PEP Spring Break Camp 2025 Infuses Sustainability and Fun

PEP Spring Break Camp was an extra-special experience this year, with every day providing something fun and exciting for our participating students. A major highlight was partnering with two community groups to provide custom, built-for-Poly programming. With each day offering a fresh opportunity to explore, build, and connect, the camp exemplified how powerful community partnerships can be in creating meaningful learning moments.

PEP partnered with two incredible local organizations: TreePeople and the ReDiscover Center. These partnerships brought unique programming that align with PEP’s values of sustainability, creativity, and hands-on discovery.

On Monday, March 24, students traveled to Coldwater Canyon Park to work with TreePeople, one of California’s most respected environmental nonprofits. There, they immersed themselves in the natural world, learning from expert ecologists about native plants, sustainable practices, and the interconnectedness of ecosystems.

"TreePeople taught me a lot about sustainability,” said Avery S. ’33. “I really like plants and I learned more about native plants and why they're important.”

Students even got to take home saplings—tiny seeds that, with care, could grow into trees over 40 feet tall. “They gave us a seed... and then we brought it home and put it in some water,” explained Avery. “It takes like 40 years to grow and will be 40 feet tall.”

The week continued with more excitement on Thursday, March 27, when PEP welcomed the ReDiscover Center to campus. Known for their innovative approach to creative reuse and maker education, ReDiscover taught students how to safely use real tools—drills, saws, clamps—and upcycled materials to create a massive collaborative art piece. The final result? A breathtaking eight-foot-tall "Under the Sea" whale bone sculpture, entirely imagined and built by the students, along with a boat, a treasure chest, and a coral reef.

The excitement around ReDiscover didn’t stop with the build. Lucy O. ’33 even led a petition—signed by fellow students—to make ReDiscover a permanent fixture of PEP Spring Break for years to come.

Extended Day and Summer Programs Coordinator Tim Huang reflected on the magic of watching students dive into hands-on learning: “Obviously, they could build stuff with Minecraft, Roblox, or any of those digital construction games. But to see them actually touch power tools and pan saws, and drill things together and use clamps to do creative construction was super fun and super heart-melting for me.”

When asked what inspired these community collaborations, Tim shared: “While looking for Spring Break field trips, TreePeople and ReDiscover were two companies that we stumbled upon that ran programs for K–5 students. We aim for Spring Break week to be diverse in what the students learn and play, so when the opportunity to explore nature and learn about sustainability, upcycling, and new skills presented itself, we jumped in.”

Tim also emphasized PEP’s broader commitment to sustainability. “We are always looking for ways to show students that sustainability is fun, simple, and can easily be incorporated into their lives,” he said. “From composting snack scraps to upcycling cardboard boxes into knights’ armor, we use our outside-the-classroom time to lean into life practices that help our community and world.”

Beyond the field trips and projects, the heart of PEP Spring Break Camp lies in the joy of connection and being outdoors. As Avery put it: “Whenever my parents are at work, I really like to go to PEP and just play games or draw... Even if my parents are like, ‘Do you want to go home and watch some TV or go to PEP?’ I say I want to go to PEP—because I get to play with my friends and do fun activities like foursquare.”

Whether hiking through nature, constructing imaginative art, or simply enjoying time with friends, this year's PEP Spring Break Camp brought joyful learning to life. We can’t wait to see what next spring has in store.