Imagining the Future: Marylhurst Middle School Visits Pacific University
Last Friday, our middle school students spent the day at Pacific University, stepping into several corners of a college campus and experiencing what learning looks, sounds, and feels like across a range of disciplines.
Students participated in one of three department experiences: Science, Art, or Athletics. In the science department, students had the opportunity to share and discuss their science fair projects with university science faculty, receiving thoughtful questions and feedback about their work. Others toured the athletic facilities with Pacific athletes and learned about what it means to be a student-athlete at the Division III level, including how athletes balance academic, social, and athletic commitments. In the art department, students explored the studios and spent time drawing with an art professor, gaining insight into how artists observe, practice, and develop their craft.
Students also visited the powerful exhibit Blight, an artistic exploration of the Irish Potato Famine. They spent time with the artist who created the work, learning about the ideas and historical research behind the installation and asking questions about the creative process.
Another highlight of the day was a visit to the theater department with Kat, our theater director. Students toured the black box theater, where several students recited their poetry. They visited the costume shop and spoke with college students designing and constructing costumes for an upcoming production and stepped onto the main stage to see how the set was being built for the performance.
Before leaving campus, students also visited one of Pacific’s outdoor classrooms to gather inspiration for their own work designing outdoor spaces for the middle school. Seeing how another learning community has shaped outdoor environments helped spark ideas about how learning spaces can extend beyond the walls of a classroom.
Research shows that when students begin to imagine themselves in college by middle school, the likelihood that they will pursue that path increases significantly. College is not the right path for everyone, and there are many ways people continue learning and developing their talents after high school. At Marylhurst, we believe it is important for students to see college as a real and accessible option so that it remains part of the range of possibilities they can consider for their future.
You can explore the exhibit Blight here.
