This course will introduce students to basic bushcraft, outdoor leadership, survival principles, and backpacking. Please review Special Considerations before selecting!
Students will immerse themselves in authentic Chinese culture through a dynamic program featuring hands-on activities and enlightening field trips. This experience will offer a blend of traditional Chinese heritage and contemporary culture in a vibrant and interactive manner. Attendees will engage in a Kungfu Tea ceremony, cooking sessions, calligraphy workshops, Chinese brush painting, arts and crafts, as well as Kung Fu/Taiji sessions.
This project takes a closer look at the housing crisis facing the Seattle and King County metro area. The goal is for students to learn about ways they can engage in service to provide for the immediate needs of those experiencing homelessness as well as what steps they can take in their own communities to help provide housing.
If you like creative projects and like working with your hands then join us and learn to SEW BEAUTIFULLY! Learning to sew is a valuable skill that will serve you well, and it's fun to create projects for your family, friends and home.
Calling all who love theater, inside and out! The Oregon Shakespeare Festival is NOT just Shakespeare! This spring, students will see four plays at the renowned Oregon Shakespeare Festival, and one musical at the Oregon Cabaret Theater – all in the lovely town of Ashland, Oregon. We will attend workshops with actors from the company, a series of prologues for each play designed to inform and enhance the experience, a design workshop around sets, costuming, lighting, and sound, and a multi-media backstage tour.
Behind the Music allows the curious music lover, the curious musician, or the just plain curious person to experience a bit of the behind-the-curtain magic of the music and entertainment industry. Our project will explore the working lives of professional musicians--how they get their music recorded; how they find and maintain an audience; how they get their careers managed and promoted; how live performances are created and managed; and how music creates business opportunities well beyond the musician's creative life.
Students on this project will build a Tiny Home in conjunction with the Low Income Housing Institute https://lihi.org/. Following their design, we will receive the materials and construct the house which we will then donate to LIHI. LIHI will then pick up the completed house and install it in one of their low income Tiny House communities. This project is an opportunity not only to learn about building and carpentry, but also will provide some needed help to low income or homeless individuals or families.
Ceramic clay is a great medium for creating utilitarian objects, as well as, sculptural works of art. We will learn and explore various hand-building techniques. We will have studio time to create and possibly one day dedicated to visiting working ceramic art studios. We will be making a few pieces to sell at a fundraiser to support non-profit, ASNW (Art Start Northwest) which funds the arts in public schools. No previous experience is necessary. Come with your ideas or be inspired by others. Final pieces will be fired and available for pick-up sometime after spring break.
Change Makers Week is a dynamic and inspiring project dedicated to sparking positive potential of aspiring philanthropists. We will be traveling to Southern California to work with the non-profit organization, Active Discovery, in supporting financially vulnerable kids to flourish through active discovery of the things they love. This immersive experience is designed to empower participants with the knowledge, skills, and motivation to become change agents in their own right.
Experience the stunning beauty of Channel Islands National Park for a week of camping, sea kayaking, hiking and community building! Often called "the North American Galápagos," the Channel Islands are a precious, protected, remote, and lightly trafficked gem just 12 miles off the coast of Santa Barbara.
Ever been to the circus and wondered how they learn to do their breathtaking acts? Ever wanted to to challenge yourself to be brave and try something you've never tried before? Then Circus Week is for you!
This project week will challenge your courage and creativity as you learn how to do a range of circus arts: silks, lyra, hoop, juggling, acrobatics, trampoline, and possibly even flying trapeze! We will be taught by the experts at SANCA: School of Acrobats and New Circus Arts in Seattle.
This week provides an opportunity to work with elementary school children and their teachers at John Muir Elementary School, a diverse Title I public school in Kirkland and another partner school to be determined (most likely Redmond Elementary).
Creative Paper provides an opportunity to use your ideas and learn how to use paper to make a project that will beautify your room, become a beautiful gift, or help you use your creativity to make something interesting to show or share. Paper is very versatile, and paper can be anything from thin sheer paper, to rough carboard paper. Projects can be endlessly creative, from a collage of interesting paper combinations, to a beautiful box you can use to put all your special treasures. You can make a beautiful scrapbook full of memories and your own creations or some other pa
Students will learn basic crochet stitches, techniques, and pattern-reading in order to crochet hats. We will donate everything we create to Seattle Children's Hospital and/or a shelter for those experiencing homelessness. If possible, we will drop off our donations in person. Students can use the skills they develop to continue creating with yarn!
Death Valley Rocks! explores the extreme landscapes of the hottest place in the world. Also known for being the driest and lowest place in the continental U.S., Death Valley National Park offers amazing, austere and beautiful scenery. This trip will test your limits through hiking and backpacking explorations into the canyons, up the peaks and across the vast salt flats that make up the park. Love the rainforests of Western Washington and want to experience the other extreme? This trip is for you! Want to get out of the winter rains and dry off in the desert? Death Valley is calling!
This awesome trip will guarantee you an increase in outdoor education and experience, improve your knowledge of our planet's environmental diversity, better your understanding of teamwork and group dynamics and push your limits both physically and mentally. Are you up to the challenge?
Strap on your hiking boots, rub in the sunscreen, cinch your pack straps and check the map, Death Valley Rocks!
Spend a week in the wilderness of eastern Oregon on the Deschutes River! White-water rafting, and hiking, as you make your way down the river, students will work together to meet the challenges of this course designed especially for our students.
Explore the Island of Oahu through native Hawaiian landscapes, ecology, service, and hiking. Students will reflect on the human impact on local ecological systems and will hear directly from native Hawaiians working in the fields of Oahu. Our activities will be experiential in nature and students will not only learn about the ecology, but will also participate in restoration projects and make an impact on the future sustainability of agriculture on Oahu.
We will work on honing our cooperative puzzle solving skills with a series of escape room experiences, puzzles, and games. We will be visiting escape rooms around the East Side to hone our teamwork and problem solving abilities. Escape rooms are a fantastic way to learn to think laterally, work as a team, and experience some of the coolest, most immersive games ever designed! We will also try some escape-rooms-in-a-box (including one that brings us into downtown Redmond and incorporates local history) and other cooperative puzzles and games.
This adventure will explore two National Parks in Utah: Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks. Students will camp in the National Parks campgrounds and spend each day hiking throughout the parks. Students will learn about the desert environment and experience beautiful scenery.
Have you ever noticed some of the sounds around you at home, outside, or in a forest? Birdcalls, car horns, construction sites can sound interesting and almost musical. Sometimes sounds that people find are used to add an unusual percussive element to a piece of music.
In “Found Sound Club” we will each collect our own found sounds and share them with each other. As we collect our sounds, we can put our favorites together using Garage Band to make a “found sound collage”.
On this project, we will work with a local Habitat for Humanity chapter and their partner homeowners to build or improve housing. Having a decent, affordable, and safe place to call home is a fundamental aspect of our lives, and one we often take for granted. Habitat for Humanity is committed to eliminating substandard housing and to helping their partner homeowners achieve stability and independence. We will spend most of our week working on a home build with some time spent as a Habitat for Humanity store volunteer (as needed).
Explore of the world of food through hands-on cooking in addition to possibly exploring various area markets.
Students will explore the landscapes, communities, nature, and local history that defines Sedona, Arizona through camping, hiking, trail running, and researching/visiting several archaeological sites.
Outdoor Education: Students will experience challenge through camping and be responsible for cooking their own meals and keeping the site clean. While exploring Sedona's beautiful red rock scenery on the trails, we will discuss the principles of Leave No Trace and recognize indigenous peoples as the traditional stewards of the land.
In this project, you will explore the housing crisis facing the Seattle and King County metro area through a combination of learning, service, and activism.
During this project, you will
Do you ever find yourself wondering how people create cool water bottle stickers? Or wonder what process went into creating an eye-catching advertisement? Intro to Graphic Design will introduce you to the art and structure of graphic design, so you can learn the techniques and apply them to print and screen-based projects. Explore dazzling color palettes, photo effects, and fonts that allow you to create striking tee-shirts, stickers, posters, stationary and more!
This project week consists of day trips exploring local outdoor recreation opportunities! Each day the group will sample a new activity and new location. Trips may include hiking, indoor rock climbing, paddling, biking, and an outdoor low ropes course. We will teach the skills and safety aspects of each activity so no experience is required.
"Blow us All Away" as you sing, dance, and rock out with the very latest Broadway has to offer. From the enormously popular Hamilton, Six, or Hadestown to perennial favorites like Wicked, or Les Miserables. Taught by instructors from Village Theatre's Kidstage, students will learn contemporary Broadway songs, singing styles, and choreography while collaborating on a unique musical revue performed for friends and family.
Come ready to move, collaborate with your peers, and take artistic risks. Do not throw away your shot!
*Students have already been selected for this Project Week after having gone through an application process. If you are unsure if you have been selected, please reach out to the College Counseling department.
Participants will spend six days visiting colleges and universities in California. Visits to each campus will include a guided tour, information session, and the opportunity to meet with Overlake alumni who are currently attending each school.
This Project Week experience is limited to current 10th and 11th grade students at Overlake.
Though skateboarding is now an Olympic sport, it has not always been embraced by the public. In this project students will explore the history and culture of skateboarding and its tie to our community. Students will ponder the purpose of public spaces and will weigh in on whether skateboarding is a public nuisance or a valued pastime. Each day students will participate in a skateboarding clinic which will give them a hands-on opportunity to learn to skate, try out tricks and gain confidence. The week will culminate in a skills showcase.
5th and 6th grade owls are invited to explore our pacific northwest environment through a lens of sustainability. During our 5-day, 4-night experience, we will explore the interconnectedness of life on the Olympic Peninsula. From tribal storytelling to studying the surrounding ecosystem, we will rally with one another and learn about how we might enable this history to flourish. In conjunction with NatureBridge outdoor education guides, learning and inquiry will extend beyond the classroom into a tangible effort to fortify the Elwha River basin.
Overlake may not have a swim team, but we know we have some serious swimmers. This project is an opportunity to create a week-long “Overlake Swim Team”, work with Kelly and Krishna, two experienced high-school level coaches, and explore some of the many ways, beyond just pool workouts, that you can train in the water.
Join us for an exhilarating and environmentally-conscious project week that merges the excitement of "Project Runway" with the art of sustainably upcycling thrifted items. Together, we will go on a journey of creativity, innovation, and sustainability. Project Upcycle is the perfect blend of artistic expression and environmental stewardship. By the end of the week, you'll not only have an impressive portfolio of upcycled creations but also a profound understanding of how creativity can drive sustainability.
Pyrography -- Also called Wood Burning. Use a soldering iron pen to burn designs on a piece of wood. You can free draw your design, use stencils, or copy a pattern. Learn ideas and techniques on how to easily create beautiful art pieces and gifts. Pyrography is a relaxing activity, and when you finish a project you get a sense of accomplishment and rewarding beautiful end results. No experience necessary, we will go over safety tips and ideas as well as step-by-step techniques and provide plenty of resource books and guides to getting you started in pyrography.
We will spend the week camping out, hiking, and rock climbing in one of the most unique National Parks. Students will learn about the park's history, flora, and fauna in the Mohave Desert, the extensive trail system in the park, rock climbing gear and techniques, and camping and cooking skills with a group. Students will also learn and practice leadership skills through the different activities, evening discussions, and by being leader of the day. No rock-climbing experience is necessary, but this trip's members will participate in the Quarter 3 Overlake Climbing Club lead
We will spend the week camping out, hiking, and rock climbing in a world-class climbing destination and National Park. Students will learn about the park's history, flora and fauna in the Mohave Desert, the park's extensive trail system, rock climbing gear and techniques, and camping and cooking skills with a group. Students will also be able to learn and practice leadership skills through different activities, evening discussions, and by being leader of the day. No rock climbing experience is necessary!
Curious about seeing visual art in the wild? Enjoy making art & trying new techniques? Want to try your hand with new art materials? Wish you had more time in the art studios? If YES, SEA Art, Make Art is the project week for you! No experience necessary, but a passion to experiment and experience art is a must!
Sportscenter is meant for students to dive deeper into their passion for sports. In one week, students will learn what the life of a sports broadcaster looks like, the roles of a broadcasting team, what it takes to become a broadcaster and what a broadcaster does to prepare for a sporting event. Students will research a broadcasting mentor for an example of someone to look up to in the sports world. At the end of the week, each student will broadcast a sporting event of their choice. The week will be filled with watching, listening, researching, playing, and broadcasting sports!
The Heroic Power Fantasy - the idea of being the superhero, saving the innocent and destroying the evil that preys upon them. While this is the core of the fantasy role-playing aka Dungeons and Dragons experience, Teamwork and Tactics to tackle Dungeons of Dragons will be a full week campaign experience in which we take the power fantasy to the next level - how do you assemble and work with a team of others to take your heroics to the next level? We will look at how teams are assembled both in the game and in media to ensure all bases are covered - do you have your heavy hitter?
This project will be modeled on The Great British Baking Show. The first four days of the project will be theme-based, e.g. cakes, cookies, bread, savory goods. Each of these days will start with a technical challenge designed to introduce students to standard baking techniques, and then move on to a signature bake focused on the theme for the day. The project will end on day five with the group using the skills and techniques acquired to prepare baked goods to be used in a service project targeted to the communities surrounding Overlake.
Do you enjoy board games, but need a new challenge? Do you enjoy epic science fiction experiences that incorporate big battles, diplomacy, political intrigue, technological development, trade deals and economic challenges? Have you ever heard of this behemoth of a game? Ever ponder playing it, but lack enough players or the time to bring it to the table?
Your design team has been contracted to engineer an autonomous system that can be launched to record damage in the event of a disaster. Worldwide, there are over one billion people living in areas that are unreachable by roads. Delivering aid to these people requires precision and accuracy that your system will locate and record.
Travel through an amazing canyon in the desert of southwest Utah!
Travel through an amazing canyon in the desert of southwest Utah!
People with independent ideas have been getting their word out since there were printing presses. A zine is a self-produced book about anything you want because you are the creator, publisher and bookmaker. All you need is paper and a printer. And, of course, an idea – that’s where this project comes in!
Students will meet at the South Lake Union Center for Wooden Boats where we will build a full-sized, fully functional boat in a week with the guidance of a professional boat builder! Additionally, we will take sailing lessons and learn how to sail the boat we built by the time we finish building it. Students will become members of the Center for Wooden Boats and will have the opportunity to return at any time to take out any boat in the inventory of boats there... including the new one we will donate at the end of our project!
Mike Davidson and Bill Johns will be leading a team to build an 8' x 12' Tiny House that, once finished, will be transported to a Tiny House village somewhere in Seattle. It will provide housing, and a secure, supported, empowering place for someone who is experiencing homelessness. We will be building the house right on campus and will spend some long days framing, sheathing, roofing, running electricity, insulating, installing a door and windows, doing finish carpentry, flooring and painting.
Ever been to the circus and wondered how they learn to do their breathtaking aerial acts? Ever wanted to to challenge yourself to be brave and try something you've never tried before? Then Circus Week is for you!
This project week will challenge your courage and creativity as you learn how to fly through the air on flying trapeze and showcase beautiful tricks on indoor aerial apparatus like silks, lyra and dance trapeze.
We will revive a Project Week from 1976, originally taught by English and Journalism faculty member Steve Hafer. Each day we will watch one or two films, and discuss the stories, scripts, cinematography, special effects, direction, acting, context and influence. Classics regarded as some of best films ever made will be screened including Citizen Kane, Casablanca, The Seven Samurai, The Seventh Seal, and more. An opportunity to step away from modern CGI films into the era of the silver screen. We will view primarily black and white and some color films.
This is a highly rewarding week of participating in service projects that support the needs of our community. Over the course of the week we'll have the opportunity to visit a variety of locations around the Seattle metropolitan area.
Summary: The purpose of Creating a Capsule Wardrove is to teach students how to craft and hone their personal style. A capsule wardrobe is an edited, seasonal mini wardrobe containing a limited number of pieces that can be combined in different ways with the idea that all the items can be intermixed and reworked in pairings with other items. Students will learn to maximize, edit, and reuse items in their own closet as well as add new and vintage/used/upcycled clothing to their wardrobe.
Summary: The purpose of Creating a Capsule Wardrove is to teach students how to craft and hone their personal style. A capsule wardrobe is an edited, seasonal mini wardrobe containing a limited number of pieces that can be combined in different ways with the idea that all the items can be intermixed and reworked in pairings with other items. Students will learn to maximize, edit, and reuse items in their own closet as well as add new and vintage/used/upcycled clothing to their wardrobe.
Creative Paper provides an opportunity to blend creativity, organization, planning and outreach by challenging students to make beautiful things that inspire themselves and others. We will use paper and other materials to make beautiful paper projects come to life. Ideas of projects include preserving memories in scrapbook pages, making cards for loved ones or a specific set of holidays or celebrations, creating a paper collage or art piece for your room or as a gift, make a paper/cardboard box with different compartments for treasures, make a geometric paper sculpture etc. All participants should be willing to learn new skills, make mistakes, support each other and have a lot of fun. All participants will finish project week with a completed paper project to be used or gifted at the end of the week.
Sculpey clay is a type of oven-bake modeling clay composed of resins and polymers that is available in a multitude of colors. Polymer oven-bake clay is perfect for everything from custom jewelry pieces, beads, home décor, ornaments, sculptures, decorations and anything else you can dream up! The best part about oven-bake clay? It is incredibly soft and malleable, and will retain its freshness even when exposed to air. Your creations are only permanently hardened once the clay is baked at low temperatures in a home oven or toaster oven.
This project explores dances from a variety of cultures. We will explore Hip Hop, Swing/Ballroom, Line Dancing, Samba and contemporary as well as traditional Afro-Caribbean and African Dances. We will work with several guest artists, studying dance and other movement forms while considering their origins and cultural impact. This project also involves some research and watching online examples of each form we will learn over the week. Learning about the music that supports each dance form is also part of our exploration.
Spend a week in the wilderness of eastern Oregon on the Deschutes River! White-water rafting, and hiking, as you make your way down the river, students will work together to meet the challenges of this course designed especially for our students.
In this project students will learn about languages in danger of extinction in the Americas and the consequences for communities that speak them. After learning about these communities, students will create a conceptual mural by painting the names of the languages in danger of extinction on the walls of the hallway inside the World Languages building. This mural will serve as a reminder of the challenges many native communities face today as their native languages continue to disappear.
How often do you think critically about the food you eat every day? Where does it come from? How does food impact you, your local community, and the larger community around us? Join us in Everybody Eats, where we will learn more about how to cook for ourselves, serve those in our community who face food insecurity, and plant the seeds for growth and justice in the future.
On this trip we will travel to the mecca of culture and arts in the United States! We will explore museums, historical theatres, and participate in workshops with broadway actors and educators. During our time in New York we will also get the real New York experience by going to well known sites and lesser known hidden gems. Our educational focus will be on the performing and visual arts and an exploration of the diversity of the city as reflected in the arts.
Have you ever seen a performance so moving it gave you chills?
Have you stared at a work of art and been so drawn to it you couldn't look away?
Have you ever looked at a building's architecture and stood in awe of it's craftsmanship?
Learning how to live a healthy and active lifestyle is an important part of becoming an adult. This project is an introduction to some lifelong activities for students to participate in that promote a healthy and active lifestyle. These activities will be all throughout the greater Seattle area. Some of the activities include biking the Snoqualmie Valley Trail, beach volleyball and spikeball at Alki Beach, disc golf, foot golf, mini golf, hiking and much more.
We will spend the week camping out, hiking, and rock climbing in one of the most unique National Parks. Students will learn about the parks history, flora and fauna in the Mohave Desert, the extensive trail system in the park, rock climbing gear and techniques, and camping and cooking skills with a group. Students will also be able to learn and practice leadership skills through the different activities, evening discussions, and by being leader of the day. No rock climbing experience is necessary.
Students will spend the week exploring Seattle's food culture and learning about plants and edibles native to Puget Sound, as they prepare to create handmade ceramics to support the Empty Bowls project (https://www.emptybowls.com/). Students will spend half of the week learning about the culinary landscape in Seattle by eating at and visiting cultural centers, museums, and restaurants, along with touring native forests at the UW Botanic Garden to understand more about the history of plants and edibles native to the Puget Sound.
Students will spend the week exploring Seattle's food culture and learning about plants and edibles native to Puget Sound, as they prepare to create handmade ceramics to support the Empty Bowls project (https://www.emptybowls.com/). Students will spend half of the week learning about the culinary landscape in Seattle by eating at and visiting cultural centers, museums, and restaurants, along with touring native forests at the UW Botanic Garden to understand more about the history of plants and edibles native to the Puget Sound.
This adventure will explore two National Parks in Utah: Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks. Students will camp in the National Parks campgrounds and spend each day hiking throughout the parks. Students will learn about the desert environment and experience beautiful scenery.
Are you interested in climate justice, sustainability, environmental activism and strategies to decrease environmental impact and mitigate and reverse climate change? Join our student-led project week to explore strategies for sustainability activism and put those strategies to work right here at Overlake. In the first half of the week we’ll learn from activists, corporations, urban farmers, Native Americans, governments, and organizations about what works and what doesn’t.
Explore of the world of food through hands-on cooking in addition to exploring various area markets.
Students are allowed to apply for an Independent Project Week one time in grades 6-8 and once again in grades 9-12.
Nowadays, the world is powered by data. Whether you are innovating for the future or working to improve the decision-making process, data lies at the heart of it all. Making sense of data, the job of Data Scientist, is “The top-demanded job of the 21st century”. One of the must-have skills for a data scientist is exploratory data analysis (EDA). It is the process of performing initial investigations on data with the help of summary statistics and graphical representations.
This project week is about building plastic models of just about anything you can think of......cars, boats, planes, spacecraft, animals, buildings, anime characters, or you name it! I love video games and everything it offers, but with all the screen time we experience on a daily basis, is critical to take a break from screens to calm the mind and center the soul. Model building does this and so much more. What does one get out of building plastic models?
During this Project Week, you will get to retrace some of Boston's renowned literary figures steps and visit the places that inspired them while immersing yourself in their work.
There’s nothing like cooking projects to focus the mind and put hands to work. Working in teams, we will get to prepare, enjoy and celebrate Mediterranean (Persian infusion) meals.
Live dance! Live music! Live theater! Come spend a week experiencing a variety of performance offerings in Seattle, from jazz and classical music to a backstage theater tour, a play at ACT, a musical at The Village Theater, and "Carmina Burana" with the Seattle Symphony (you know that music - it's in every horror movie!) We will look for insights and connections within each performance opportunity, learning the history, content, and inspiration for each event. We'll also dive into our own exploration of movement with a hip-hop dance workshop in preparation for one of our shows.
"Blow us All Away" as you sing, dance, and rock out with the very latest Broadway has to offer. From the enormously popular Hamilton, Dear Evan Hansen, or Hadestown to perennial favorites like Wicked, or Les Miserables. Taught by instructors from Village Theatre's Kidstage, students will learn contemporary Broadway songs, singing styles, and choreography while collaborating on a unique musical revue performed for friends and family.
Come ready to move, collaborate with your peers, and take artistic risks. Do not throw away your shot!
In this project students will learn about the history, culture, landscape, and flavors of northern New Mexico. They will explore the influence of the Hispanic and Pueblo cultures in the region's art and architecture, and the legacy of American modernist artist Georgia O'Keeffe. They will also explore the awesome and unique caverns located at Carlsbad Caverns National Park. Students will visit the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum, the Taos Art Museum, and the Museum of International Folk Art.
Do you like to sing? Scratch that – Do you LOVE to sing?! If you answered yes to both of these questions, then this is the project for you! We will be forming an a cappella ensemble, meaning a singing group that only uses their own voices and no other instrumental accompaniment. We’ll choose a few different songs to work on and get to singing! There will be a lovely performance on the last day of the week.
This Project Week will explore history, art, community organizations, culture and activism in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer communities in Seattle. Each day will have a particular focus, exposing students to a wide range of identities, communities, and experiences of LGBTQIA+ Seattleites and their intersecting identities. An effort will be made to visit LGBTQIA+-owned businesses that give back to the community.
This project week will explore history, art, community organizations, culture and activism in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer communities in Seattle. Each day will day will have a particular focus, exposing students to a wide range of identities, communities, and experiences of LGBTQIA+ Seattleites and their intersecting identities. An effort will be made to visit LGBTQIA+-owned businesses that give back to the community.
This project will consist of 4 days of trail running, hiking and camping in the beautiful Sedona area of Arizona. Students will have the opportunity to enjoy the trails and take on leadership roles as we camp together. We will also learn about the local history and peoples of the land we will be on. A different trail will be selected for each day of running and then we will enjoy short hikes. All levels of runners welcome. We will be staying on an official campsite that has basic facilities.
This project will consist of 5 days of trail running, hiking and camping in the beautiful Sedona area of Arizona. Students will have the opportunity to enjoy the trails and camping together in the warm March weather. A different trail will be selected for each day of running and then we will enjoy short hikes or other fun local activities in the afternoons. All levels of runners welcome. We will be staying on an official campsite that has basic facilities.
Watch the Skies is a model-UN-style simulation where players take on the role of various nations responding to an alien invasion on planet Earth. The emphasis is on the interactions between the nations in the midst of the unpredictability of this extraterrestrial presence. Players will take on a variety of roles balancing their nations’ economies, researching technology to strengthen their abilities, making (and breaking) alliances with other countries, crafting press releases to influence world opinion/events, negotiating at UN assemblies, and if you are (un)fortunate enough, y
Using the "Frankenstein" technique, participants will combine components of old/broken speakers and the bluetooth tech of a CHEAP bluetooth device to create a bluetooth-capable audio device that sounds great and possesses the nostalgic charm of a vintage speaker.
Back in the late 1980's there was an anime called "Record of Lodoss War". It was a very popular series that was actually based on a script a group of people created while playing a Dungeons and Dragons style role playing game. The Bard's Tale is a project where we will be recreating that experience. Each morning we will spend time playing Dungeons and Dragons (or some other similar role playing game system depending on the group’s interest) and then spend the afternoon turning those game sessions into various types of media. Authors can write short stories related to what happened in the gaming sessions. Artists can create illustrations of their own or to combine with another participant's story. You could create a serious or comical webcomic based on the gaming campaign. Students could assemble and paint miniatures. One year the students even wrote and filmed a few scenes and added in some computer graphics. The creative options are only limited by your imagination. Are you ready to join the party... the adventuring party?
Are you looking for a project that combines building a mini-golf course with playing golf? In this project, we will research courses, by playing them. Then we will utilize creative planning and design to sketch a plan for how to create challenging holes. Each design team will then use its supplies to configure multiple holes throughout the week. They will build in themes and obstacles. Prizes will be are awarded during the multiple golf tournaments participants play on the mini-golf holes created by themselves and their peers.
At the start of this project we will learn to identify comedy sketch types and secret plot formulas by viewing our favorite comedy sketch shows. Following this learning, we will collaborate in writing teams to story-board and write a script for a 3 minute comedy sketch, such as the ones seen on SNL or Key and Peele. We will act the roles, and the production team will film the shots and edit the elements to produce a final production for viewing and audience appreciation. Challenges and laughter will ensue. This could be the start of a fabulous career!
This week provides an opportunity to work with elementary school children and their teachers at John Muir Elementary School, a diverse Title1 public school in Kirkland.
“Why don’t we chat over a meal?” Sharing a meal, the world’s most common way to get to know someone. With a mouthful of words, a few glances, and one’s presence, you can learn quite a bit. But what about the taste of the food or the ingredients? Spices can tell a story and the ingredients can bring you inside the culture, especially if you live in an area as diverse as the Seattle area.
This adventure will explore two parks: Zion and Antelope Canyon. Students will camp in parks campgrounds and spend each day exploring throughout the parks. They will learn about the desert environment and experience beautiful scenery.
Do you like gardening and working in the soil? Do you like watching “Dirty Jobs”? Do you want 15 service hours? This is the project for you. Students will help to harvest crops and prepare the Food Lifeline farm rows for the spring cycle, supporting the work of the farm and its mission to supply fresh vegetables to local food banks. Students will learn about and actively contribute to the farm-to-foodbank-to-table process for those in greatest need in our local communities.
Our program for the week focuses on students learning Parkour through three hour movement sessions each day. In the afternoons we will watch several existing videos of people practicing/performing Parkour and analyze how people have portrayed their ideas and movement through visual storytelling. We will analyze movements, camera placement, story boarding and editing. Students will work in small groups to create a video of their peers exploring aspects of Parkour. They will go through the process of pre-production through post-production as they conceive, shoot and edit their video.
This project week will explore and experience the path of natural fiber from the animal (either sheep or alpaca) all the way to knitting a garment.
This project week will explore and experience the path of natural fiber from the animal (either sheep or alpaca) all the way to creating a finished knit item.
If we had a month to do this, we would shear a sheep, clean, card, dye and spin the wool and then knit it into an object. Since we have only a week, we will do all these things, but as separate projects.
Students will:
Do you love books and love sugar? Are you artistic or do you like creating fun and interesting designs? Come to Fiction and Frosting!
Each day will have a fun theme or two - we will spend half of our day creating artwork inspired by and made out of old books! The second half of the day will be using frosting and other decorating techniques to decorate cookies and cupcakes. Can't wait to see what you make!
Bring on your artistic eye and geometric genius! Break out the compasses, protractors and rulers. Add color, precision, patience, and – voila! This Project Week’s goal is to create stunning 2- and 3-D designs for display in our Whitten Math/Science Center. Choose to focus on one or more of several options once you have experimented with each. We will explore line designs to create curve stitching canvases. Carefully folded origami will balance a mobile or be combined in colorful arrays.
Students will design a PV system that will fit on the lower roof of the library. They will decide the layout of the solar panels, determine what component parts are needed and place the order. They will estimate how much electricity will be produced, determine the cost of the system and calculate the ROI (return on investment). They will also determine what percentage of Overlake’s total electrical use will be met by this new PV system. They will calculate Overlake’s current carbon footprint and determine how much the PV system will decrease our carbon footprint.&nbs
This project week is five consecutive "day trips" for our younger students. Each day the group will try a new activity and new location.
Students will learn how to set up and maintain a freshwater aquarium, as well as the basics of aquascaping. We will visit the Seattle Aquarium, learn tips from a professional aquarist, and work on a 20-gallon aquarium project. Students will also receive a 10-gallon aquarium kit to set up and maintain at home.
Immerse yourself in ancient Roman culture by recreating Roman food, clothing, holidays, art, utensils, et cetera! We will explore different facets of Roman culture. We will research and make household items, clothing and food. We will reenact a Roman holiday and put on a cena. Knowledge of Latin is not a requirement, although it is always useful.
Come learn about Rube Goldberg an engineer artist tinkerer who always was trying to invent a better "mousetrap".
Participants will experience the rugged beauty of the Southwest through an exploration of geological, cultural, and ecological history of the region. Based just west of Tucson in the Tucson Mountain Park, students will engage in daily hikes through cactus forests and arid mountain peaks. From our campsite each evening we will have the opportunity to photograph and view stunning night skies.
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This student interest-driven course will provide an introduction for students interested in Healthcare and intersecting fields. Students will examine aspects of healthcare and medicine and have the opportunity to explore different professions. This course will provide the students with the ability to analyze issues and policy, engage with medical ethics, and refine effective communication. Our primary focus will be for students to develop a foundational understanding of the History of Medicine. Students will survey the rise of medicine in the West from classical times to the present.
Are you an awesome human? Do you like to work with your hands? Are you interested in creating a warm inviting environment for people living in low-income tiny houses? Then Tight Knit is the project for you! We'll create fleece blankets and amish knot rag rugs for LIHI Tiny Houses. If permitted, we will take a trip to see a tiny house village, meet with the residents, and bring hot cocoa and other items needed. No previous experience is necessary and you'll get 15 service hours!
This project will consist of 5 days of trail running, hiking and camping in the Saguaro and Tucson Mountain area of Arizona. Students will have the opportunity to enjoy the trails and camping together in the warm March weather. A different trail will be selected for each day of running and then short hikes taken in the afternoons. All levels of runners welcome. We will be staying on an official campsite that has basic facilities.
This project will consist of 5 days of trail running, hiking and camping in the beautiful Sedona area of Arizona. Students will have the opportunity to enjoy the trails and camping together in the warm March weather. A different trail will be selected for each day of running and then we will enjoy short hikes or other fun local activities in the afternoons. All levels of runners welcome. We will be staying on an official campsite that has basic facilities.
Word on the street is that the ukulele is the new cowbell! But seriously - this project gets you a beautiful ukulele to keep, and the skills to make it usable right away! First lesson: "It's OO-KOO-LEH-LEH!" Sources say this project is not only fun, but an awesome way to spend a week with your friends, old and new. Join me and in 5 days we'll have you on your way! In just a few days, you'll be playing Elton John, John Lennon, and John Mayer. Also, other artists not named John. No experience necessary! Let’s jam!
Creating with our hands can not only be fun, but also good for our mental health. During project week we will spend each day exploring a different art material and/or craft technique as well as spend two days visiting art museums, artist studios, and galleries. We will meet ahead of time to choose what we want to explore as a group as well as individual projects. If you enjoying making things by hand, want to try out new materials, are interested in seeing visual art in the wild, and miss having access to the art studios, this is the project week for you!
What do Cougar Mountain, Mt. Si, the Burke-Gilman Trail, and the 520 Bridge all have in common? You!
Spend your week exploring the beauty of the outdoors in the greater Seattle-area. Go for a walk, talk to your friends, and get some exercise while you take a break from classes.
Interested in focus and mental clarity. In this project there will be a mix of Yoga, various meditation techniques, energy exercises, and etc. We will also dive into practices for stress management and relaxation.
This project is for students who want to learn more about the benefits of Yoga and how to create an at-home practice. It can be for 5 or 45 minutes (or more) depending on your needs. You will learn a variety of poses from our guest teachers and work on creating a routine that works for you. We will focus on a variety of poses (Asanas.) We will also explore breathing techniques, meditation and both active and restorative yoga. Students will have a personal tool-kit by the end of the week and experience inner relaxation and new flexibility.
Creating with our hands can not only be fun, but also good for our mental health. During project week we will spend each day exploring a different art material and/or craft technique. We will meet ahead of time to choose what we want to explore as a groups as well as individual projects. Screen time will be minimal. If you enjoying making things by hand, want to try out new materials, and miss having access to the art studios, this is the project week for you!
Creating with our hands can not only be fun, but also good for our mental health. During project week we will spend each day exploring a different art material and/or craft technique. We will meet ahead of time to choose what we want to explore as a groups as well as individual projects. Screen time will be minimal. If you enjoying making things by hand, want to try out new materials, and miss having access to the art studios, this is the project week for you!
This project week course is designed for the person who likes to draw, create, observe, refresh. It is also designed to challenge participants to use their drawings in a slightly different way. Each student will be keeping an art journal to capture the story of their project week, much like one would use an art journal while traveling. The focus will be on using different environments to capture the essence of what is going on around us, whether we are on campus or off. We will be sketching in ink and adding color to our drawings with watercolor.
This project week course is designed for the person who likes to draw, create, observe, refresh. It is also designed to challenge participants to use their drawing in a slightly different way. Each student will be keeping an art journal to capture the story of their project week, much like one would use an art journal while traveling. The focus will be on using different environments to capture the essence of what is going on around us, whether we are on campus or off. We will be sketching in ink and adding color to our drawings with watercolor.
Overlake has an amazing campus. So why not turn it into a destination for a wilderness experience? We have trails, beautiful forests, mountain views when it is clear, and wild animals, or at least some hungry squirrels. This Project Week is for those who are wanting to go on longer backpacking trips in the mountains but need to learn some skills first.
On day one we go over the packing list. Everyone will pack an overnight backpack. Students plan their own food and go shopping, go for a short hike in their neighborhood
Overlake has an amazing campus. So why not turn it into a destination for a wilderness experience? We have trails, beautiful forests, mountain views when it is clear, and wild animals, or at least some hungry squirrels. This Project Week is for those who are wanting to go on longer backpacking trips in the mountains but need to learn some skills first. It will also fulfill the Outdoor Education graduation requirement.
New day, New challenge. Tuesday is a Maker Day, Wednesday will be Genius Day, and Thursday will be Movement/Service Day. This Brain Buffet will provide you with a buffet of options that fit into each themed day. Reflect on what you’ve done each day in a Sway format. Then share your Sways with our group at the end of the week.
It’s Crazy Baby!!! March Madness 2021 will be unlike any other. Last second shots, heartbreak losses, drama comebacks, and upset city. We will have fun watching and breaking down the NCAA March Madness Basketball tournament during our project week adventure. We will look at the brackets, diagram plays, look into game mechanics and situations, and take a deeper look at coaching strategies and ideas. If you have ever thought about coaching, interested in leadership, or want to take a deeper look at the NCAA March Madness tournament, this project may be for you.
We will learn to identify comedy sketch types and plot formulas. We will then collaborate in production teams and write a 3 minute comedy sketch, such as the ones seen on SNL or Key and Peele. We will film either socially distanced or via stitching together the individually filmed elements to produce a final production for viewing and audience appreciation. Challenges and laughter will ensue.
We are all aware that many members of our community are less fortunate than us. This is a fun and highly rewarding week of community service projects that meet the needs of people that could do with our support. Over the course of the week we'll have the opportunity to explore a variety of service projects.
We are all aware that many members of our community are less fortunate than us. This is a fun and highly rewarding week of community service projects that meet the needs of people that could do with our support. Over the course of the week we'll have the opportunity to explore a variety of service projects.
Are you interested in learning more about civil engineering? Do you want to know more about how bridges and other structures are designed to be strong and stable? This project will explore the physics behind trusses, learning about the forces of tension and compression. Students will design, build, and test several bridge designs to see which will hold the most weight.
The environmental club is leading a project focusing on building a new greenhouse on campus. This is a project that can be done socially distanced - only a couple of people need to be on campus setting up at a time. At home, members can work on various parts of this project - planting plants, creating irrigation systems, etc. Members of the Environmental Club can will use extra time at home to work on other projects related to the club, but this project week is open to all upper school students.
Cooking is a wonderfully creative and satisfying experience made all the more fulfilling when you share it with your family and friends. However, the act of selecting recipes, shopping for ingredients, sticking to a budget, preparing dishes, and then serving a complete meal can be difficult to orchestrate. This project week is designed to introduce you to the art of cooking. Beginning with an introduction to some key skills every cook needs to be successful, this project will engage you in the exploration of the world of food through a variety of recipe books and cooking techniques.
Do you love everything LEGO? Then LEGO Mania is for you! This project will include LEGO-building challenges and problems to solve with the pieces you have at home. One day you could be trying to build a zip line or a bridge or maybe you’re doing both with your eyes closed, and another day you may be trapped in a “virtual” room and you’ll need to design your way out! Take your LEGO building skills to the next level and get creative with a group of other LEGO-loving people.
In this project, students will take part in a Marathon Relay. Each student will run 4 - 5 miles. All levels welcome – you do not have to be a fast runner. We will using your practice times on the first 2 days to make even teams. To prepare for the 26 mile relay, two days of training which might be home, in school or at neighborhood sites in small groups. On the third day we will come together for the relay. You will also learn about running form, nutrition, types of shoes, etc, from invited guest experts. The object is for each person to run 4-5 miles on each of the days at your own pace.
Who’s the best hitter in baseball? Does trading a solid, veteran player for prospects really benefit a team? Should anyone win the Cy Young with a win-loss record under 0.500? Ask these questions to fans in the 30 different major league baseball cities and you will get 30 decidedly different responses. What matters when considering a question as seemingly simple as “who’s the best hitter?” Are you talking about batting average, slugging percentage, OPS, runs created or wins above replacement?
Wanting to connect with the tree-hugger in you? Get your nature vibes going with this project week sampler of nature-loving activities. Plunge your hands into dirt in the morning, and create your own natural face mask in the afternoon.
Get ready for a physical challenge...do you want to overcome obstacles? Parkour involves using your own body to creatively move through space to reach, climb, jump and balance.
Warm-up and learn parkour skills at-home, then explore your parks/backyard to practice skills discussed during the our morning and afternoon video chats.
Parkour for Upper School. Thats right. Get ready for a physical challenge...do you want to overcome obstacles? Parkour involves using your own body to creatively move through space to reach, climb, jump and balance.
Warm-up and learn parkour skills at-home, then explore your parks/backyard to practice skills discussed during the our morning and afternoon video chats.
Do you like to tinker with words? If so, this is the project for you! Throughout our time together, we will write a wide range of poems, taking time to explore a variety of poetic devices, terminology, and styles along the way. In addition, we will learn a number of bookbinding skills—and perhaps make our own paper—in order to create handmade books to house our poetry collections. Emphasis will be placed on individual style and choice to ensure each poetry book reflects its creator.
This project is for the burgeoning cinemafile. Students will watch movies in French and Spanish with a positive impact and English subtitles. We will discuss favorite movies, get to know each other and explore the notion of positive impacts. Students will create a visual representation of their favorite movie of the week. Additionally, at some point during the week we will have a special guest from the movie industry - we will learn about their career and their perspective on the future of filmmaking.
A collaborative music project, where students would create an EP (mini album) together from their homes, sending their parts to each other to add theirs, mix, etc.
Hybrid Possible
Conditions permitting this project will be on campus for one day. However, participants will be able to complete this project in an online format. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns please contact Joey Pauley, Project Week Director, at jpauley@overlake.org
We will explore the different designs of ancient Roman shields. Our goal is to make a curved Roman Shield with boss, based on the design of a 1st Century BCE scutum. You will need a space to cut, glue, and paint large items that will need to dry overnight.
Our goal will be to build an incredibly complex machine designed to take many steps to complete a simple task. Remember the game Mousetrap? We’ll follow the same model, but on a much larger scale and with an amazing array of everyday materials that can be adapted for anything but their intended use. Students will learn some basic principles of mechanics and simple and complex machines, as well as be introduced to the use of workshop tools. Requirements are a wild imagination and a willingness to experiment and create many spectacular failures before eventually findin
Our goal will be to build an incredibly complex machine designed to take many steps to complete a simple task. Remember the game Mousetrap? We’ll follow the same model, but on a much larger scale and with an amazing array of everyday materials that can be adapted for anything but their intended use. Students will learn some basic principles of mechanics and simple and complex machines, as well as be introduced to the use of workshop tools. Requirements are a wild imagination and a willingness to experiment and create many spectacular failures before eventually findin
In this project, students will get to experience the joys of board gaming from the safe comfort of their own homes. There are three main experiences to this project. Each student will select a physical copy of a board game that they will keep and play as a one player game. This can either be a game specifically designed to be played solo or a cooperative game where they can control all the roles in the game. There are even one player role playing games if anyone wants to explore those instead. Many of these involve journaling or map making as part of the experi
Sportscenter is meant for students to dive deeper into their passion for sports. In one week, students will learn what the life of a sports broadcaster looks like, the roles of a broadcasting team, what it takes to become a broadcaster and what a broadcaster does to prepare for a sporting event. Students will research a broadcasting mentor for an example of someone to look up to in the sports world. At the end of the week, each student will broadcast a sporting event of their choice.The week will be filled with watching, listening, researching, playing, and broadcasting sports!
Sportscenter is meant for students to dive deeper into their passion for sports. In one week, students will learn what the life of a sports broadcaster looks like, the roles of a broadcasting team, what it takes to become a broadcaster and what a broadcaster does to prepare for a sporting event. Students will research a broadcasting mentor for an example of someone to look up to in the sports world. At the end of the week, each student will broadcast a sporting event of their choice.The week will be filled with watching, listening, researching, playing, and broadcasting sports!
Sportscenter is meant for students to dive deeper into their passion for sports. In one week, students will learn what the life of a sports broadcaster looks like, the roles of a broadcasting team, what it takes to become a broadcaster and what a broadcaster does to prepare for a sporting event. Students will research a broadcasting mentor for an example of someone to look up to in the sports world. At the end of the week, each student will broadcast a sporting event of their choice. The week will be filled with watching, listening, researching, playing, and broadcasting sports!
Our stories define us. They help us understand who we are by showing us where we came from, who we came from, what our relatives experienced, and what family means. The Overlake Story Project is an oral history collection project. Each participant will collect a meaningful story from a family elder. The topic of the story can be about any significant event the subject’s life—emigration, immigration or migration, education, marriage, parenthood, political activism, travel, or more.
The theatrical lighting project week is a local study in lighting design for plays and concerts, care and feeding of lighting equipment, and cabling, hanging, focusing, gelling and writing cues for a performance. We will be building set models to create a lighting design, and then using Fulton for a full-scale hands-on, special effects lighting extravaganza!
Build a miniature of the Fulton main stage and design miniature scenery for one or more plays. Supplies will be provided--you'll be building in foam core, cardboard, found objects, printed paper, spray paint, wire, clay, and whatever you can come up with that will best push your design to it's best look. We'll be building to scale and then lighting and photographing your work.
Build a miniature of the Fulton main stage and design miniature scenery for one or more plays. Supplies will be provided--you'll be building in foam core, cardboard, found objects, printed paper, spray paint, wire, clay, and whatever you can come up with that will best push your design to it's best look. We'll be building to scale and then lighting and photographing your work.
"Tinkering is what happens when you try to do something you don't quite know how to do, guided by whim, imagination, and curiosity." Massimo Banzi
Learn how to program a microcomputer to do more than just make some LEDs blink! Create a wearable product that provides a solution to a problem.
Learn design thinking process while experiencing failure leading to success.
The central activity is essentially walking, all day with breaks every 45 min. Students should bring snacks, lunch, and water. There will be some journaling, sketchbook-style work, and creative activities. This project will mainly be walking, conversation, and observation.
Weird Al Overlake will teach kids how to understand how songs are composed and recorded.
Cooking is a wonderfully creative and satisfying experience made all the more fulfilling when you share it with your family and friends. However, the act of selecting recipes, shopping for ingredients, sticking to a budget, preparing dishes, and then serving a complete meal can be difficult to orchestrate. This project week is designed to introduce you to the art of cooking. Beginning with an introduction to some key skills every cook needs to be successful, this project will engage you in the exploration of the world of food through a variety of recipe books and cooking techniques.
An introduction to fly fishing, knot tying, casting, entomology, and fly tying, including camping in the Yakima Valley, two days of Yakima River float trips, and a tour of the Roza or Wanapum Dam or Wild Horse Wind Farm.
An introduction to fly fishing, knot tying, casting, entomology, and fly tying, including camping in the Yakima Valley, two days of Yakima River float trips, and a tour of the Roza or Wanapum Dam or Wild Horse Wind Farm.
An introduction to fly fishing, knot tying, casting, entomology, and fly tying, including camping in the Yakima Valley, two days of Yakima River float trips, and a tour of the Roza or Wanapum Dam or Wild Horse Wind Farm.
Have you ever seen an old Sci-Fi movie like ATTACK OF THE MOSTER MAN FROM BELOW! or STAR WARS and said "Even I could make that! Those special effects are the WORST!"
If so then THIS is the project for you! Be a part of the first project week dedicated to the creation of an awesomely terrible, low (almost no) budget, B Movie!!
Write! Direct! Design costumes and sets! Create space suits! Build Monsters! Get behind the camera! Try out your best (worst) acting! You can do it ALL in The Most Amazing Project Week Ever!
This trip explores the history, culture, and social activism in San Francisco, California since World War II. Students will meet with community organizers, experience culture, and learn about the history of the city, including its reputation as a safe haven for members of the LGBTQ+ community.
Calling all who love theater, inside and out! The Oregon Shakespeare Festival is NOT just Shakespeare! This spring, students will see three plays at the renowned Oregon Shakespeare Festival, and one musical at the Oregon Cabaret Theater – all in the lovely town of Ashland, Oregon. We will attend workshops with actors of the company, a series of prologues for each play designed to inform and enhance the experience, a design workshop around sets, costuming, lighting, and sound, and a multi-media backstage tour.
An outdoor education experience for young people who are committed to exploring issues of leadership. Through a series of physical and mental challenges (leadership challenges, rock climbing, mountain biking, solo hikes, and car camping), participants will build self-confidence, resiliency, and stronger identities as leaders. All of this takes place in beautiful Joshua Tree National Park in the Mojave Desert in southern California.
Upper School students will have the opportunity to play, experiment, and create ceramic utilitarian and sculptural pieces. Students will learn various hand-building techniques and have the opportunity to try throwing on the wheel. Together, we will share inspiration and engage in idea generation. By the end of the week, we will have a number of individual pieces and a collaborative sculpture ready to fire. After a final glaze firing, we will show our creations in the Fulton Gallery.
Discover the many landmarks, arts, and cultural aspects of Seattle.
This week provides an opportunity to work with elementary school children and their teachers at Redmond Elementary School, a diverse Title1 public school in Kirkland.
The purpose of Conscious Couture is to explore all elements of Seattle fashion, including the origin of clothing and material goods, how products are sold, what styles are currently on trend, how to put looks together, and eco/recycled fashion. Students will have a number of behind-the-scenes and hands-on experiences at all angles of the fashion world, including meeting with stylists, buyers, and owners of businesses. At the end of the week, students will present a curated head-to-toe look based on what they’ve learned throughout the week of experiences.
Harvesting! Cooking! Tasting! Oh, my! Your taste buds will be singing.
Are you learning Spanish? Do you care about conservation efforts? Costa Rica is a beautiful and unique country that contains approximately five percent of the world’s biodiversity. It is a place where you can find an amazing variety of birds, monkeys, and many other tropical animals in a rich natural environment.
How often do you stop to really think about where your meal comes from and how your food choices affect our environment? If you’re ready to dive deep into this topic, then this is the project week for you! We will work at Carnation Farms to help plan their first annual community plant sale event. Throughout the week, we will sample delicious food from the farm. On the last day we will have a two-hour cooking lesson with farm-fresh ingredients and sit down to a beautiful meal together. In this project, we will explore the intersection between science, food production, and the environment by digging in the dirt, hanging out with chickens, and learning what it takes to run a sustainable farm.
Explore firsthand the rich cultural heritage of Spain. Experience life through the eyes of another culture by hosting and living with a Spanish student. Enjoy unique group travel experiences in Granada, Sevilla and Madrid. ¡Vámonos!
Want an opportunity to experience life in France? Join us and be a part of the French Exchange.
The Global Education Program brings Overlake students to our school in Pailin, Cambodia for a week of learning and teaching.
What does it mean to trust? What is morality? Can we cooperate or do we ignore the needs of the many for the needs of the few? Explore these and other questions as we explore the human experience THROUGH BOARD GAMES!
This project week consists of three "day trips" and an overnight Thursday and Friday for our upper school students. Each day the group will try a new activity and a new location. Trips will include camping, hiking, rock climbing, paddling, and an outdoor low ropes course. We will teach the skills and safety aspects of each activity so no experience is required. Each day will be a chance to explore a new activity but due to changes in weather be prepared to change the schedule around so the activity better fits the weather.
Montana, Dog Sledding, Yellowstone National Park, camping, traveling, Lewis and Clark, elk, bison, deer, grizzly bear encounter, and fun!!!
Allow students an opportunity to try the music side of life. To experience what it takes to write/play/produce and possibly perform their own composition and how to get it noticed in the music business.
Have you wondered how the products you use in your daily life are made? Are you interested in pursuing a career in engineering, art, or want to develop new skills? The “How It’s Made” project will expose you to hot metal, sparks and give you a chance to get your hands dirty. This project will be hosted on the campus of Lake Washington Institute of Technology. Along with learning the basics of metalworking, students will fabricate a project to utilize their new skills. Focus will be placed on the precision and ability to follow design specifications. This
Improve your patience, fine motor skills, and attention to detail by building scale versions of classic and modern automobiles, military aircraft and war ships, and space craft. We'll also visit America's Car Museum in Tacoma and Flying Heritage Museum in Everett for inspiration.
Connecting to but not dependent upon the American Transcendentalism course (English elective for grade 11) go to important sites of early and later American Transcendentalists, especially Long Island (Whitman's birth house and walking routes, beaches, coves, etc.). Margaret Fuller (Nantucket), Walden Pond and Concord (Thoreau and Emerson), and Amherst (Emily Dickinson). Explore the value of nature, the value of walking (and "poking around") and connect to short texts from these writers and others influenced by them (new and older).
Participants will spend five days visiting ten colleges and universities in New England. Visits to each campus will include a guided tour, admission and information session, and the opportunity to meet with Overlake alumni who are currently attending each school that is included on the 2020 trip itinerary. Our 2020 trip itinerary is featured on page three of this application.
Do you like making things with your hands and being creative? The goal of this project is for students to use science and the sun's energy to create a variety of types of prints. Participants will have the opportunity to use chemical reactions and solar energy to make prints on fabric and paper. They will also construct a basic camera and design experiments to create desired photographic outcomes.
This project is designed for anyone who likes to work with others to make the world a better place. For an entire week we will do the most meaningful, important and rewarding service projects, a different one each day. We will design the project based on community needs and group interests, traveling around the region feeding the hungry, housing the homeless, fixing the environment, and otherwise repairing the world. It is guaranteed to be a tiring and unforgettable week. Join us!
This project week is dedicated to learning how to dance! From street dances like hip hop or break dancing to Latin dances like salsa, students will learn be exposed to different types of dance and their origins. Each day, we will either dance at Overlake or travel to a studio to learn a new dance style, learn from professional instructors, and perform for one another as a group or even solo. For this project week, students will bring their own lunches with the exception of one TBD lunch out in the neighborhood and some treats during the day.
This project explores several aspects of the athletics world, both on and off the field/court. Students will learn about different types of leadership strategies that cross different sports. We will also deep dive into different aspects of the athletics community, including community engagement, journalism, politics, and data analytics. Each day will consist of physical activity and leadership strategies.
The theatrical lighting project week is a local study in lighting design for plays and concerts, care and feeding of lighting equipment, and cabling, hanging, focusing, gelling and writing cues for a performance. We will be building set models to create a lighting design, and then using Fulton for a full-scale hands-on, special effects lighting extravaganza!
"Tinkering is what happens when you try to do something you don't quite know how to do, guided by whim, imagination and curiosity." Massimo Banzi
Learn how to program a micro computer to do more than just make some LEDs blink! Create a wearable product which provides a solution to a problem.
Learn design thinking process while experiencing failure leading to success.
Having a decent, affordable, and safe place to call home is a fundamental aspect of our lives, and one often taken for granted. Travel with us to the Yakima Valley to help build a home for a family in need through the Yakima Valley affiliate of Habitat for Humanity (www.yakimahabitat.org).
Students will learn homebuilding skills and proper use of appropriate tools for the job. We will be staying in pretty Spartan accomodations and will prepare our own meals. Students should come with a readiness for physical labor every day and an enthusiasm for helping others. In addition to our daily construction work, we will also play three baseball games against local high school teams.
Seventh and eighth graders will explore Arizona's Sonora Desert on wheels! Tucson will serve as a base as we explore the environs, including the Desert Museum, Flandrau Science Center, and a hike through Sabino Canyon - including several natural pools on the way down. In addition, we will enjoy the rolling hills of Saguaro National Park East and check out the Pima Air & Space Museum.
Participants will spend five days visiting ten colleges and universities in Southern California. Visits to each campus will include a guided tour, admission and information session, and the opportunity to meet with Overlake alumni who are currently attending each school that is included on the 2019 trip itinerary. Our trip itinerary is featured on page three of this application.
Travel the Green River through the amazing Labyrinth Canyon!
Have you ever wondered how the systems in your car provide a safe and reliable ride? Are you interested in getting your hands dirty to find out how these systems work? Do you think you have what it takes to post the fastest lap time on a real race track? If you answered yes to all of these questions, the Car & Driver project is for you. In this project, you will get hands-on experience performing your own automotive maintenance, tearing down an engine to its basic components, and driving time with an instructor on a race track.
The Project Week trip to China is part of our ongoing language and cultural exchange program. Students will have the opportunity to visit our partner school in Zhenjiang and spend four nights with their host families. They will also be able to visit Beijing, Shanghai and Xi’an as a group.
It starts with you and your favorite fantasy novels. Together as a group we will create our own fantasy world with different kingdoms. We will create characters, flags and maps, and then each group will video a storyline for their kingdom.
Program run by team at Crow Canyon in Colorado but room for us to work together to create a particular program. Highlights:
*archeological dig on site
*guided day trip to Mesa Verde National Park
*study of local native populations
*climate and terrain quite different from PNW
*meals and lodging provided
https://www.crowcanyon.org/index.php/programs-for-school-groups/overnig…
Learn about the Spanish-speaking Caribbean through music and dance. Dance Salsa, Rueda (Cuban style), Merengue and Bachata, and Zumba to Reggaeton music! Create Latin rhythms using the clave, a percussion instrument, and will sing along to music in Spanish. Our experience will culminate in a Latin Musical Theater in which students will perform each of the dances with a theatrical twist! Come dance your way to el Caribe!
See the instructors at La Clave Cubana in action
What does it mean to trust? What is morality? Can we cooperate or do we ignore the needs of the many for the needs of the few? Explore these and other questions as we explore the human experience THROUGH BOARD GAMES! We will discuss what is trust, then see it in practice by playing the “Game of Thrones Board Game!” Morality will be explored as you experiment with changing events in history. Can you cooperate and support each other to survive the perilous island as we play “Robinson Crusoe?” Other themes and games will be explored.&
Students will spend a week gaining knowledge and hands-on experience with First Nations arts, culture, and traditions. The project will begin with an introduction to the history of First Nations in the Northwest Coast region. On Monday, students will visit the Suquamish Museum on Kitsap Peninsula for a workshop on Coast Salish history and crafts. Students will be on campus Tuesday and work with resources from the Burke Museum to plan and design a capstone artifact in a First Nations style. Wednesday, the group will travel to Johns Island in the San Juans
For half the day this project allows anyone, even those with no experience, to learn the fascinating art of glass blowing! Glass blowing is a fun and rewarding hobby or project. Students begin with a complete introduction to the hot shop and use of the tools. In the first session, you will start gathering glass for your own pieces, choosing and applying color and shaping your glass. Advancing techniques will help you become more comfortable with the process, which gets progressively more complex.
Located in the northern part of Uruguay where Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay meet, Bella Union is a city of 10,000 inhabitants located on the River Negro in an impoverished area. During our visit Overlake students will experience for themselves the openness, hospitality, and remarkable generosity of the Uruguayan people.
Montana, Dog Sledding, Yellowstone National Park, camping, traveling, Lewis and Clark, elk, bison, deer, grizzly bear encounter, and fun!!!
Are you interested in learning how cities and regions work to serve their inhabitants? Join this project week to explore the intersections of architecture, urban planning, design and public services through the lenses of environmental sustainability, social justice, politics, and engineering. We'll take an interdisciplinary approach to meet with experts across industries to learn how cities work and why they work the way they do. You'll learn there's usually a reason for why things are designed the way they are, thought that reason may not always be what you think.
Are you interested in learning how cities and regions work to serve their inhabitants? Join this project week to explore the intersections of architecture, urban planning, design and public services through the lenses of environmental sustainability, social justice, politics, and engineering. We'll take an interdisciplinary approach to meet with experts across industries to learn how cities work and why they work the way they do. You'll learn there's usually a reason for why things are designed the way they are, thought that reason may not always be what you think.
Are you interested in learning how cities and regions work to serve their inhabitants? Join this project week to explore the intersections of architecture, urban planning, design and public services through the lenses of environmental sustainability, social justice, politics, and engineering. We'll take an interdisciplinary approach to meet with experts across industries to learn how cities work and why they work the way they do. You'll learn there's usually a reason for why things are designed the way they are, thought that reason may not always be what you think.
Together, as teams of investors, we will buy and sell stocks and other investments using market simulators while also learning about market fundamentals and strategies. Using advanced analytical software, we will develop our own trading platform. We will explore charts and technical indicators to identify buy and sell signals.
Welcome to the trading floor!
This trip to southern Italy is designed for Latin students who are interested in exploring the ancient sites studied in the series of Latin classes we offer. We consider this a field study experience for our Latin students, focusing on sites in Rome for the first part of the trip and then traveling south to Pompeii, Herculaneum, Paestum, Mt. Vesuvius, Capri, and Naples. The trip will span approximately 12-14 days, with a targeted departure of Sunday, March 25th pending flight arrangements once the group is selected.
Students observe and examine the shore and forest to learn about individual species in and how they live.
Students will be working with Ocean Matters staff at the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology (HIMB) at the University of Hawaii on Oahu. The marine science research centerpiece will be a project in which students use drones and digital cameras to survey megafauna (sea turtle and shark) populations on the HIMB reef. They will couple this land-based work with snorkel swims to refine citizen science data collection protocols, looking particularly at the incidence of the disease firbropapillomatosis in turtles.
This project is a great opportunity for participants to enhance their leadership skills. Through experiential activities, games, and simulations (including the camp Challenge Course!),
The magnificence of Machu Picchu cannot be explained – it must be experienced.
Do you dream of becoming a musical artist and one day singing in a band? Come learn how songs are composed, recorded, and distributed.
This project is designed to offer budding young climber a jumpstart to their climbing experience. Specific games and activities using strength and flexibility are tailored to develop climbing skills such as belaying, rappelling, other fundamentals. We will strive to build confidence, trust, and support as our climbers explore the climbing culture.
We will provide climbing shoes, harnesses, and helmets. Students provide the energy. Let's go climb!
Students will learn about various organizations around the Seattle area that help animals or use animals to improve the lives of people. This project appeals to students who are animal lovers and those who wish to both learn more about how these organizations help animals and further the mission of these organizations by providing a day of service. The focus will be on a different group of animals each day, with a day devoted to wildlife, a day for dogs, a day for horses, a day for cats, and a day for exotics.
If you have taken Sew Beautiful in the past we invite you to join Sew Beautiful 2.0. The focus will be on clothing construction.
Who’s the best hitter in baseball? Does trading a solid, veteran player for prospects really benefit a team?
Who’s the best hitter in baseball? Does trading a solid, veteran player for prospects really benefit a team?
This project week is dedicated to learning how to dance! From street dances like hip hop or break dancing to Latin dances like salsa, students will experience different types of dance and their origins. Each day, we will either dance at Overlake or travel to a studio to learn a new dance style, learn from professional instructors, and perform for one another as a group or even solo. For this project week, students will bring their own lunches with the exception of one TBD lunch out in the neighborhood and some treats during the day.
Teams of students will design and build their own Soap Box Cart and then race them in various places on the Overlake Campus. Teams will design their car and will be given a budget from which they will work for ordering materials. The week will be spent building,decorating and fine tuning the cars and will culminate with the 'road' tests at the end of the week. Different challenges will be posed to test the cars speed and maneuverability. All team members will get a chance behind the wheel.
Elon Musk is on a mission to save the world from the negative impacts of Climate Change. His vision of using electric cars powered by solar panels cannot be achieved without your help. Why worry about our future when you can do something about it! You will experience what it takes to reduce your energy carbon footprint to zero, while not giving up on modern conveniences. On this Project Week you will:
Do you play video games? Do you wonder how video games are made? Do you want to create your own video game?
In this project week, you will use Unity to design a video game.
Though only a fraction of the population, African-American culture is an integral part of the American identity. Being in a cultural bubble at Overlake, this project week seeks to expand the understanding of a less-represented perspective beyond the scope of their history of oppression. By traveling to D.C., students will experience and learn about a handful of outstanding attributes that relate to the state of Black America through the lens of a culturally rich city.
Do you want to learn how to survive in the wild? Have you ever dreamed of living off the land? Join this project to find out if you have what it takes. Learn the skills needed to be able to survive without the use of man-made tools and equipment. The culmination of the week will be to venture out to a secret location where the group's goal is to survive one full day and night in the wild.
Spend a week in the wilderness backpacking along the Shore Trail of Lake Chelan. You will be cooking, hiking, singing, laughing, learning and just being together from Sunday morning to Friday evening.
Have you ever read a picture book to a younger child and thought, “Hey! I could write this!” Well, this is the Project Week for you.
How many complex, over-engineered, convoluted steps can be built into a machine performing one simple task? Join us this week and find out!
The Chamber Choir trip to Italy is a 2-week, immersive experience in singing and travel. It includes a week of homestays with students from Gobetti-Volta ITC, a school in Florence, and participation in an International Choral festival in Verona. Students will spend the school year from August – March preparing for this experience during regular class time and designated performance opportunities outside of class.
Throughout the week, students will keep a food blog chronicling their journey through the Seattle food scene and will end the week with a chopped challenge creating an original dish. Students will participate in hands-on experiences each day.
Teatro ZinZanni is teaming up with Overlake for an exciting week inside the circus world!
Swept up into the life of the circus, participants will spend their days working individually and in teams under the hands-on guidance of professional performers. The participants will begin each day with warm ups. They will learn magic tricks and work on juggling objects such as balls, scarves, and hats. Students will also explore the world of acrobatics and will do some floor work, tumbling and building pyramids. This is a chance to learn some basics of the circus under the big top with some of the world's greatest cirque artists. Students will create a revue-style performance on the last day for family and friends under Teatro ZinZanni’s antique red velvet spiegeltent.
Montana, Dog Sledding, Yellowstone National Park, camping, traveling, Lewis and Clark, elk, bison, deer, grizzly bear encounter, and fun!!!
Having a decent, affordable, and safe place to call home is a fundamental aspect of our lives, and one often taken for granted.
Having a decent, affordable, and safe place to call home is a fundamental aspect of our lives, and one often taken for granted.
Having a decent, affordable, and safe place to call home is a fundamental aspect of our lives, and one often taken for granted.
Having a decent, affordable, and safe place to call home is a fundamental aspect of our lives, and one often taken for granted.
Improve your patience, fine motor skills, and attention to detail by building scale versions of classic and modern automobiles, military aircraft and war ships, and space craft. We'll also visit the Flying Heritage Museum in Everett for inspiration.
The re-opening of Cuba to US tourists provides an incredible opportunity for students to see first-hand what happens when capitalism and communism meet. Will there be room for free speech? Will the gap between those better off and the poor grow wider or can Cuba manage it as tourism inevitably brings in more money? Those and other issues will be explored by students in this ground-breaking new trip.
Join us for the project of a lifetime!
Mosaic is an ancient technique that originates from as early as 4000 B.C. In some cultures it was necessary for constructing pleasing living spaces. Today it is most often used for decoration. Mosaic is unique because it allows for contrast in light, depth, texture, color, and pattern. In this project, middle school students will learn to cut tile, apply adhesive, and grout. They will design and create several projects that explore techniques and styles, both modern and ancient. This project will meet on campus Monday through Friday.
Come join us at the Mountain School of the North Cascades Institute as we hike along the shores of a beautiful lake, investigate the health of the watershed, and explore the mountain ecosystem of the North Cascades.
Come join us at the Mountain School of the North Cascades Institute as we hike along the shores of a beautiful lake, investigate the health of the watershed, and explore the mountain ecosystem of the North Cascades.
Reduce! Let’s get educated. We’ll tour King County’s recycling centers and learn about our local waste management system. Reuse! Let’s get creative. We’ll work with a local artist to create upcycled artwork and learn about local salvage businesses. Recycle! Let’s get active. We’ll take action at Overlake to improve our recycling program.
This project is designed for anyone who likes to work with others to make the world a better place. For an entire week we will do the most meaningful, important and rewarding service projects, a different one each day. We will design the project based on community needs and group interests, traveling around the region feeding the hungry, housing the homeless, fixing the environment, and otherwise repairing the world. It is guaranteed to be a tiring and unforgettable week. Join us!
Channel Islands National Park provides a primitive, adventure-filled opportunity for historical, ecological, and marine exploration. The Park is comprised of five unique islands located off the coast of Southern California, and because the islands cannot be accessed by car, the Park is one of the least visited of all of America’s national parks.
Design a mystery for the Overlake campus that we will then publish for people to try and solve.
Learn to write science fiction from published YA author Mary Jane Beaufrand! Join us for a week of learning how to think like a science fiction writer, how to move the words from your head onto the page, how to peer-edit other students’ works, and how to present your writing to the world. Become part of a House team and enjoy exciting House Cup writing competitions, as well as a visit from local SF writer Kevin Emerson (Oliver Nocturne, The Fellowship for Alien Detection, The Atlanteans).
Come learn about the ancient practice of yoga from an experienced and passionate teacher.
This project week we will introduce to the school a CNC machine. This machine allows you to create a 3D design on the computer and then cut it out using the CNC machine. Allowing you to cut, carve and shape pieces in wood, plastic, and other materials. We would like to have a group project that will allow a team of students to create and learn how to use this machine.
Cigar box guitars are back! The "maker movement" includes a whole new generation of craftsmen and they've taken the art to the next level. Make your own guitar for yourself or donate to Serviceman in need.
Help create a stained glass window that will have a permanent home on the Overlake Campus!
Join us for an exploration of sky and stars as we experience the wonders of flight and of our solar system and deep space!
Ever want to train as a gladiator or go to the Underworld???
This project week will examine the business and ethics of sports. We will learn about how sports teams and organizations are organized and run, and we will consider their broader social responsibilities to their communities. Students will be encouraged to think about how sports can have a positive influence on individuals and communities.
Travel through an amazing canyon in the desert of southwest Utah!
A team opportunity to improve a community in need by rebuilding public baseball fields (and we will play some, too).
Having a decent, affordable, and safe place to call home is a fundamental aspect of our lives, and one often taken for granted. Travel with us to the Yakima Valley to help build a home for a family in need through the Yakima Valley affiliate of Habitat for Humanity (www.yakimahabitat.org).
Students will learn homebuilding skills and proper use of appropriate tools for the job. We will be staying in pretty Spartan accomodations. Students should come with a readiness for physical labor every day and an enthusiasm for helping others. In addition to our daily construction work, we will also play three baseball games against local high school teams.
Something for everyone: boat building, whale watching, biology of Puget Sound, Cama Beach Survivor, and more!
Something for everyone: boat building, whale watching, biology of Puget Sound, Cama Beach Survivor, and more!
Something for everyone: boat building, whale watching, biology of Puget Sound, Cama Beach Survivor, and more!
Experience the culture of Brazil and study Capoeira with master instructors!
How many complex, over-engineered, convoluted steps can be built into a machine performing one simple task? Join us this week and find out!
We will be working with Farmer Frog group. We will have two different project opportunities during the week. We will make garden art for a pea patch garden, located at Olivia Park Elementary for 6 pillars, each with a different theme. Possibly using the grade school students art work. Next we will build raised garden beds out of wood shipping pallets for a farm in Bellevue in the Lake Hills neighborhood. This will give students the chance to design and build both projects while working in small groups. Students will have the opportunity to have hands on experience working with Farmer Frog.
Tour the college campuses of California with your friends and college counselors.
Discover the many landmarks, arts, and cultural aspects of Seattle.
Explore firsthand the rich cultural heritage of China. Experience life through the eyes of another culture by living with a Chinese student. Enjoy unique group travel experiences in Beijing, Shanghai and Limei’s hometown, Zhenjiang.
Note: Application deadline for this project is Sep. 30.
Throughout the week, students will keep a food blog chronicling their journey through the Seattle food scene and will end the week with a chopped challenge creating an original dish. Students will participate in hands-on experiences each day.
Teatro ZinZanni is teaming up with Overlake for an exciting week inside the circus world!
Swept up into the life of the circus, participants will spend their days working individually and in teams under the hands-on guidance of professional performers. The participants will begin each day with warm ups. They will learn magic tricks and work on juggling objects such as balls, scarves, and hats. Students will also explore the world of acrobatics and will do some floor work, tumbling and building pyramids. This is a chance to learn some basics of the circus under the big top with some of the world's greatest cirque artists. Students will create a revue-style performance on the last day for family and friends under Teatro ZinZanni’s antique red velvet spiegeltent.
Have you ever played a board game and thought, "Hey! I could make a way better game than this!" Now is your chance! Spend your project week designing and building your own strategic board game. Build your own rules and themes, playtest the game with your friends, and revise until it's perfect! Games aren't your thing? We still need artists for the game box, board, cards, and other components. Interested in publishing? The rulebook will need to be informative, but interesting. Is business your thing? We will submit our final product to a company and try to sell it, too! Come join the fun! GAME ON!
Have you been wanting to create or update a website? You will spend a week working on your own website. We will have one or more fieldtrips to visit experts in UE and website design (and have a wonderful lunch in Seattle). We will come back to school and work together on usability issues and then on your own website projects. Depending on the interests of the group we may explore SEO, online commerce, podcasts, cartoon video production, etc.
Knitting, creating candy, soap, beaded jewelry, and clay charms, . . . If you are someone who enjoys doing it yourself, this workshop is for you! We’ll spend a day of classes at Ben Franklin’s and take what we learn back to campus, where we’ll add to our craft repertoire. You will finish the week with several lovely hand-made items, and more importantly, you’ll have the skills to continue creating more on your own!
Tour east coast college campuses with your Overlake classmates and College Counselors.
EAT PRAY LEARN!
This is an incredible opportunity to explore the variety of religious communities in Seattle area, to learn about faiths, houses of worship, how faiths explore issues of social justice, and sacred space within and around us!
Learn about our world's beautiful and rich cultural stories through food! Taste, sip, bake, feel, learn, hear, digest!
This trip is designed for those history buffs who feel isolated from first hand experiences and would like to get a close-up look at the Civil War. By walking the battlefields, visiting museums and taking guided tours, the students will gain a much greater understanding of one of the seminal moments in American history.
This is an environmental, experiential course that is designed to give you a variety of ideas and knowledge about what is happening to our local water environments, why these things are happening, and finally, it is a course that will challenge you to come up with and participate in solutions for the challenges that our beautiful region faces regarding its naturl water environments. If you love the environment and would like to be involved locally, this is the project for you.
This is an environmental, experiential course that is designed to give you a variety of ideas and knowledge about what is happening to our local water environments, why these things are happening, and finally, it is a course that will challenge you to come up with and participate in solutions for the challenges that our beautiful region faces regarding its naturl water environments. If you love the environment and would like to be involved locally, this is the project for you.
Harvesting! Cooking! Tasting! Oh, my! Your taste buds will be singing if you join us to Follow that Food!
Harvesting! Cooking! Tasting! Oh, my! Your taste buds will be singing if you join us to Follow that Food!
Spend a girls only week backpacking in the Northwest!
Come unwrap the world one word at a time with this local exploration of nature, the haiku, and you. With nature walks around campus, along sandy shores, and in the middle of malls, this project will be hands-on, eyes-wide, and ears-open.
This is your chance to star in a show. This is a theater based project where we will have one week to create and put on a show. Everyone will have the chance to take a leading role in a variety show combining everything from musical numbers to comedy sketches to one act plays. No previous acting skill required, just a desire to give it a try. During the week we will combine with Bill John's stage tech project to work produce our final product.
Students will travel to eastern Washington to experience a week of hands on horsemanship classes designed to teach riders of all ages the basics of horsemanship and horse care and provide an introduction to riding. We will start from the basics, including brushing, tacking, leading, mounting, and riding the horse. Students will be broken into groups according to skill and prior riding experience so that riding lessons can be tailored to individual needs. In addition to riding, students will learn horse anatomy and physiology, nutrition and feeding, basic vet care and routine medications, hoof care, bathing and clipping, and other aspects of care. Other activities will include horse related arts and crafts. Weather permitting, a trail ride will wrap up the week.
Students are allowed to apply for an Independent Project Week one time in grades 6-8 and once again in grades 9-12.
Want to devote a full week to one major work of art? Then, this is the week for you!
The International Food and Film project gives students the opportunity to explore worldwide cultures through food and film. The focus will be on authenticity rather than Americanized versions of the culture as a way to broaden students’ knowledge about diverse communities. Countries have been chosen to represent different areas of the world. Every day of the project will focus on a different country - we will travel throughout greater Seattle area to eat in restaurants that serve cuisine as close to how it is served in that country. We will then return and watch movies made by filmmakers from that country that depict events that have been instrumental in shaping the culture. On Friday the students will research how food and/or film has impacted the country of their choice and present to the group.
This project week is five consecutive "day trips" for our younger students. Each day the group will try a new activity and new location.
Be a part of our ongoing exchange between the Overlake School and Takigawa Dai-ni High School, our sister school in Japan.
Interested in Leadership, Design and working with a top rate non-profit that Oprah loves. Come join us at KIVA in San Francisco to help them design new innovation solutions to bring their work to students that are in K-12 schools. You will learn about yourself, Design Thinking (A process that designers in many fields use), Leadership and have FUN.
Build and program Lego robots using the powerful EV3 brick, first introduced in 2013. You’ll build challenge models to learn the basics of gears, motors, sensors, levers and joints. Then you’ll tackle a challenge in which each team of two students will invent a unique solution.
Discover the ancient art and craft of letterpress printing!
Students will visit with and work alongside a number of local Latino organizations and individuals whose mission is to empower Latino immigrants through educational and economic opportunities. Our focus will be on the values of social justice, community, respect, democracy, integrity, and learning. Some of our partners may include Casa Latina, El Centro de la Raza, Seamar, Seattle Foundation, MAS (movimiento afrolatino de Seattle), among others.
Combine art and engineering to make something awesome! Spend the week at a community makerspace in Seattle where you’ll have access to a laser cutter/etcher and other tools, and gain hands-on experience with cutting edge, professional fabrication equipment.
This project will explore the marine environment, focusing on Puget Sound and environmental sustainability. Each day will find us off campus learning about the cultural and natural history of our local waters as well as actions we can take to act as stewards of these marine resources. By visiting the Seattle Aquarium, the Center for Wooden Boats as well as the Padilla Bay estuary, students will gain an appreciation of the diversity of local marine life, its importance to past and present culture, and steps they can take to preserve the environment for the future.
Welcome to Miniatures Strategy Gaming Boot Camp! Do you enjoy strategy games? Do you like testing your wits against an unpredictable enemy and seeing who is decided the victor? Do you like miniatures, model cars and planes, or fine detail painting? During this project you will learn how to play the signature table top game produced by Games Workshop. You will also learn some techniques for building and painting the models and engage in a little creative writing as well. Everyone leaves Boot Camp with a copy of their own rule books, army codex, and some miniatures (detailed scale models used as game pieces). The majority of the project cost funds these materials that you keep.
Multi-Sectioned MOBILES! Think, Alexander Calder meets Fibonacci!
Come cook and eat for project week. Students will spend 5 days tantalizing their taste buds by learning about, cooking and eating foods for all types of diets (vegan, gluten-free, sugar-free, etc.) We will learn from a nutritionist, visit local specialty bakeries, take a cake decorating class, and do lots of on-campus cooking and eating. For the grand finale – Cupcake Wars!
This project is an opportunity for students to paint a wall mural at Overlake. You have the chance to put your artistic talents to use and leave a lasting mark at Overlake for many years.
Experience new world cultures without leaving Seattle!
We will travel to the land of our most trusted allies. Morocco holds the longest unbroken treaty relationship in U.S. history. Seeking linguistic as well as professional connections, this project will delve deeper into the ways that we can learn from our closest partners. We will learn Arabic and Tamazight in a homestay experience, and cooperate with the local community in Morocco to serve their present needs. Service learning at its finest, this trip will help students understand the immediate realities of people in a Muslim society.
The Citizen Project will inspire you. You will engage in civic action personally and directly. If you are interested in the law, if you are interested in citizenship, if you are interested in justice—this project is for you. Join us!
This is a fun and exciting week of community service projects, decided by the group members themselves.
All Aboard! Live your dream by working to restore the Snoqualmie Railroad from depot to train cars.
This project will provide an opportunity to learn first-hand about the disaster relief sector. In what ways can we reduce the risk of disaster? How do people react and respond to the devastating impact to their lives? We will seek answers to these questions by interacting with and helping the locals on the island of Eleuthera in the Bahamas. We will work with Habitat for Humanity to spend our days doing construction work on houses, in addition to other local service work. Join us as we spend the year learning about disaster relief work that not only happens in the Bahamas, but around the world!
Help us build a piece of installation art on the Overlake campus! This "River of Past Technologies" will include both drawings and permanently attached bits and pieces of old computers, radios, phones, capacitors, wires, you-name-it.
Join us for a week of computer science and robotics. This introductory robotics challenge will focus on basic programming skills and designing functional autonomous robots.
HELP WANTED: Evil Genius looking for others to help in construction of a robot minion army. No experience necessary. Start day one learning to light and LED. By the end of the week, you will be building robots which respond to sound, light, or even temperature. World domination has never been so easy! Apply Today!
Come learn about Rube Goldberg an engineer artist tinkerer who always was trying to invent a better "mouse trap".
When you step aboard, Adventuress, you become a sailor from the past no winches to rely on, no cruise ship staff to do all the work, only each other to help sail the schooner. You will become one of the thousands who have helped to set the sails, cook a meal in the galley, swab the deck on an early morning, and take the helm to bring her into anchor. You become part of tradition in its finest sense a true working crew member exploring the unique and scenic waterways of Puget Sound.
Creative Sciencing: Invent. . . Explore. . . Teamwork. Let’s Investigate Science Together!
Back by popular demand: SCREEN PRINTING! Use your own designs to create t-shirts, bags, and more using the simple screen printing technique. You do not need to have drawing or design skills to take this project week, but you do need to be willing to use your imagination, to experiment with your ideas, and be ready to get messy.
Who best perceives the foggy boundary between the spirited living city from the city of spirits and ghosts hanging around from the past? Those who seek out the haunts, that's who, and that’s us! In a week of metropolitan exploration and adventure, we seek out the best that the dead and the living have to offer us in greater Seattle: from graveyards, haunted buildings and ruins, and mortuaries to coffee house and bookstore coolness, a bocce ball lunch, even a meeting with gag gift purveyors. We seek out the edge where life is to be appreciated and lived to the fullest.
In this week-long workshop, students will explore the fundamentals of songwriting and performance.
What does it take to start a startup? This Project Week will investigate what it takes to create a successful startup, and visit some of the companies and technologies behind this startup explosion.
Join us for a discovery-packed, delicious week of hands-on learning, tasting and doing focused on sustainable and healthy choices for ourselves, our school and our planet.
Come learn how to create beautiful, interesting artwork with fabric, wood, and paint!
Pinnochio?! Simba?! What do they have in common? One word: Puppets!!!
Is it possible to live sustainably without going back to the stone age? For this project week, students will experience what life can be like without consuming ANY fossil fuels.
Is it possible to live sustainably without going back to the stone age? For this project week, students will experience what life can be like without consuming ANY fossil fuels.
Are you ready to dive into an experience that will expose you to a different culture and language within our own home state of Washington?
Project Week (2024-25)
Mar 24, 2025 - Mar 28, 2025
Contact
Zeya Kyaw
Assistant Director of Experiential Education
zkyaw@overlake.org