Last Friday, the Impact Center, BCIS’s multipurpose future-focused learning environment, was abuzz with smiles and storytelling. Parents and faculty all huddled around displays of a diverse range of projects: a painting of a boat pushed forward by the waves, a video capturing fun with family and friends, presentations depicting rock climbing and stop-motion animation, freshly baked cupcakes and even an impromptu ukulele concert. But what do all these random projects symbolize; what do they have in common? While they were all made by different students from our Xperience Camp, each of these mesmerizing messages answered the same question: Who am I?

Who am I? Finding the answers to such a question might not be as easy as you think. What are my hobbies, my passion? What are the personality traits that make me me? During our Xperience Camp, the Secondary School (SS) students new to BCIS were tasked with answering this difficult question. The answers to such a question serve as a great introduction and welcome for our new Warriors. The project also serves as a good introduction to the project-based learning of the SS. “It’s a chance for them to walk through that process of creating something, exploring project-based learning, and representing themselves to the community,” explains April, the Xperience Camp Coordinator. It also offers a fantastically fun day of introductions through a wide range of projects, making this experience truly the perfect welcome to BCIS!

While our talented new SS students were hard at work getting to know the ins and outs of project-based learning at BCIS, they weren’t the only ones having fun. Students new to our Elementary School (ES) were also able to warm up to their new school environment with many fun activities. As learning in the ES is based on inquiry, students took part in many collaborative investigative projects. Exploring everything from the science of circuits made of fruits to the art of painting, students got comfortable with the learning environment at BCIS and made plenty of new friends. Xperience Camp isn’t just about learning and growing, it’s about fun and community! Students even got to jump in the pool to cool off from the summer heat and learned to paddle kayaks in a classic summer camp activity.

Students aren’t the only ones who get to experience the fun of Xperience Camp. This year, our team of teachers, students and alumni supporting the camp invited our new parents to attend presentations, welcoming them to the school and informing them about the learning their students will engage in. Vivian (Grade 12) and Qinglan (Class of 2022, University of Cambridge) gave personal accounts of their time at BCIS, and teachers could answer any questions parents had about the learning and teaching methods at the school. Students aren’t the only ones having to adjust to an unfamiliar environment, so it’s important that our new parents are included in this process as well.

Moving to a new school can be a daunting task for everyone. The BCIS Xperience Camp makes this a much smoother transition. Our young learners can slowly get used to inquiry-based learning, while still enjoying some of the play-based approaches they enjoyed in kindergarten. Meanwhile, secondary learners get a head start on the project-based learning that will guide them through their time in the SS. Parents can get an in-depth look at all these learning styles and have their most pressing questions and concerns answered and taken care of. We welcome all our new BCISers and look forward to welcoming back our returning community members next week with the start of school!