February 25, 2011 -- Beginning in early childhood, Oak Grove students understand they are part of something bigger than their classrooms, and that we all share responsibility for our global community. Nowhere is this better expressed than in the annual month-long senior trip to India. For the past 15 years, Oak Grove seniors have spent the end of December and the majority of January visiting Oak Grove’s sister schools in India as well as traveling to cities and rural communities. 

 

Preparation and follow-up for the trip is incorporated into the student’s interdisciplinary English and World Cultures courses, and is a culminating rite of passage for Oak Grove secondary students. A community service project is also a fundamental part of this trip's purpose. During the year, seniors work diligently to earn $1,500 through sales and events in order to fund School in a Box – a comprehensive educational program that provides elementary school children in India an education for an entire year. 

 

“Kids face a complex world. Our students understand they have a positive role to play both locally and globally, and they don’t shy away from these imperatives. So often I am amazed by the kindness, the foresight, and the ingenuity of these teenagers… I can’t wait to see how they will help shape our future,” says Meredy Benson Rice, Head of School. “I didn’t realize that I would be so influenced by this trip…” writes Lilly Mays, an Oak Grove senior, “It doesn’t take very long to see how similar people all over the world are, and how much we have to learn about that fact. I can see how decisions we make here, decisions we all make everywhere, have effects much greater than we predict or intend.”

 

Past graduates of Oak Grove describe the lasting effects of their travel experience in India, especially focusing on the sense of gratitude they continue to carry with them, the awareness of taking nothing for granted, and the desire to live more simply. They write that, “…helping others is the best way to put your own problems into perspective; we have a lot to learn from each other.”

 

The current seniors presented their experiences at India Night - Friday, February 25th at 7:00PM in Oak Grove’s student center. The program was free and open to the public.

Founded in 1975 by J. Krishnamurti, Oak Grove School offers progressive, college-prep high school, junior high, elementary, and early childhood programs, as well as afterschool classes and summer camps. For more information visit www.oakgroveschool.com or call 646-8236.