Project: Pomfret Preview

Students prepare for a Pomfret signature program.

Each year during Project: Pomfret, our students and faculty set aside two weeks to investigate a topic that inspires and perplexes them. This signature program is a choose-your-own-adventure with a problem to solve and a hundred ways to go about it.

Since November, students have been planning what they will experience, where they will travel, and how they hope to grow during the project period. Upperclassmen serve as leaders and are setting the course to help their group be successful in their quest. The first week of the project, February 28 to March 4, is dedicated to exploring the problem, and the second week, March 6 thru 9, is dedicated to preparing their presentation at the Project: Pomfret Fair on March 9 and 10. 

Each project group falls into one of Pomfret’s six certificate program domains — Social Justice, STEM Exploration, Sustainability, Artistic Expression and Design, Global Citizenship and Awareness, and Character and Leadership. There are some favorite projects that return each year, such as Never Have We Ever, which challenges students to try new things; The Cinderella Project, which helps provide prom dresses for area teens in need; and the Stories Matter experience, where all freshmen participate in the exploration of the importance of storytelling. There are some great new projects this year. Source to Stomach will work with Dining Services and local farms, restaurants, and food pantries to understand our food systems and how to make them more sustainable. Ye Olde Bike Shoppe where students will learn how to clean and repair bicycles. The What is the Future of Technology group will visit various innovation centers in the surrounding area to explore how technology is changing. 

“We have so many interesting projects this year. There are two outdoor groups, one of which will be spending two nights under the stars as they explore different campsites in New England. I am also excited about a new project, Design, Style, and Brand, as they explore fashion,” said French Teacher Tim Deary ’05, who also is the Project: Pomfret coordinator. “Groups are partnering with local schools and organizations. Some are connecting with alums, while others are taking the opportunity to explore businesses and opportunities in our area that are of interest to them. Project: Pomfret is a wonderful chance for them to learn more about themselves, their peers, and the world around them.”