May Program has been a hallmark of the Oldfields experience and was introduced to Oldfields thirty-five years ago by Headmaster George S. Nevens, Jr., as an experiential extension to complement the academic program. Each May Program course is connected to the academic program, but extends beyond the four walls of the classroom into complete immersion. Each spring, students are encouraged to pursue or develop interests through the variety of offerings. Past offerings include performing community service in Baltimore and Appalachia, exploring the cultural diversity of the American Southwest, tracing the events of the Civil Rights movement in a Freedom Ride, studying art in Italy or languages in Spain and France, and learning about WWII by traveling to its European historic sites. The diversity of this program reflects the commitment and creativity of the faculty to expand the girls’ growth beyond the classroom.

Outdoor Experience
This program offers students the opportunity to develop the skills needed to safely explore and interpret the biodiversity of the Piedmont Plateau. The girls will spend their days hiking, canoeing, kayaking, caving and camping. They will also spend some time at the Eden Mill Nature Center. In addition, the girls will learn how to use a compass and a GPS, spend a day banding wild birds and work with an expert in Native American tools.

Chesapeake Flora and Fauna
In this May Program, the girls will learn about the diversity of creatures and plants which occupy the Chesapeake Bay Watershed region – dunes, marsh, ocean, river and forest. They will examine how different habitats are tied to the Chesapeake Bay and study the ecology of each region. Environmental concerns will be discussed. The girls will travel to Assateague Island for an overnight stay and will take numerous day trips to other areas.

Healthy, Wealthy and Wise
This on-campus program is designed to teach young women how to maintain their health as well as general life skills. They will spend their mornings doing different exercise routines including stretching, cardiovascular workouts and strength and conditioning workouts. Their afternoons will be spent learning about basic car maintenance, healthy grocery shopping on a budget, healthy cooking, traveling, budgeting, taxes, women’s safety, and alternative medicines.

Digital Storytelling
This on-campus program will introduce the girls to the world of digital storytelling. The girls will spend their time in the School’s digital lab where they will use Photoshop Elements, PowerPoint, SmartBoard software, as well as Windows Movie Maker. This program offers students an opportunity to strengthen their presentation skills and to learn how to tell stories using modern technology.

OS to N.O.
For this off-campus program the group will travel to New Orleans to work with Habitat for Humanity and help with the continuing recovery efforts from Hurricane Katrina. The girls will work at construction sites in the New Orleans area. They will also have the opportunity to experience the culture, cuisine, music and natural environment of the area. The girls participating in this program must be at least 16 years old. This program fulfills the community service requirement.

The Language, History and Culture of France
This off-campus program will spend its time in Paris, France, with two full day excursions to the Loire Valley and Monet’s gardens in Normandy. They will be exposed to the history, architecture, art and culture of France. The girls will visit Versailles, the Arc de Triomphe, the Cathedral of Notre Dame, the chateaux of the Loire Valley, Giverny, the Eiffel Tower and many other wonderful places. The group will stay at a family run hotel in Paris. Ideally each girl will have some French language ability, but the trip is also open to non-French speakers. 

World War II and the Holocaust
This off-campus program will travel to London, Normandy and Amsterdam. The girls will experience first-hand the drama and heroism of some of the most prolific events of the Second World War and see these events not just through the prism of the leaders and the history books, but, more so, through the eyes of the ordinary citizens. In London they will visit the Cabinet War Rooms where Churchill directed the war and the Imperial War Museum. In Normandy, the girls will visit the beaches, cemeteries and other important places that will give them a greater understanding of D-Day. From there they will travel to Amsterdam where they will visit the Anne Frank House and the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. 

Freedom Ride
This off-campus program focuses on the Civil Rights Movement. The students spend the first week of May Program on campus learning about the Civil Rights Movement and they spend the second week in the South visiting the sites of many momentous events. They will travel to Atlanta, Selma and Birmingham. More details are forthcoming. 

Reach One - Teach One
This on-campus program description is not currently available, but the program involves the girls working as teachers’ aides in a Baltimore County middle school and possibly in a Baltimore City elementary school for the two weeks. As soon as that description is available we will share it with you.