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.

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Gamer’s Strategy @ Escape Artistry

By Hiu To / February 7, 2017
November 30, 2023 @ 2:15 pm CST

Students in the Game Changers class have been pursuing the question, how can you harness the power of play?. More specifically, students have been taking a closer look at the thought…

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Listening Closely @ Chicago Hearing Society

By Hiu To / February 3, 2017
November 30, 2023 @ 2:15 pm CST

In the second unit of the Light, Sound, and Time class, the Juniors have been pursuing the question, what is sound?. In pursuit of an answer, students examined the role that…

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Zero Emissions @ Tesla

By Hiu To / February 1, 2017
November 30, 2023 @ 2:15 pm CST

In the second unit of the Fuel class, the Freshmen have been pursuing the question, how does matter become energy?. In pursuit of an answer, students have been studying the…

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Our Memories, Our Truth @ St. Paul’s House

By Hiu To / January 30, 2017
November 30, 2023 @ 2:15 pm CST

Freshmen in the Who Am I? class have been purusing the question, What do your truths and memories say about who you are?. In pursuit of an answer, students have…

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From the Classroom to the Darkroom @ Latin School

By Hiu To / January 18, 2017
November 30, 2023 @ 2:15 pm CST

Juniors in the Light, Sound, and Time class made pinhole cameras to better understand how our eyes react to light. To test out their homemade cameras, students visited the darkroom…

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Radio-rithmetic @ Guitar Center

By Hiu To / November 28, 2016
November 30, 2023 @ 2:15 pm CST

Students in the Radio-rithmetic class have been pursuing the guiding question, how do you organize the rhythm of beats?. In this course, students will dive into the subjective realm of music,…

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Game Changers @ Cat & Mouse Games

By Hiu To / November 28, 2016
November 30, 2023 @ 2:15 pm CST

Students in the Game Changers class have been pursuing the guiding question, what is the thought process behind playing a game?. In this course, students have taken on the role of…

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Location Scouting in the South Loop

By Hiu To / November 15, 2016
November 30, 2023 @ 2:15 pm CST

Students in the Ollywood class have been pursuing the guiding question, what makes a movie a movie?.  In this course, students have taken on the role of a film critic and…

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The Hero’s Journey @ The Stony Island Arts Bank

By Hiu To / October 24, 2016
November 30, 2023 @ 2:15 pm CST

Sophomores in the Stories class visited the Stony Island Arts Bank, to observe firsthand the acts of cultural preservation that some have considered heroic. In the third unit of this Humanities course, students…

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Collecting Data on Population @ Oak Woods Cemetery

By Hiu To / October 21, 2016
November 30, 2023 @ 2:15 pm CST

Sophomores in the Population class visited the Oak Woods Cemetery in Greater Grand Crossing to collect data and identify patterns by looking at tombstones. In the second unit of this…

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Design & Engineering @ The Recyclery Collective

By Hiu To / October 13, 2016
November 30, 2023 @ 2:15 pm CST

Juniors in the Design & Engineering class talked to experts at The Recyclery Collective in Rogers Park to learn about the mechanics of bikes and the purposes that different types…

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Art of Photojournalism @ Weinberg/Newton Gallery

By Hiu To / September 29, 2016
November 30, 2023 @ 2:15 pm CST

Seniors in the Journalism class visited artist and photojournalist, Krista Wortendyke’s exhibit, Killing Season Chicago at the Weinberg/Newton Gallery to examine the power of photographs. The students have been pursuing…

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The Physics of Gardening @ Home Depot

By Hiu To / September 27, 2016
November 30, 2023 @ 2:15 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…

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Carrying Water @ The Chicago River

By Hiu To / September 23, 2016
November 30, 2023 @ 2:15 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…

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Epic Entrepreneurs @ Epic Burger

By Hiu To / May 5, 2016
November 30, 2023 @ 2:15 pm CST

The Seniors in the Entrepreneurship course took their learning to a local burger shop to talk about the business behind a successful restaurant. Epic Burger is a local burger shop…

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Sound Meditation: A Journey Within

By GCE Lab School / April 29, 2016
November 30, 2023 @ 2:15 pm CST

Seniors embarked on a transformative journey within themselves with the help of Preston Klik, who demonstrated instruments used for sound meditation and led the meditation for the group.

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The Life of Coffee @ Dark Matter

By Hiu To / April 21, 2016
November 30, 2023 @ 2:15 pm CST

Freshmen in the Food For Thought class went to Dark Matter’s Mothership Coffeeshop to learn about the life of coffee. Students were greeted with cups of coffee upon entering the…

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You Are Energy @ Museum of Science of Industry

By Hiu To / March 7, 2016
November 30, 2023 @ 2:15 pm CST

Freshmen in Who Am I? and Fuel spent the day at the Museum of Science and Industry. It was a day full of learning through experimentation and play. For Fuel,…

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Seeing the World through a Pinhole @ Latin School

By GCE Lab School / February 11, 2016
November 30, 2023 @ 2:15 pm CST

Juniors in the Light, Sound, and Time class made pinhole cameras to better understand how our eyes react to light. To test out their homemade cameras, students visited the darkroom…

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3D Printing the Body @ VisMed3D

By GCE Lab School / December 11, 2015
November 30, 2023 @ 2:15 pm CST

Why? The purpose of this FE is to to see examples of what can be done with 3D printers. How? Students will learn more about 3D printers, how they work,…

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