Field Experiences

GCE is unique for the way we use our amazing city as a classroom. We’re proud of the way we help students to explore all Chicago has to offer.

The Field Experience (FE) Program exposes students to real-world environments where they explore their interests, apply what they’ve learned in the classroom, and expand their knowledge through firsthand interactions of local and global consequence.

Field Experience Icon

Interested in becoming a Field Experience host?

Investigating Budō with Jason Bender

By Brent Mix / January 27, 2021
November 30, 2023 @ 2:17 pm CST

Students in Who Am I? took a virtual introductory jiu-jitsu class with Jason Bender of Bender Fitness. While the study of martial arts might seem miles away from our course on…

Read More

Light/No Light: Experimenting with Pinhole Cameras

By Adam Cohen-Leadholm / January 27, 2021
November 30, 2023 @ 2:17 pm CST

The Juniors in Light, Sound, and Time investigated the guiding question: What would life look like without light?. They studied camera exposure to better understand how the human eye reacts…

Read More

Discovering the Art of the Shadow with Manual Cinema

By Hiu To / December 15, 2020
November 30, 2023 @ 2:17 pm CST

In this workshop, students in the A Show of Hands class explored the possibilities and craft of performant storytelling. Artists from Manual Cinema exposed the multitude of layers that go…

Read More

Discovering a Community of Puppets at Nasty, Brutish & Short

By Hiu To / December 15, 2020
November 30, 2023 @ 2:17 pm CST

The students in the A Show of Hands class are taking a deep dive into the world of puppetry. They are investigating how puppets have been used to pass down…

Read More
gce at earth rider

Electrifying Bikes at Earth Rider Cycling

By Adam Cohen-Leadholm / November 2, 2020
November 30, 2023 @ 2:17 pm CST

Juniors in Design & Engineering visited Earth Rider, a full-service, woman-owned bike shop to learn from store-owner and bike expert, Sharon. Sharon is a League Cycling Instructor and a certified…

Read More

Experiencing Visual Rhetoric at the Living Memorial in Marquette Park

By Brent Mix / November 2, 2020
November 30, 2023 @ 2:17 pm CST

Juniors in the Rhetoric class have been pursuing the guiding question, “How does rhetoric inspire and mobilize?” Specifically, students are asked to consider how original artwork can speak out on…

Read More

Better Design with Greater Good Studio

By Adam Cohen-Leadholm / October 27, 2020
November 30, 2023 @ 2:17 pm CST

Juniors in Design & Engineering are pursuing the guiding question, How does the design process impact product and experience?. The students are investigating the design of gardening tools, and the…

Read More

Investigating the Language of Resistance with Ugo Okere

By Brent Mix / October 22, 2020
November 30, 2023 @ 2:17 pm CST

I first became aware of Ugo Okere when he was a candidate for Alderman in my Ward, the 40th. In the fall of 2018, Ugo ran as a very young (22)…

Read More

Rapid Prototyping with The James Dyson Foundation

By Adam Cohen-Leadholm / October 20, 2020
November 30, 2023 @ 2:17 pm CST

Students in Design & Engineering received a virtual visit from a couple of experts from the James Dyson Foundation. We have a longstanding partnership with the Dyson Foundation, and we…

Read More

Physics in the Garden at Home Depot

By Adam Cohen-Leadholm / October 4, 2020
November 30, 2023 @ 2:17 pm CST

Juniors in the Design & Engineering class talked to experts from the gardening department at Home Depot to investigate the physics of gardening tools. In the first unit of this…

Read More

Carrying Water @ The Chicago River

By Hiu To / October 4, 2020
November 30, 2023 @ 2:17 pm CST

Freshmen in the Water class visited the Chicago River to collect water. In the first unit of this STEAM course, students have been pursuing the guiding question, why is water…

Read More

Exploring the Journey of Coffee with Metropolis Coffee

By Brent Mix / May 11, 2020
November 30, 2023 @ 2:17 pm CST

For the past two years, students in the Food For Thought class have visited the Metropolis Coffee Company’s roastery to learn about the life of the Coffee plant. They’ve toured…

Read More

A Virtual Eat Your Neighborhood Tour with Dave Odd

By Hiu To / April 25, 2020
November 30, 2023 @ 2:17 pm CST

The students in the Food For Thought class are investigating the guiding question, How are food systems shaped and how do they shape the world?. As a part of this…

Read More

Examining Policy with Connie Jordan

By Brent Mix / April 20, 2020
November 30, 2023 @ 2:17 pm CST

Juniors are taking a course called Policy. The first Unit, called “Legislate,” investigates the ways that policy happens through legislative bodies. For the most part, our curriculum focuses on the…

Read More

Getting Physical and Philosophical with Jason Bender

By Brent Mix / March 13, 2020
November 30, 2023 @ 2:17 pm CST

Students in Who Am I? journeyed up to Andersonville’s Cheetah Gym to take an introductory jiu-jitsu class with Jason Bender of Bender Fitness. While the study of martial arts might seem miles…

Read More

Philosophizing in the Modern World at New Acropolis

By Brent Mix / February 15, 2020
November 30, 2023 @ 2:17 pm CST

At GCE, our mission of connecting our studies to real-world situations and activities with a global focus finds quite a bit of overlap with New Acropolis, who define their work…

Read More

Spaces as Public Art at Design Museum of Chicago

By Hiu To / December 12, 2019
November 30, 2023 @ 2:17 pm CST

Students in Drawing Lines have been investigating the concept of placemaking specifically through art. So far in their investigation, they’ve looked at how public artworks may create places where people…

Read More

Musing over Murals with Pilsen Public Art Tours

By Hiu To / December 10, 2019
November 30, 2023 @ 2:17 pm CST

The students in the Drawing Lines course have been examining the power of public art in educating and uniting a community. As a part of their investigation, they studied the…

Read More

Rapid Prototyping with The James Dyson Foundation

By Adam Cohen-Leadholm / November 7, 2019
November 30, 2023 @ 2:17 pm CST

Students in Design & Engineering received a visit from a team of designers and engineers from the James Dyson Foundation. We have a longstanding partnership with the Dyson Foundation, and…

Read More

Envisioning the Future of Bicycles at Earth Rider

By Adam Cohen-Leadholm / November 7, 2019
November 30, 2023 @ 2:17 pm CST

Juniors in Design & Engineering visited Earth Rider, a full-service, woman-owned bike shop to learn from store-owner and bike expert, Sharon. Sharon is a League Cycling Instructor and a certified…

Read More