MEET HENRY KINDER
Henry is a filmmaker from the Bay Area who focuses on telling stories about how humans interact with their environments and the natural world. Henry worked with the Field Semester team to produce a new video (watch the video here) telling the story of the project and what it will mean for the land, community, and students. In this community spotlight, we turn the lens on him, so to speak.
What excites you most about The Field Semester?
I have come to believe that the solutions to many of our most pressing challenges reside in the deep sense of connection and place that we feel with our immediate community of people, plants and animals. By paying close attention to what’s in front of us, we can better practice a sense of curiosity and compassion for the wider world. My filmmaking work aims to interrogate this notion in content and process, so when I first heard about The Field Semester, it was incredibly exciting for me to discover a project that is both 1) explicitly aimed at engendering this type of thinking in young people and 2) so aligned with my values. Speaking with the core team and digging deeper into their plans for the program has only served to increase my anticipation for seeing The Field Semester actualize!
Tell us about the greatest thing you’ve learned while working on The Field Semester?
So many things! I’ve loved learning about all of the questions that have arisen throughout the process, and the circuitous pathways that reveal themselves in the answers… Where should the school be set? The location of Port Costa – the watershed, the schoolhouse, the industrial history of the town – has such a strong influence on what and how the school will actually teach…. What does it look for the students to build and operate the campus? Dormitory design becomes constrained by what’s feasible for a student to actually build…. It’s been edifying to begin seeing how each decision creates new constraints (opportunities) that influence the growth of a truly intentional and organic school.
While still in development, what impacts has The Field Semester already had on you? What insights have you gleaned from being a key part of this project thus far?
Working on this video project for The Field Semester has confirmed for me something which I have long suspected, which is just how many deeply intelligent and inspired leaders and educators there are in the Bay Area who so clearly see the nature of our challenges and have identified a shared vision for a solution in this immersive, equitable educational experience for high schoolers. It’s galvanizing to speak with a diverse chorus of TFS leaders and advisors who each bring a unique set of experiences and expertise to the project, yet are all aligned on the shape of what they’re building. So while the project is ambitious, it has been affirming to meet a group of passionate educators, thinkers and leaders who, together, are uniquely equipped to expand the educational paradigm for high schoolers in Port Costa and beyond....