With registration for Maymester 2025 opening for Middle and Upper School students, we’re reflecting on Maymester 2024, the inaugural season of Woodward’s experiential learning program. We spoke with Upper School Maymester Director Andrew Jones and Middle School Maymester Director Wanda Williams about what the experience was like for students and teachers.

 

Tell us about Maymester 2024. What kind of feedback did you get from the students?

Andrew Jones: Maymester 2024 was the first opportunity we had as a school to take a step back from the traditional academic classroom and a step toward the philosophy of experiential education. Student feedback was overwhelmingly positive—students loved the change of pace, relaxed schedule, community building, and “learning for the sake of learning.” They also appreciated that there were no grades, no homework, and no tests to study for!

Wanda Williams: The Middle School Maymester was amazing! Parents were excited about our new experiential learning opportunities, and we didn’t disappoint. As in the Upper School, students enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere. They especially enjoyed the opportunity to experience and learn new things with classmates they may not have had the chance to have in their classes during the year. They liked the variety of classes so much that they found it difficult to choose.

 

What are you excited about for Maymester 2025?

AJ: We are excited to build upon what we learned last year while continuing to emphasize experiential learning. Many of our courses will be offered again, but we’re also excited about some of our new offerings: Film & Philosophy, Experiencing Psychology, and the History of Rock & Roll, just to name a few. In the Upper School, we are offering 56 different courses this year!

WW: Building is the correct term. We have a great foundation, and the knowledge we gained from the first year is invaluable. We are ready for another unparalleled Maymester experience. Middle School students have 24 courses to choose from, ranging from the very popular Venture Outdoors to Behind the Seams. I am really excited that more of our courses have an added social outreach component like a gently used sports equipment drive.

 

Have you made any changes to the way Maymester will work for spring 2025?

AJ: We captured feedback from both teachers and students and took the feedback we received very seriously. We want to build a program that is meaningful for students and faculty members. One of the biggest pieces of feedback we received was that our local field trips were wildly successful. Focusing on the first line of our mission, “We are Atlanta at its very best,” we want to lean into everything our city has to offer. For example, students studying the civil rights movement visited Ebenezer Baptist Church and students studying zoology visited the Georgia Aquarium. In 2024, students were able to go on field trips to 47 unique locations around the city!

WW: We plan to have a smaller student-to-teacher ratio with additional courses in order to provide more hands-on learning. Also, teachers have been encouraged to incorporate field trips if they didn't plan for them last year.

 

What does Maymester bring to the student experience at Woodward?

AJ: Maymester is anchored to the philosophy of experiential learning—“learning by doing.” Though we know that experiential learning happens every day all year long at Woodward Academy, during Maymester it is the primary focus. Students have the opportunity to explore topics and subjects that they would not typically get to explore in a “traditional” school setting. Teachers have the opportunity to share their passions and interests with students in a new and unique way. Students are placed in courses based on their interests, so it is very possible for a mix of freshmen, sophomores, and juniors to be in the same class, which is not typical during the academic year. We also found that Maymester was a great way to build community among our students and teachers, as students are relieved of academic pressure.

WW: We focus on immersive learning experiences, guest speakers, and field trips that enhance the educational value of the program and make learning more dynamic and interactive. Students enjoy the mixed grade courses and community time.

 

Tell us about some of the most popular Maymester experiences.

AJ: All of our Maymester courses were popular! Some of the most unique experiences were: The Art of Vehicle Maintenance, Service Learning, Introduction to Yoga, Zoology, and Outdoor Education and Leadership. These courses offered students unique experiences that they would not necessarily have had during the school day.

WW: Last year, any course that had a food component was popular in the Middle School, like Bake It Better, Healthy Helpings, and A Taste of French. Venture Outdoors, Sports Management 101, and The Art of Hip Hop Production also were very popular.

 

What has faculty feedback been like? Are teachers enjoying the opportunity to lead students through courses they are passionate about?

AJ: The aspects that teachers have enjoyed the most about the Maymester program are student engagement, community building, meaningful off-campus experiences, and creative hands-on projects. Also, teachers had the opportunity to co-teach their course with a colleague, which led to some unique collaborations between teachers from different subject areas. Many teachers felt that the Maymester program was “too short,” and we needed more time to fully immerse our students in experiential learning!

WW: Teachers appreciated the opportunity to create and plan experiences they were passionate about. They valued the autonomy to choose their teams and tailor the program to their interests. The immersive, off-campus experiences were seen as highly beneficial for student engagement and learning.

 

Are there tips you would like to share with parents and students about the registration process and how to find the Maymester course that is right for them?

AJ: Registration for Upper School Maymester 2025 begins next week. Registration will open for specific classes on specific days (i.e.: Juniors on Monday, Sophomores on Tuesday, etc.) and last throughout the course of the week. Students should make a note of the course code (i.e.: 25MM01) in order to find their courses on the registration form. Students will then rank their courses in order of preference. We will work diligently to place students in courses that they are interested in. Student placement will be announced in March.

WW: Even though Upper School students are ranking choices, Middle School students will not rank their choices so that we can have a little more control over course size this year for supervision purposes. Students will receive one of their five choices so they should choose five that they are interested in. Registration opens on January 15 for eighth grade during homeroom study hall and on January 16 for seventh grade during study hall. It will close on January 17 at the end of the school day.

 

Because domestic and international travel courses fill quickly, when should parents and students who are interested in one of those experiences start looking into those for Maymester 2026?

AJ: Families can expect to hear about our 2026 international Maymester courses as soon as school begins in August. Domestic travel courses will be revealed in September. It is important to note that travel is just a small slice of the Maymester pie. About 90% of our program is made up of on-campus courses with a local field component. There are plenty of amazing options for students during Maymester, whether that includes travel or not!