Knightly News

“This is experiential learning.” Sarah Pulliam, Science Department Chair

Whether in a classroom, a gym, the Chapel or a cloud forest in Costa Rica, Episcopal offers a range of meaningful learning experiences. After a semester of studying the climate, habitat, animals and plants of the tropical regions of the world, Upper School students had the opportunity to experience firsthand what they’ve learned during a nine-day trip to Costa Rica. Six members of Sarah Pulliam’s Tropical Ecology course were joined by six Upper School classmates, Pulliam, Spanish teacher Sergio Ramos and a parent volunteer. Pulliam says the explorers stayed in rustic, family-owned hostels and ventured well off the beaten path to get an authentic scientific and cultural experience.

“Costa Rica was an amazing experience,” says junior Olivia Melancon. “We were able to learn the impacts we have on our global community. As young people, it showed us the impact we can make and the importance of the world we live in.”

Learning that Brings the Pages of a Book to Life

“We experienced three different ecosystems,” says Pulliam. Students traveled via bus to a cloud forest, the paramo region and the lowland tropical rainforest. They also visited a chocolate farm and a farm specializing in permaculture. Pulliam says one of the highlights of the experience was participating in service-learning projects. Students tagged sea turtles for scientific research, which meant catching and tagging the turtles and removing barnacles and parasites. Students also did their part for the Costa Rican environment by planting mangrove trees. The seeds of the trees are a source of food for the turtles and aid in erosion prevention. Both projects required students to get dirty and wet. It was not easy work, but Pulliam says everyone was thrilled to participate.

While students may resist rising early back home, Pulliam says they enthusiastically woke up at 6 am to spend two hours birdwatching in Costa Rica. Their reward was spotting toucans, macaws, quetzals and other tropical birds one would only see in a zoo in Louisiana. After learning about leafcutter ants in class, students were also excited to find the tiny but mighty creatures in the wild. Pulliam says the teens shouted scientific names and were delighted to see the creatures beyond a photo in a book. “As a teacher, it’s so impactful for me to have students experience what we’re learning in the classroom,” Pulliam says with a smile. This is the fourth time she has taken Episcopal students to Costa Rica, and the adventure never gets old.

A Lesson in Much More Than Science

Pulliam says Costa Rica makes an ideal location for a science excursion because it is “rich for teaching field biology.” But that’s not all. One reason she loves bringing students on trips like this is because of the opportunity it provides them to experience a different culture. Students interacted with residents and learned more about life in Costa Rica by staying in rustic locations. As they watched Costa Ricans save leftover food for composting and avoid using plastics, students also gained an appreciation for how locals conserve their environment. 

In addition, the experience was an immersive language opportunity as students practiced their Spanish-speaking skills. Pulliam watched as their confidence bloomed while speaking with residents after so many years of speaking the language back home with each other in a classroom. “You can see the kids grow and develop an awareness,” she says.

“Getting out in the world is experiential learning,” says Pulliam. “It’s about seeing connections and understanding cultures. It helps students develop a global perspective.” Episcopal educators have long encouraged students to become global citizens through travel and learning experiences. The World Language Department offers advanced language courses taught by native speakers who are passionate about sharing their culture with students. A range of travel experiences is also available. After a pandemic-related delay, travel returned to Episcopal last spring, and a group of students experienced European culture and history together.

Inspiring the Future

Experiential learning experiences matter. Jessica O’Neal ’11 traveled with Pulliam to Costa Rica during her senior year.  Years later, O’Neal has a master’s degree in biology and teaches science to Episcopal seventh graders. Pulliam says several of the 2011 travelers pursued scientific careers once they graduated, and she hopes the Costa Rica experience helped confirm their decisions. “We can all look back on experiences we had that were formative,” says Pulliam. “Experiences where we said, ‘I love this, and this is what I want to do.’” She hopes experiences like the Costa Rica trip continue to inspire students and prepare them for meaningful lives.

The Episcopal School of Baton Rouge 2024-2025 application is now available! ​For more information on the application process, to schedule a tour, or learn more about the private school, contact us at [email protected] or 225-755-2685.