Academics

Experiential Education

Experiential Education is the heart of an Emery/Weiner education. We believe students learn best when they step into new environments—collaborating on service projects in Houston, hiking mountain trails together, or exploring history abroad. Each grade is anchored by a guiding question that helps students reflect on who they are and the impact they can make.

The journey begins in 6th grade with “If I’m not for myself, who will be for me?” and culminates in 12th grade as seniors proclaim Hineni (“Here I am”), ready to lead with confidence, empathy, and a strong sense of identity.

The World Is Our Classroom.

Our Pillars

List of 4 items.

  • Community Building

    We help students build relationships with themselves, their peers, the faculty, and with people and communities beyond Emery's walls.

  • Distinctive Experience

    We go deeper and beyond what students might experience in other travel or vacations.

  • Curricular Integration

    We encourage critical thinking and design experiences to complement our academic curriculum.

  • Moral Development

    We support personal growth in areas like responsibility, integrity, and Tikkun Olam.

A Place to Learn, the Space to Grow

List of 1 items.

  • Themes:

    6th Grade: If I am not for myself, who will be for me?
    7th Grade: If I am only for myself, what am I?
    8th Grade: If not now, when?
    9th Grade: Where are we?
    10th Grade: Where have we been?
    11th Grade: Where are we going?
    12th Grade: Hineni: Here I am

6th Grade

List of 1 items.

  • If I am not for myself, who will be for me?

    Trips:
    Retreat
    Spring Camping Trip

7th Grade

List of 1 items.

  • 7th Grade

    If I am only for myself, what am I?

    Trips:
    Retreat
    Spring Trip to Galveston

8th Grade

List of 1 items.

  • If not now, when?


    Trips:
    Retreat
    Spring Trip to Washington, D.C.

9th Grade

List of 1 items.

  • Where are we?


    Trips:
    Shabbaton
    Outdoor Trip to Big Bend
    Culture Trip exploring Houston

10th Grade

List of 1 items.

  • 10th Grade

    Where have we been?


    Trips:
    Shabbaton
    Outdoor Trip to Hill Country
    Culture Trip to Los Angeles, California

11th Grade

List of 1 items.

  • Where are we going?


    Trips:
    Shabbaton
    Outdoor Trip to Hill Country
    Culture Trip to Deep South

12th Grade

List of 1 items.

  • Hineni: Here I am


    Trips:
    Shabbaton
    January: exploring the concept of Faith
    March: exploring Traditions & Transitions

Middle School

Our middle school students attend two experiential outings per school year: a fall retreat and a spring culture trip.

List of 2 items.

  • In the Fall

    The fall retreat helps students become accustomed to the school, facilitates relationship-building among students and between students and faculty, and sets the tone for learning together throughout the year.

  • In the Spring

    In the spring, 6th – 8th graders embark on a developmentally appropriate overnight trip meant to extend students’ education beyond the classroom while further sharpening interpersonal skills. 
    • 6th: In their first year of Middle School, students go on a camping trip where they learn skills such as pitching their own tents, building fires, and orienteering.
    • 7th: During their middle year of Middle School, students deepen their understanding of science as they explore the ecosystems of Galveston, while also discovering the area’s vibrant history.
    • 8th: In their final year of Middle School, students travel to Washington, D.C., where they explore our nation's civic history and gain a deeper understanding of what it means to be an engaged citizen.

      Upper School

      Our Upper School students travel three times a year. All of our educational travel builds toward the final Anne and Don Graubart Poland/Israel trip. Emery seniors spend a week in Poland prior to spending three weeks in Israel. The trip to Israel occurs each spring in May and early June.

      List of 3 items.

      • In the Fall

        Each grade, 9th – 12th, attends a fall retreat hosted at a nearby camp that is led by the grade-level advisors, teachers, and coaches. 

      • In the Winter

        In the winter, 9th – 11th graders participate in outdoor education programs meant to stretch their boundaries, refocus the students on grade-level themes, and continue to strengthen the relationships they began to build in August.  The 9th grade trip to Big Bend, for example, is one of Emery’s legacy trips – it has existed since the inception of the school – and is designed as a foundational moment in the students’ physical, intellectual, spiritual, and social journey.

        Meanwhile, seniors remain in Houston exploring the concept of 'faith' as they visit local places of worship representing various world religions, while actively participating in tikkun olam projects and meaningful community engagement.

      • In the Spring

        Each spring, all Upper School students embark on culture trips that bridge social-emotional learning with academic growth, while strengthening the sense of community within their grade level. 

        • 9th Grade: Freshmen spend five days exploring Houston in the spring, delving into the city’s rich history and discovering hidden gems in their hometown. This immersive experience fosters a deeper sense of connection and belonging.
        • 10th Grade: Sophomores venture to Los Ángeles, California, on a trip focused on social justice, the power of second chances, and the historical significance of Jewish integration into urban America.  While there, they get to meet with and learn from a variety of communities that are vastly different from their own.
        • 11th Grade: Juniors embark on a Civil Rights Journey across multiple cities in the Deep South. They study pivotal moments in history and walk in the footsteps of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., directly tying into their history curriculum.
        • 12th Grade: Each March, Emery Seniors engage in a 5-day local experience centered around "Traditions and Transitions." They reflect on leaving a legacy while preparing for life after high school. In May/June, they travel internationally to Poland and Israel where they explore the complex history of the Jewish people and deepen their understanding of Jewish culture—culminating their experiential education as EWS students.

        Experiential Education in the Classroom

        While travel is a large part of our Experiential Education program, Emery also invests in training its teachers to use experiential pedagogy in their classrooms. We’re dedicated to sending a set of teachers each year to the Independent Schools Experiential Education Network (ISEEN) Teachers Institute, a 3-day workshop that helps teachers use experiential tools in their content areas. Some examples of experiential education in the classroom include:

        List of 1 members.

        • Photo of Ashley Lauderdale

          Ashley Lauderdale 

          Experiential Education Coordinator
          (832) 204-5900

        Experience The Difference

        The Emery/Weiner School
        9825 Stella Link Road, Houston, TX 77025
        Phone: (832) 204-5900    Fax: (832) 204-5910
        The Emery/Weiner School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, sexual orientation or identity, or religion in all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. The Emery/Weiner School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, sexual orientation or identity, or religion in the administration of educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.