Director of Experiential Education

Reports to: Assistant Head of School.

About the role

Position Overview Experiential Education is an important expression of Overlake's mission, vision, and values. Through outdoor education, retreats, service learning, Project Week, field experiences, and other opportunities beyond the classroom, students develop skills, habits, and perspectives that deepen their learning and strengthen their capacity to engage meaningfully in the life of the School. At Overlake, the experience itself is only part of the learning. Equally important is helping students make meaning from those experiences and transfer what they learn into other contexts — as students, teammates, performers, artists, leaders, community members, and people. The Experiential Education program therefore depends upon strong partnership with faculty and staff, who help students reflect upon, connect, and apply their learning across the broader Overlake experience. The successful candidate will bring curiosity, humility, sound judgment, excellent organizational and interpersonal skills, and a strong orientation toward partnership and service to the School. They will appreciate the strengths of an established program, learn its culture and history before making changes, and help faculty and colleagues translate experiential learning into meaningful connections across students' academic, co-curricular, athletic, artistic, and community lives. The Director of Experiential Education will provide strategic leadership, operational coordination, and project management for the design and execution of mission-driven, project-based learning experiences for grades 5–12. The position leads the Experiential Education Department and collaborates with faculty, staff, and community partners to ensure the successful delivery of all experiential education programs.

Responsibilities

• Leadership, Oversight, and Strategic Direction: Provide clear guidance and direction to the Experiential Education team in planning, executing, and evaluating Service Learning, Outdoor Education, retreats, Field Studies, and Project Week programs. Set annual departmental goals, establish timelines, and monitor progress through detailed project management systems. Develop and refine operational systems that support efficient planning, communication, and accountability across programs. Collaborate with senior administrators, faculty, and staff to align experiential education initiatives with the school’s mission and strategic plan. Provide clear, proactive, and timely communication to employees, families, and students about programming, such as requisites, itineraries, expectations, safety considerations, etc.
• Program Management and Coordination: Coordinate and manage all logistics related to Experiential Education programs, including: Travel logistics: arranging flights, ground transportation, accommodations, and trip itineraries for students and staff. Project Week Oversight: support and lead Project Week logistics, planning, and programming. Process management: streamlining and managing the application, permission forms, and data systems related to student participation. Risk