Experience
One of the beauties of boarding school is the way all parts of life intersect. We want our summer community to be a safe place to take creative risks and strive to be our best selves. This means striking a good work-life balance and considering non-academic time just as important as our course work. During the program, we schedule open-ended free time in the afternoons and evenings; we plan casual gatherings like weekend picnics; and we have structured co-curriculars, field trips, and sit-down meals. EXP is a place where students can step outside of their comfort zone, collaborate and find creative solutions to all types of problems.
CLASSES
Our program consists of project-based, creative classes that approach subjects in fresh and exciting ways. What subjects? What ways? We love to try new things—which means EXP changes from year-to-year as we play and experiment. Below are our 2025 courses!
Deerfield in 3-D: Architecture and Design
Become more familiar with the place that you’re spending your summer program in with a 3-D exploration of Deerfield, through the lens of architecture, history and design. We will begin by studying designed spaces with frequent trips around the buildings of the Deerfield Academy campus with sketchbooks in hand, learning how to draw one- and two-point perspectives. Then, we’ll transform our sketching skills and newfound architectural knowledge into conceptual sculptural objects built by hand. Hone your design, analytical, and building skills while learning more about architecture and why buildings look the way they do.
Lost & Found: Writing Your Way Home
Pack your notebook, a pencil, and a pair of sunglasses for this creative writing class in which the world around you becomes your inspiration for diving into personal essaying! Have you ever stopped to appreciate the golden light of late afternoon? Or a rainbow at the end of a rainstorm? Or the reflection of a cloudscape on the windows of a skyscraper? As you practice the craft of storytelling, you will use the landscape as a springboard for exploring the connection between place and identity. Fun field trips, reflective journaling, workshops, writing support groups, and reading some examples of beautiful place-based memoirs will lead every student to the composition of a polished personal story. We’ll end the class with a storytelling party, complete with tasty snacks, drinks, and the delightful words of your creation. Whether you’re already an avid writer or you’re new to the world of the written word, this journey into the writing process is perfect for everyone!
Rocket Science: Blasting Off into the World of Physics and Engineering
Prepare yourself for an amazing trip through the physics and engineering behind rocket science! Throughout this hands-on course, you will have the opportunity to dive deep into the fundamental principles of physics that govern the motion of rockets. From Newton’s laws of motion to the dynamics of thrust and propulsion, you’ll discover the theory behind what makes rockets soar into the sky and beyond! In addition, you have the chance to put your own theories to the test by designing and building your own water-powered rocket! By the end of this three-week journey, you will have a solid understanding of the fundamental principles of mechanics and their application to one of the most exciting events in science: launching a rocket!
GameCraft: Exploring the Art of Video Game Design
Welcome to the thrilling world of video game design – where imagination meets innovation! In this course, students will gain the fundamental skills of game design, powered by the cutting-edge program, Game Maker. We’ll dive head-first into the realm of game development as we learn the ins and outs of Game Maker. From mastering variables to unleashing the power of functions and objects, students will be armed with the tools to bring their wildest gaming fantasies to life. Working in small teams, students will flex their creative muscles as they design and construct their very own custom video games. From brainstorming epic storylines, rules, and content to crafting thrilling 2D levels, the possibilities are endless and the only limit is your imagination! No experience in video game design or coding is required for this course.
Hidden Mysteries in American History
Do you love solving puzzles and uncovering mysteries? In this hands-on history adventure, you’ll become a detective of the past, cracking open real historical mysteries that have been buried or forgotten. You’ll step into the shoes of journalists, archaeologists, and historians as you solve real historical mysteries like vanished towns and powerful movements left out of your schoolbooks. Each day, you’ll uncover clues like old photos, letters, and artifacts to piece together untold stories from American history. In the final week, you’ll take the lead, solving a mystery of your own and presenting it in a creative project. Get ready to uncover the stories history almost forgot! Are you ready to investigate?
Making Music: Collaboration, Creativity, and Composition
Music is a universal language—and in this course, we’ll use it to collaborate, express ourselves, and create something new. Designed for students with some prior experience on an instrument or voice, this class invites you to dive into the art of ensemble playing, songwriting, and improvisation. You’ll explore genres like classical, jazz, and pop while building confidence and musicality through group rehearsals, composition sessions, and innovative exercises that stretch your musical thinking. Whether you’re arranging a cover, composing an original piece, or developing new ways to learn and teach musical ideas, you’ll grow as both a musician and a collaborator. We’ll conclude our work with a performance that showcases the music we’ve crafted along the way.
Our Planet, Our Responsibility: Tackling Climate Change Together
Climate change is the greatest challenge to humans in the 21st century, yet what is it? Can we see it? Are we the problem, the solution, or both? Students will dive into a survey of topics about what climate change is, how to distinguish climate effects from weather-related phenomena, what evidence supports the theory of climate change, and how we, as scientists and humans, can mitigate climate change exacerbation. Students will have the opportunity to further support their education on climate by practicing skills in the lab and in the field, such as using infrared thermometers to map heat islands, testing soil for temperature, biodiversity, and carbon flux, and evaluating water samples for pollution. Students will identify patterns within that data, and draw conclusions about climate change in the Deerfield area, ultimately using their mastery to develop a climate change simulation game.
Break A Leg! Performance on the Stage
Have you ever been nervous to speak in front of a crowd? Are you queasy at just the thought of reading in class or performing publicly? Or, are you a seasoned speaker/performer looking to perfect your craft? In all cases, this is the class for you! Through building a tight-knit ensemble, this course encourages students to hone their critical and creative thinking skills and increase their confidence in both performing and public speaking. Students will work collaboratively on scenes, and monologues from established playwrights which will be performed on the final day. Your self-confidence will soar during our time together, and you will never again hesitate to take full advantage of an opportunity to perform.
Reading, Writing, Eating: Creating a Culinary Zine
Join us on an adventure to broaden our taste buds and our writing skills as we dig into the world of food! Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be a restaurant critic? Or thought about writing down a family favorite recipe? Or perhaps you’re curious to try eight different types of cheese puffs to see which is the best? In this class we will become official tasters, food critics, and journalists, and in each of these roles we will do hands-on experiments that will culminate in pieces of writing. We will read, watch, and eat in order to get inspiration for our own creations, and we will end our class by compiling our writing into small magazines, or zines, that we will share at a gathering alongside our favorite treats. If you’re excited at the prospect of introducing your classmates to well-loved foods, trying new flavors, learning to write in a range of genres, and practicing giving and receiving feedback, this class is for you!
Explorations in Mathematics - The Art of Mathematical Problem-Solving
How tall is the flagpole and how many flagpoles would it take to reach the moon? How many times a day does someone sneeze at the Experimentory? Given 6-piece and 10-piece orders of chicken nuggets, how many different amounts of nuggets can you order? Mathematical problem solving is the art and science of finding a path to a solution, even when there is no clear place to start. Through exploring the Deerfield campus, creating art, building structures, and more, students in this class will learn how math can be used to see the world and will explore the fun and creative exercise of problem solving! Students will collaborate to solve problems, model situations, and find ideas that truly interest and excite them. Students will also do origami, build mathematical objects, and use both hands-on application and mathematics to discover new ideas. This course will introduce students to concepts such as mathematical problem solving, modeling, mathematical origami, and game theory. Students of all experience levels are welcome in this course!
People
EXP teachers are smart and curious—just like you! They will guide you through a process of discovery, while allowing you to follow your own unique interests—wherever they may take you.
During the year, our faculty teach at Deerfield Academy and enjoy exploring specific topics of their curriculum with EXP students over the summer. Being familiar with all that DA has to offer, they are able to support each student’s ideas to help them become a reality. Along with our teaching faculty, residential assistants and office staff also help support students and make our program a success. Our residential assistants live in the dorms, plan activities, assist teachers in the classroom, and have fun alongside our students. The office staff are your go-to resources as you learn about the program, apply, and make your way to campus. All of these individuals work closely together to ensure that EXP is a summer experience that students won’t soon forget. Below you’ll see examples of some of our teaching faculty from previous summers. These faculty members continue to teach at Deerfield Academy and bring vast knowledge and enthusiasm to our program.
David Payne
FACULTY
“Functional Art:
Architectural Sketching and Design”
Mr. Payne’s love of architecture started young: he grew up in a quintessential New England small town full of beautiful 18th and 19th century buildings. In time he not only grew an appreciation of how the function and form of individual features become a building and home, but also how individual buildings together constitute a place and a community. In addition to traditional architectural design classes, he teaches AP 3-D Design. His classes place strong value on practical spaces and architecture as a tactile craft–for example, designing a new Academy dorm and learning to draw plans and build models by hand. And with three active boys at home, he is no stranger to change and adventure.
Jamie Frank
FACULTY
"FOR THE SAKE OF ARGUMENT: EXPLORING ETHICAL ISSUES"
After graduating from college with a teaching degree and then attending law school, Ms. Frank practiced law for five years. During that time, she missed the interesting, Socratic conversations of a law school classroom so much that she returned to education in 2013. When she came to Deerfield, Ms. Frank was excited for the opportunity to talk with talented young people about ethical issues in the world around them and how they could be agents for positive change. Ms. Frank lives on campus with her partner and her son, and when she’s not reading the news and listening to political podcasts she loves to garden and to hike in the beautiful hills of the Pioneer Valley.
CATRIONA HYNDS
FACULTY
“Break a Leg: Performance on the Stage”
Ms Hynds was raised in the foothills of the Himalayas. The backdrop of the mountains growing up surely inspired her love of travel which has led to her living and working in many countries. As a professionally trained director, Ms. Hynds brings a unique approach to her theater and acting classes. She encourages students to move out of their comfort zones to maximize their creativity, while having fun at the same time.
Jaime Correa
FACULTY
“Your First Drop: Lyric Writing and Video Production”
Mr. Correa fell under the spell of the lonely, wandering cowboys on the silver screen at an early age. In time, his interests expanded from the individual stories to how they were told through words and images. These fascinations led to degrees in Film and Television, and then Film Studies and Cultural Studies. His interest in music and songwriting is more personal passion than formal education. He studies classical guitar in his free time and finds songwriting a new incarnation of his love of poetry. His EXP classes are a fusion of all these creative and academic pursuits. He loves cultivating his students’ visual, poetic, and musical literacy.
A DAY AT EXP
Breakfast
Course 1
Club Time
Course 1
Lunch
Course 2
DFG
Course 2
cocurriculars
Dinner
Leadership class
dorm/hall check in
Lights out
"DFG"
Dorm / Field / Greer
Free time is an opportunity to recharge in whatever way suits you: reading in the Dorm, a pickup soccer game in the Fields, ice cream over a game of cards in the Greer Cafe—or a little bit of all three.
DORMS
Dorms aren’t just the place you sleep: your evenings there include snacks, impromptu dance parties, birthday celebrations, and time to reflect on all you learned and experienced during the day.
MEALS
Sit-down meals in the Dining Hall are a great place to meet, relax, and chat with friends.
Co-curriculars
Our team of proctors lead student cocurricular times each day; cocurriculars offer great chances to enjoy a favorite pastime or to try something new—and to have fun!
Studio
Every evening students return to their classrooms to tinker and work on their projects with their collaborators.
All X
Everyone comes together to reflect on EXP’s themes and to have a lot of fun at the same time!
Leadership and Communication
Ideas can’t change the world unless they are shared with others, so developing leadership and communication skills is an essential part of the EXP experience.