Written by William Allard Stoll III
In May, Woodstock College hosted me for a teacher exchange focusing on experiential learning. Woodstock’s campus and location are truly remarkable, An island of green, 2000 meters above India´s vibrant landscape.
It is a natural retreat and an ideal place to study, learn and live together…in an experiment of place-based education.
For me, it was indeed a retreat! The time I spent at Woodstock to interact, observe, participate, and reflect was both insightful and rejuvenating.
Some of my key insights revolved around the priority of place-based education and the school’s commitment to owning its mission. Everyone I spoke with knew that Woodstock’s history and setting were special. Beyond simply celebrating this, the school was strategic in engaging students and staff to integrate the place and the mission throughout so many aspects of what they did and learned. The partnership with the Hanifl Center, which extended beyond just opportunities to graduation requirements and certifying students’ skills and worldview, was a prime example of this.
The emphasis on service and community engagement truly shone in my conversations with staff and students. The integration of community needs, students finding their passion, and staff supporting it through programs like Passages, CFI, and the Office of Community Engagement, again spoke to the strategic development of a culture of service.
One unexpected observation was “How to Handle War” as Woodstock managed the crisis with Pakistan during my visit. Despite all the challenges, a sense of calm was maintained, and actions were thoughtful, collaborative, and clearly communicated. I never felt unsafe or overly alarmed; in fact, I thought Woodstock was one of the safest places to be in India.
Reflecting on this, I see Woodstock’s response as putting into practice what it teaches about leadership: the power of encouragement, example, and service to others.
My key takeaway is outdoor education, service, sustainability, global mindedness these are all mindsets rooted in knowing your place.
The challenge I bring back to Newton is “Know our place”. One initiative directly rooted in my Woodstock College is developing student-led orientation sessions for Newton students´ trips to the Amazon, teaching preparedness and more importantly a mindset of how to engage with and sustain the natural world.
Yet, what I am most excited about is returning with Newton students for the 2026 GAIL Conference!
Providing them the opportunity to experience firsthand and truly “know” Woodstock, further solidifying the principles of place-based education in their own learning journeys.
Thank you GAIL and Woodstock School for such an incredible learning journey (Trekking, Temples and Tigers in India).
