Oldfields Signature Programs present students with opportunities to explore and develop their own areas of interest.
Signature Programs
Equine Science Concentration
The Equine Science Concentration is for students who are passionate about horse care and horsemanship, interested in studying equine or veterinary science in college, and/or want to work in the horse industry. It combines traditional academic classes with hands-on education in the barn and individualized experiential learning opportunities.
These travel opportunities are designed not only to provide unique and enriching experiences for our students to learn, study and serve but also for them to return to the classroom ready to share their experiences.
Global trips focus on areas such as community service, cultural immersion, historical education, curricular connections, and more. Global Programs trips occur over Spring Break and the summer months and connect us to communities both near and far.
May Program
One of the hallmarks of an Oldfields education is our May Program—a two-week experiential learning experience that complements the academic curriculum.
May Program offers a life-changing opportunity for our students. Officially inaugurated in 1971, this popular tradition is still perfectly aligned with our mission since each girl chooses an area to explore that sparks her interest.
Every year, each student chooses one of the many diverse programs taught by one or more of our committed faculty. May Programs can take them across town, throughout the state, or around the country, but all involve expanding horizons. The faculty often share a personal passion or area of expertise outside the traditional curriculum, and both teacher and student alike grow from this in-depth, hands-on experience.
Juniors and seniors have the opportunity to design an independent May Program. Working in consultation with a faculty member who serves as her advisor, each girl develops a project that is unique to her. Many students choose to explore areas of college study or a potential career path. Past projects have included working as a veterinary aide, being part of a congressional campaign committee, assisting teachers at an elementary school, and interning in surgical pathology at Johns Hopkins Hospital.
Pathways Program
The Pathways program provides invaluable life skills to our students and also fosters invaluable connections between current students and alumni, allowing them to share knowledge and experiences.
Career Pathway: Students explore diverse professions through weekly sessions led by alumni and friends of the school to gain insight into traditional and unconventional career paths.
Pursue Your Passion Pathway: Each semester, students have the opportunity to further delve into personal interests. Faculty and alumni mentors guide the students in their research through interviews, internships and community service in their chosen areas of inquiry. Strong relationships are created between current students and alumni which leads to future professional networking possibilities.
Practical Pathway: Weekly seminars each quarter equip students with essential life skills in effective communication, health and wellness, finance, and civic responsibility, preparing them for successful journeys beyond Oldfields.
Riding Program
An integral part of the Oldfields experience since 1867, the Oldfields Riding Program is dedicated to inspiring our riders to pursue a path of continued growth. Our goals are to develop and enhance a yearning for knowledge, to value the character of the horse and the integrity of the sport, to honor the path of the individual, and to savor the process of learning and the lessons discovered from our relationships with horses.
We develop the whole horseperson. Our riders are involved in all aspects of daily life at the barn. They learn how to care for the horses, how to develop their riding, and how to cultivate the relationship between horse and rider. With three different trainers, our riders benefit from a vast wealth of knowledge from across different disciplines.
Our lessons are tailored to the needs and goals of each individual. Some days, our riders might drill gymnastics or practice a dressage test. Others, they will experience the thrill of galloping in an open field or introducing their horse to working equitation obstacles.
Our accomplished and knowledgeable trainers draw from across different disciplines to create an exceptional well-rounded curriculum. Above all else, we value horsemanship and our equine partners. Our barn is an inclusive place that strives to create a safe, inviting, and supportive environment in which all riders can grow.