er the world on the peripheries of these cities. Often students on a gap year don’t know what to do, what’s possible, what’s interesting, or what’s safe. We leverage our expertise in each of these regions to make sure that our scholars always have exciting, well-researched options. This part of the program enables them to ex- perientially engage with the region—a critical dimension that is often overlooked in college and school. They get to spend time on the ground, experiencing the city, meeting real people with real prob- lems, and engaging with people working to solve these problems. This opportuni- ty complements the knowledge that our students gain from The Morning Program and allows them to meaningfully work in the communities they’ll be living in. 4 The Baret Scholars Advising Program THE JOURNEY through adolescence and high school is transformative and pivotal. It’s a time of burgeoning independence, self-discovery, and the formulation of one’s identity: a wonderful and challeng- ing time. However, it’s a difficult journey to navigate, and many teenagers are left grappling with unvoiced uncertainties and uninformed decisions. Those lucky enough to have stumbled upon a caring mentor, coach, or counsellor know how important and formative those relation- ships can be. One-on-one guidance of students was first documented at the University of Ox- ford as early as the 15th century, but it still remains a rarity at even the best colleges and high schools around the world. Put- ting aside advice related to college applica- tions during a high schooler’s senior year, students at the vast majority of universi- ties and prep schools do not experience holistic, frequent, one-on-one mentoring or counseling. If one asks students “how often do you spend time one-on-one with a faculty member or advisor” the typical
answer is “rarely” or “almost never” or “only to sign documents related to my course selection.” A recent study by NAC- ADA shows that U.S. universities have 1 full time advisor for every 367 students. Another study by Student Voice showed that nearly half of university students had not even received one-on-one advice on basic graduation requirements. In short, students are thirsty for guid- ance. And the Baret Scholars Advising pro- gram quenches that thirst. Traveling with the 180 Baret Scholars are 15, full-time, carefully chosen advisors who come from all corners of the globe and are experts in all corners of life. We call them Fellows.
noons and evenings, answer any questions students have, and generally catch up. Fel- lows will also encourage students to reflect on their well-being and mental health and provide strategies and practical skills in that regard. Students also have the oppor- tunity to organize and lead these meetings. These morning meetings ensure frequent contact between the Fellow and students, giving students the tools to seize every day of their journey. 3. WEEKLY ONE-ON-ONE MEETINGS: Each week, the Fellow meets one-on-one for 30 minutes with each of their students. These sessions are the most important part of the advisory program. The week- ly discussion is wide-ranging. Topics frequently on the agenda are (a) discus- sion of the student’s Capstone Project with the Fellow providing guidance, (b) optional opportunities coming up in the Baret Scholars program which the student may want to engage in, (c) dis- cussion of any issues/problems a student might be having, both personally and with the program, (d) checking in on a student’s physical and mental health, and (e) conversations about and making plans for college, majors, and careers. The key point of these sessions is the Fellow and student developing a trustful bond. To learn more about the details of our advising team and program, please read Chapter 14. 5 Fellowships A READ of the chapter on Fellowships is to experience the breadth and depth of the Baret offering. First, we give you a detailed, day-by-day view of what three of our Fellowships look like. Then, in each country section, you see a pano- ply of possibilities, glimpses of other Fellowships, all educationally themed around our four domains. One student might traverse glaciers in Patagonia, summit Kilimanjaro, and volunteer at and support local schools in Turkey–and that’s just three of seven Fellowships they would participate in!
As different as each Fellowship is, they share certain structural elements. While the Morning Program brings the entire cohort together, Fellowships are small groups, each comprised of 10–14 students and 1 Fellow, experienced in the offered subject area. Each Fellowship is 7–10 days in length and is educationally themed and organized: they are by no means idle tour- ism. And, finally, each Fellowship occurs either within the home country or in a country adjacent or nearby. In the following country sections, you will see descriptions of the Fellowship of- ferings for all seven regions: These have been developed by Baret’s Global Team and Fellows. How do the Fellowships work logisti- cally? Here’s the process: 1. Baret provides an online catalog of Fellowship options through our Baret App, including itineraries and learning goals. 2. Students can then choose from the cat- alog 7 of the Fellowship offerings (1 per country/region). We will ask students to provide their 1st and 2nd choices from each region in order to help match students with Fellowship choices. 3. If there are more than 14 students se- lecting a particular Fellowship, Bar- et will create multiple “sections” of it. In order to maintain the intended small group dynamics of Fellowships, the added sections will function inde- pendently from one another. 4. Similar to (3) above, in the unlikely event there is little demand for a Fel- lowship (say 2 or 3 students), Baret will remove it from the offering and provide students other alternatives. 5. Though unusual there may be the pos- sibility of extreme weather or political events which develop as we move along the Baret Route. Should that occur, Baret will consult with students on al- ternative Fellowships.
tally oriented Fellowships, all in different regions of the world. In effect, they have self-designed a “global Fellowship in the environment.” Imagine the same for Pol- itics, or Innovation, or Art. Think of it as a “major” in the Baret Program, one that would be attractive to colleges and future employers alike. 6 The Capstone Project BARET ENCOURAGES students to create a project over the course of their Baret year to share upon graduation. These Cap- stone Projects, as we call them, have no required form. They can document the students’ learning over the course of the year, or be an opportunity to explore is- sues and questions they weren’t previous- ly aware of. They are a way to showcase what is possible during a Baret year and channel students’ thinking and creativity toward evocative and crucial transregion- al themes. As always with Baret, the em- phasis is on our scholars’ freedom, as well as their unique skills and talents: what the students make is their choice. In their weekly one-on-one sessions with students, Baret Fellows support the Capstone Projects of our scholars, much as tutors at Oxford have supported their students since the 15th century. With the guidance of their Fellow, scholars contem- plate procedural questions with regard to how they can best complete their Project. They are also encouraged to connect with a second Fellow or Baret member who is an expert in their field of choice, along with the Baret community at large, to re- fine their thinking and regularly garner feedback to improve their Capstone. At Baret’s graduation week and on Baret’s website, students share their creations with their colleagues and the world. This is not a “final” or a “thesis.” What unifies these Capstones is that each one is a work of choice, a work of joy. All are encouraged.
HOW DOES THE ADVISORY SYSTEM WORK?
1. HOUSES: Each Fellow serves 10–14 stu- dents formed into a House. Belonging to a House is a cornerstone of the Baret Scholars Experience. It ensures that ev- ery student gets plenty of time, attention, and care from a Fellow. The small size of these groups makes sure that Fellows get to understand their students, and very im- portantly, the students get to know them. We recently spoke to a girl who took a gap year in Vietnam, and she said that the most impactful element of her experience were the conversations she had with the inspiring adults she met on her travels. Our students travel with such adults—the Fellows—and get to know them in a safe, structured and prolonged setting. These Houses are formed in the sum- mer immediately after final acceptances, about 90 days before the Baret Scholars program commences. To kickstart the relationship, Fellows get to know each student via multiple Zoom calls in the months before the program’s orientation in September. 2. MORNING MEETINGS: Once the year commences, the House meets for 30 minutes each morning, Monday through Thursday, immediately prior to the Morn- ing Program. These meetings will be structured month to month according to themes, with the first month focused on orientation and goal setting, the second on fostering empathy, the third on college readiness, and so on and so forth. Fellows will ask after students’ plans and goals with regard to the Baret year, what they hope to achieve in their careers, and more abstract- ly, how they hope to grow and change. The purpose of this daily get together is to in- troduce the day’s events, reflect and discuss any observations from our students’ after-
“STRANDS” OF FELLOWSHIPS
A STUDENT who has a particular interest in, say, the climate, may choose to “string together” multiple Fellowships that re- late to the environment and climate within the Nature domain. By the time of graduation, they could, for example, have completed 5 or even 7 environmen-
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BARET SCHOLARS
THE BARET PROGRAM
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