Global Programs

Independent Study Travel

Want to walk through Frank Lloyd Wright’s famous architectural masterpiece?

Study equine nutrition at a veterinary workshop in Oxford, TN? Get your hands dirty learning about blue and white porcelain at its roots in China? We can take you there. The iQuest program encourages students to extend their curiosity beyond the borders of campus and follow it anywhere in the world it leads.

iQuest Opportunities

The classroom is a stepping stone into the full sweep of learning experiences at Chatham Hall. It is not the beginning, nor the end. Our girls are encouraged to get their hands (literally) around a subject, to sharpen their powers of observation, to step forward with questions, and to communicate clearly what they see and believe.

iQuest makes funds available for students and faculty to add local, national, and international travel components to traditional courses, new courses, and independent study. Students have applied for and received support to take on subjects as wide ranging as a science/chemistry internship to create a line of makeup, veterinary studies, self-sustaining environmental work, and learning about small city development by traveling to Portland, OR to interview city developers and then applying what is learned right here with civic organizations in Chatham. If you want to learn by doing, Chatham Hall is the place for you.
Who has been out in the world finding answers to their questions? Sasha made a pilgrimage to the Camino de Santiago in Spain over spring break. After researching pilgrimages and spirituality, she and a teacher hiked with other pilgrims and spoke with a monk who gave Sasha perspective regarding her spirituality and the role that religion plays in her life.

Singer-songwriter and Chatham Hall student Walker visited Nashville learning about the music scene there and meeting with musician Marshall Campbell to discuss Walker’s talent and how she could move forward with her music. A demo disk of original music will be the ultimate product of this iQuest.

Scientist Mary-Michael and physics teacher Molly Thomas traveled to Cambridge, MA, to study the work of astronomer and physicist Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin. At Harvard University's Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Mary-Michael spoke with Professor Avi Loeb regarding Payne-Gaposchkin’s work. What better way for a young scientist to learn how curiosity and passion can lead to a life of discovery? Click here to view the documentary she created.

Chatham Hall teachers applied for and received funding to expose students in English as a Second Language classes to American history first hand. Nothing brings colonial history to life quite like a tour of Jamestown and Williamsburg. After steeping in early US history, students moved to Richmond, VA to tour the capitol to understand the democratic process and how what they learned about colonial history applies to modern life.
Every iQuest is different and represents the interests and motivation of each student who participates in this program. What’s your burning question – and where will it take you?

iQuest Guidelines

The iQuest Program provides funding to explore a question of intellectual and abiding personal importance through experiential learning—that is, through learning by doing, outside of the regular/daily classroom. There are three types of projects: a senior capstone project, independent study project, and group study project.

Discovery Challenge

Unique to boarding schools in Virginia, Discovery Challenge is an independent study program. It offers students the opportunity to pursue a topic of particular interest in depth under the guidance and direction of a faculty mentor of their choosing.

Emphasis is on the processes of exploration and discovery, with students learning to locate and use resources, analyze information, and present findings. Students create a final project which includes two major elements, such as a daily journal, research paper, portfolio of art, science project, collection of creative writings, or presentation (e.g., dramatic, informal, musical).
A girls' boarding and day school in southern Virginia, Chatham Hall prepares girls for college and for productive lives. Our innovative academic program offers advanced courses, global study and travel, as well as project-based learning. We foster the intellect and character of each student and, through our Honor Code, live in a community of trust. Grounded in its Episcopal heritage, the school welcomes students of all faiths and backgrounds.
800 Chatham Hall Circle | Chatham, VA 24531 | 434.432.2941 | admission@chathamhall.org