool - PK1/PK2/K

In addition to regular day field trips, and thanks to an institutional partnership with the Providence Children’s Museum, PK1, PK2 and K students participated in 2020 in the School at the Museum Signature Program. All students and faculty worked with the museum’s educators and artists in residence in a 2-day interdisciplinary unit, which focuses on science and art. Students’ work was exhibited at the museum, the school and other venues around town.

 
Providence Children's Museum Website: http://www.childrenmuseum.org/

 

Elementary School - 1st to 5th grades

The official institutional partnership with the RISD Museum allows all Elementary students to regularly visit the museum upon curriculum progress, and integrate the discovery and analysis of art pieces into their research theme.

Grades 1 and 2 benefit from day field trips, such as, but not limited to, visits to the Boston and/or the Mystic Aquarium, or the Boston Museum of Natural History.

Grades 3 and up benefit from the experience from overnight field trips such as, depending on the years

  • 3rd/4th/5th - Mystic Seaport Ship to Shore Program
  • 3rd /4th - Plimoth Patuxet Museums
  • 5th - Cape Cod

The scaffold approach to overnight field trips develop autonomy, responsibility, and resilience as students experience being away from home in the safe and nurturing environment of their peer group. At the end of 5th grade, FASRI students are fully ready to travel abroad on international exchange trips.

 

 


 

Middle School

A) COMMUNITY BUILDING OVERNIGHT TRIP

In Middle School, students start the Academic Year with a community building trip to Camp Farley, Mashpee, MA. The 2 days/1 night trip allows students to engage in fun mixed grade activities that require collaborative skills and creativity. Watch our students in action!

B) INTERNATIONAL TRIPS

Our students are globally-minded and knowledgeable individuals eager to continue building their multilingual skills and cross-cultural abilities in real life situations. 

Find here several examples of our international trips as students visited France, Canada and Spain (Boulogne-Billancourt, near Paris - Montreal, Quebec - Reus, Spain, near Barcelona).

Reciprocal Exchange Trip to France with host families 

Travelling to France for 10 days – welcoming French peers in Providence for 10 days

Academics- inquiry themes Cultural Exchange Language Development


Emotional Intelligence Development

I learn to digitally collaborate with pen pals/peers before the trip leg of the program

I explore curriculum academic content collaboratively with my counterparts, comparing perspectives and sharing ideas

I explore and contrast habitat, architecture and history between Paris and Providence in the overarching theme of the intertwined links of human history

I explore Antiquity history with art pieces found in Paris and the RISD Museum of Providence

I stay in a host family, and I welcome my peer in my family

I learn to develop new relationships and friendships

I attend a French school in France

I visit Paris’ landmarks and discover history and culture: Louvre Museum, Science Museum, and on

I discover and practice a typical popular sport (handball tournament)

I discover the French daily way of life

I use my French knowledge and skills in an immersive situation

I use my French competencies in a French school, measuring myself against native speakers’ benchmarks

I am self responsible for 10 days away from my family

I learn to support my peers

I learn to be independent, resourceful and resilient

I learn to represent FASRI and be an ambassador of its mission and core values

I maintain a Memory Sensory Journal

 
 
 Interdisciplinary Discovery Trip to Montreal 

5 days in Montreal

Academics- inquiry themes Cultural Exchange Language Development


Emotional Intelligence Development

Interdisciplinary unit based on Visual Arts, Music and Math: data collection, art and music

I discover the French speaking province of Quebec and its links to the Rhode Island heritage

I discover the art and music of the First Peoples in Quebec

I visit Montreal’s landmarks

I use my French knowledge and skills in an immersive situation

I understand what “Francophonie” means through the lenses of the Quebecois lexicon

I am self responsible for 4 days away from my family

I learn to support my peers

I learn to be independent, resourceful and resilient

I learn to represent FASRI and be an ambassador of its mission and core values


Reciprocal Exchange Trip to Spain with host families 

Travelling to Spain for 10 days – welcoming Spanish peers in Providence for 10 days

Academics- inquiry themes Cultural Exchange Language Development


Emotional Intelligence Development

I learn to digitally collaborate with pen pals/peers before, during, and after the trip leg of the program

I explore curriculum academic content collaboratively with my counterparts, comparing perspectives and sharing ideas

I have a better assimilation, understanding, and application of the contents seen in class, by making it possible to apply linguistic skills: understand (listen and read); speak (take part in a conversation and express myself continuously), and write (daily educational workbook).

I practice the grammatical skills and vocabulary acquired in a real-world setting with my host family and my Spanish counterpart.

I engage in a cultural exchange where opinions, language, and cultural biases are explored.

I stay in a host family, and I welcome a peer in my family

I learn to develop new relationships and friendships with a peer of similar age from a different cultural background.

I attend a bilingual French/Spanish school in Spain

I visit Reus and Barcelona’s landmarks and discover history and culture related to France and Spain. 

I discover the Spanish daily way of life I become part of a French/Spanish speaking school and respect their values (role modeling)

I use my French knowledge and skills in an immersive situation

I understand what “Francophonie” means through the lenses of the Quebecois lexicon

I am self responsible for 4 days away from my family

I learn to support my peers

I learn to be independent, resourceful and resilient

I learn to represent FASRI and be an ambassador of its mission and core values

 


C) Coast to Coast Signature Program

In addition, we run a yearly optional research-based stewardship program that connects the French American School of Rhode Island, Providence, Rhode Island to the San Diego French American School in San Diego, California.

The Coast to Coast Global Issues Leadership Program is an inquiry-based and student-centered, cross-age, cross-curricular, cross-school, and cross-country initiative. Using the classroom, independent research, fieldwork, and a cross- country exchange program, students from two French American International Schools of the Association of French Schools in North America (AFSA) network work collaboratively to explore questions of their choosing related to a broad global theme.

Discover the 2019/2020 Coast to Coast Global Issues Leadership Program on Ocean Uses. Brochure

Academics- inquiry themes Cultural Exchange Language Development


Emotional Intelligence Development

I learn to digitally collaborate with pen pals/peers before, during, and after the trip leg of the program

I grow my research, analytical, critical and communication skills on a global issue theme: (Ocean Uses – 2019/20)

  • create and negotiate content
  • collect and analyze
  • compare perspective
  • share ideas
  • produce a end-product in form of an interactive presentation

All collaboratively with my peers

 

I stay in a host family, and I welcome a peer in my family

I explore resources related to my research field on the West Coast and the East Coast

I learn to develop new relationships and friendships

I enjoy a learning experience in another French American school of the AFSA network

I use my French, English, and Spanish knowledge and skills to communicate with like-wise globally –minded, multilingual and multicultural peers

I am self responsible for 4 days away from my family

I learn to support my peers

I learn to be independent, resourceful and resilient

I learn to represent FASRI and be an ambassador of its mission and core values

“We should cherish having the opportunity to offer this learning and real life experience to our kids. I can tell you that, talking to other parents from other schools about this project, makes them envy our schools. Spread the word!”

In the words of a Coast to Coast Parent – February 2020