The Baret Way
The Four Domains
enigmatic, personal, and sometimes universal. In this domain, our students encounter creativity in its many guises— art, writing, architecture, cinema, music, theater—understand its movements, the cultures that inspire them, and engage in acts of creation themselves.
ficial exploration. By listening to and engaging with experts entrenched in the complexities of their regions, we cultivate a deep cultural literacy, a cosmopolitan fluency within our scholars. Every month as they transition to a new region, the Morning Program shifts its focus, dedi- cating itself to unraveling the intricacies of that specific culture. From the rich his- tory and traditions of each region to con- temporary advancements and challenges, Baret Scholars never look at the world the same way again. The Morning Program features a kalei- doscope of content. Students learn about the many dimensions of a region: econo- my, art, culture, history, healthcare, reli- gions, geography, mythology, sport, de- mographics, fashion, food, and politics, among others. There are no old-fashioned lectures here, but a variety of deliveries: we bring important, relevant elements from entertainment to education in order to grow interest and spark curiosity. The Morning Program is not class! It’s a daily event. Our speakers will be from a range of professions: there are authors, comedians, social critics, scientists, artists, reporters, CEOs, and many others—they are speak- ers, dancers, singers, and never lecturers! Just like any major news show, ceremony, or conference, the Morning Program has charismatic hosts who distill the topic of the day, introduce speakers and topics, moderate Q&A and debates, and keep the show vibrant and modern. Additionally, our students always participate—they are not passive listeners. Pre-selected ques- tions from our students engage the speak- ers, ignite discussions, and everyone par- ticipates in creative ways. Those sections which are talks are all TED-style—compact and curated pre- sentations by highly informed and skilled experts. There are also panel discussions, interviews, conversations, short films, cooking demonstrations, dance, and mu- sic performances. In short, The Morning Program keeps students on their toes— not because they might get cold-called by a teacher, but because they are on the edge of their seat, wondering what might come next. The spatial environment in which stu- dents experience the Morning Program has been given careful consideration. As shown in this book, Baret is designing a Shakespeare-theatre-like space, an in-the- round set with state-of-the-art technology, excellent sound and visuals, and comfort- able seating. With a total audience of 200
students and staff, it is a set, not a classroom or a dull conference hall in a hotel. The con- ference facilities we rent in each city are a “canvas” for the space we’ll create. The Morning Program is a significant undertaking by Baret Scholars. Produc- ing 7 10-day conferences across the world is no small feat. In the course of a year, Baret students experience 175–210 major segments, 25–30 in each region. This re- quires creative and programming resourc- es—and Baret has them. Our production team is supported by a host of advisors, filmmakers, and technology experts. For each Morning Program segment, we’ve created minute-by-minute “runs of show,” thinking through each major element, each delivery mechanism (in- terview, debate, talk, performance), and what we call “interstitials,” which break up the major elements. To see detailed previews of our speakers and the topics they discourse on, please see our chapter on The Morning Program. 2 Afternoon Options BARET BELIEVES in the power of variety and choice. Just as our students come from different geographies and have dif- ferent interests, they also want to spend their time differently. For the afternoons, we have developed purposeful academic programs in the form of workshops, sem- inars, and immersive experiences. Baret’s Afternoon Options allow students to pur- sue an area of interest, build an intellectu- al bridge to their upcoming Fellowship, or prepare themselves for the rigor of univer- sity education.
who are interested in preparing for APs or other standardised tests during their Baret year can do so on their own or with our selected partners with whom they can engage for an additional fee. They can also register for Extended Project Quali- fication (EPQ)—allowing students to dive into topics that captivate them and con- vert a strand of Fellowships into a quali- fication which is acknowledged by many leading universities around the world. Given each student’s desires, needs, and preferences, our Fellows advise them on how to spend their weekday after- noons. Regardless, it is important to note: the choice remains with the student—they could study for APs, join a Baret seminar, a college-readiness workshop, language immersion, or independently explore the city they find themselves in. Students who would like to attend these workshops need to register for them at the beginning of each semester. Students take only one workshop, which meets once per week, as we want to en- courage our students to explore the new worlds around them and spend time with their fellow students.
IN EACH region, students spend 18–20 days in a Tier 1 city, which we call the Home Base city, followed by 7–10 days in another part of the region—a Fel- lowship. Just as a pebble doesn’t make a beach, regions cannot be understood through just one city. There are forc- es—cultural, economic, geographic, historical—that have shaped these re- gions from outside the cities, and it’s im- perative that students experience what these patterns of life are like. This com- bination of experience, these two tiers, ground a student’s sense of a region and give them something unique to remem- ber for the rest of their lives. For example, in Europe, all students spend their first 20 days in Paris, during which they learn about the region through inspiring talks, interviews, con- versations, debates, and performances given by leaders from different walks of life through our Morning Program. They explore the city with their friends, engage in volunteer work or Baret’s af- ternoon seminars if they choose, take weekend trips to other French towns and cities, such as Marseille, Bordeaux, or Nice, spend time with their Fellows, go to cultural or sporting events, and pursue their own personal interests. We provide them with a list of recom- mended books, music, and films about the region—material that adds another layer to their experience of the city. Students choose how they spend the last 7–10 days of the month. Baret offers 10 Fellowship options to our scholars in each region. These Fellowship options are places and experiences designed by Baret which give students another win- dow into life in the region and a chance to pursue their interests. For example, in Europe, a Fellow with a deep interest in the environment takes students to the Netherlands to study biomedical inno- vations; a Fellow with expertise in pol- itics goes with students across the pond to the UK to examine the post-Brexit landscape; a Fellow with a background in fashion stays with students in Paris to experience the height of haute couture. During the Fellowship, students explore the region, develop a skill with the Fel- low, and visit places they would never have imagined.
THE SCOPE of the Baret program is not just broad—it’s global. We seek to enter into and examine the regions where we go; we seek to encounter areas of interest and moments of clarity. To do so, we have demarcated four domains of understand- ing, which give shape to the program and choice to our students: Innovation, Na- ture, Politics, and Creativity. The Morn- ing Program, Fellowships and Afternoon Options always have their foundation in one of the four domains. The world is complex—we know that these domains might overlap and that there are areas of understanding outside these domains. That being said, the in- terdisciplinary nature of our structure and domains give our students a unique, holistic, and nuanced appreciation and understanding of the regions they’re in and the topics that captivate them. INNOVATION: Technology, business, and science come together in fascinating, in- spiring and challenging ways. This do- main is an expression and investigation of creative disruptions and a chance for stu- dents to look behind the veil of innovation to see its impacts and how they would like to be innovators in their own lives. NATURE: Humans and ecological systems have complex and transformative interac- tions. The domain of Nature is about un- derstanding the natural world by being in it—and seeing it through the eyes of those who work with it. Students learn from conservationists, naturalists, scientists, botanists and many other others as they try to comprehend the changing environ- ment and their role in it. POLITICS: Societies organize themselves in curious, powerful, and often invisible ways. This domain explores varieties of po- litical systems, histories, cultural activities, rituals, migrations, the impacts of conflict, and movements for peace. Students are on the ground, working with organizations, immersing themselves in culture, and learning from people who have dedicated their lives to understanding civilizations and working with their discontents.
Following are descriptions of each of the six key elements of Baret.
SIX KEY ELEMENTS OF THE BARET SCHOLARS PROGRAM 1 The Morning Program
THERE’S A reason Baret thinks of itself as “a 5th year of college.” As context for the scope of what is about to be described, a typical US college student spends 12–15 hours per week in class with a professor. In a typical college year consisting of two semesters, total in-class time according to various estimates is 350–450 hours. For comparison, during their three weeks in the Home Base city, students participate in The Morning Program, an exceptional and academically enriching daily conference tailored to be the back- bone of their gap year experience. As we travel around the world, spending a month in each region—North America, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, Afri- ca, India, and China—this program is their intellectual compass. Baret’s Morning Pro- gram alone, which is just 1 of 6 key elements of Baret , consists of 200 hours, representing 50–60% of a typical college year. On 10 mornings during the weeks in the 7 Home Base cities, Baret organizes a 2–3 hour program each day for the entire cohort. The Morning Program provides students with a textured understanding of each region. We platform, in the course of the year, 200 expert speakers, thinkers, performing artists, and leaders who inspire curiosity and a nuanced understanding of the region that they’re exploring. The Morning Program is inspired by the likes of TED, Master Class, and 60 Minutes. Our Morning Program elevates aware- ness beyond popular culture and super-
3 Independent Exploration
OUR STUDENTS experience on their own each region in all the complexities show- cased and introduced in the Morning Pro- gram. Apart from our Afternoon Options, students are given a menu of experienc- es. They can commit to volunteering at a local NGO, a homeless shelter, teach a language, explore the city, or accompa- ny a Fellow as they research and develop their own interests. Nothing is forced, but everything is on the table. Students can work on their Capstone Projects, form and follow interest groups, watch films about the region, or pick a book from our reading list. They are never at a loose end. They always have long weekends. From Friday to Sunday, they can take trips to neighboring towns and cities, explore the countryside, go on walks, and discov-
WHAT ARE THE OPTIONS?
THROUGH OUR workshops and enrichment programs, students can deepen their knowledge of one of our four domains— nature, innovation, politics, creativity—or broaden their academic skillset to be more college ready for when university begins the following year. Additionally, students
CREATIVITY: The sublimation of human experience into various forms of art is
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BARET SCHOLARS
THE BARET PROGRAM
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