​Getting students out of the desk, out of the classroom, into the “real world” to engage and “learn by doing” is a critical aspect of the NVS program of studies. From local options like Point of Honor and James Madison’s home to further afield (seniors have gone as far as San Francisco!), “beyond the walls” learning is emphasized. How better to learn about early American life than to pound a nail at Red Hill, or to investigate planting and harvesting apples than to have an arborist show you around Ciderworks (and then come back and plant three apple trees!), or to understand Picasso than to visit his retrospective at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts after a period of intensive research. And exploring water ecology on the Chesapeake Bay—priceless. The workplace is forever changed by technology, and providing educational opportunities that take children away from “the books” and into the center of history, culture, science, and communication is not only essential—it’s invaluable.