During the Fourth Grade year, girls explore leadership and action , perspectives and interdependence. The place-based curriculum guides them to become independent learners who work with accuracy, are metacognitive, and participate as citizen leaders in our outdoor learning environment at the Butler Campus. Civic engagement in the community through stewardship contributions and leadership opportunities highlighting adventure and mindfulness strategies prepare students for greater involvement and service beyond Laurel. Students take part in many discussions and small-group projects that help them develop an articulated set of leadership attributes, such as courage, compassion, resourcefulness and curiosity. Girls apply the components of resilience, including creativity, growth mindset, purpose, self-care and relationships, throughout the year. An emphasis on reading and writing in all areas of the curriculum helps students learn to apply strategies to understand new texts, to reason  well and to communicate their thoughts clearly. Balanced with rigorous mathematics and science curricula, students participate in a fully integrated STEAM-focused experience called Power & Purpose and are engaged in hands-on learning through intensive research, field studies and an engineering and building project that benefits the entire campus community. As students ride bikes across our 150-acre Butler Campus each day, they embrace independence, solve meaningful problems, and learn more about the historical significance of bicycles for women and the current impact of bicycles on our environment.