Caroline Woolard is teaching a class about barter at The New School. For her latest video of live/work/philosophy go to http://vimeo.com/31042328. She is also is co-founder of Trade School and will represent them for smART power in Delhi, India. Trade School is a non-traditional learning environment that runs on barter. Anyone can teach a class, and students sign up for classes by agreeing to meet the barter requests of teachers. Now in its third year, Trade School celebrates practical wisdom, mutual respect, and the social nature of exchange. Trade School classes range from weaving and grant writing to ghost hunting and balloon animals, and teachers have asked for everything from research and advice to vegetables.
I have learned so many skills and habits that have made me a better person throughout my time here. To name a few: I have learned how to be a good roommate, how to communicate, and how to trust myself. I have learned the importance of staying hydrated, getting good sleep, and having a clean work space. I have learned how to share space both in the studios and dorms. Lastly, I have learned that it’s okay to advocate for what you need and that there is no harm in asking for help or support.
— Grace Reynolds, Fall 2023
Our daughter graduated summa cum laude from NYU with a double major in Studio Art and Art History. She is now working for Calvin Klein. She is contemplating getting a law degree and pursuing a career repatriating art objects. She still keeps in touch with several of her Oxbow classmates and they have regular reunions in Manhattan... I would say that Oxbow was the best semester that any of my four children spent in their cumulative 16 years of high school. Our daughter was the right kid, and for the right kid you do a wonderful job. You changed her life. Thank you.
— John Powley, Parent
At Oxbow, I got to try inquiry-based learning for the first time. This allowed me to control the amount of rigor and the depth of research in my topic, as well as picking a topic that I found most interesting. From going through this new process of learning, I feel excited to go back to the rigor of my sending school to apply the inquiry-based perspective to my classes.
— Meave Cunningham, Fall, 2015
A School Like No Other