Oak Experience Week Launches with a Look Back at Virginia’s Revolutionary Roots—and a Challenge to Lead Today
Oak Experience Week began with a powerful call to reflection and action as students in grades 9–11 explored Virginia’s past and considered their role in shaping the future.
Head of School Scott Kennedy reminded students that growth happens everywhere.
“Learning doesn’t happen just in the classroom,” Kennedy said.
With those words, the tone for the week was set and keynote speaker Henry Chambers, professor at the University of Richmond School of Law, presented “Virginia Before the Revolution: Oak Experience Week.” His address connected directly to Virginia 250, the statewide commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
Chambers invited students to think critically about the historical forces that shaped Virginia — from the aftermath of the French and Indian War and restrictions on westward expansion beyond the Appalachian Mountains, to Lord Dunmore’s Proclamation, the leadership of George Washington and the Continental Army, and evolving debates about liberty and integration.
“We have different ways of thinking about problems and how we solve them,” Chambers told students. “Remember, we all learn from one another.”
Marking the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, he challenged students to reconsider its principles in a modern context. When is breaking away justified? What does it mean for change to be “deserved”? How have those arguments echoed through history?
“On this 250th anniversary of the document, we have a chance to think about it again — and you have a chance to give heft to it,” he said.
From History to Action: Project Citizen
Following the keynote, students met with a representative from Project Citizen, a nationally recognized civic education program that empowers young people to identify real-world problems and develop policy-based solutions.
Beginning Wednesday, students will work in teams to:
- Identify a problem within the school community
- Research the issue from multiple perspectives
- Develop a practical, principle-based solution
- Pitch their proposal to school administrators later in the week
The connection between Virginia 250 and Project Citizen is intentional. As students examine the ideals outlined in the Declaration of Independence—equality, justice, representation and responsibility—they are also being asked to apply those principles in their own community.
Oak Experience Week is more than a study of history. It is an opportunity for students to practice civic leadership—to thoughtfully analyze problems, collaborate across perspectives, and propose solutions grounded in enduring democratic values.
Two hundred fifty years after the founding document that shaped our nation, our students are being challenged to ask: How do we live out those principles today?
