For more than fifteen years, the Chelsea Center at Webster Groves High School has offered students opportunities to learn beyond the classroom. Founded and funded by longtime Webster Groves resident Glenn Detrick in memory of his daughter Chelsea, the center has become an exceptional part of students’ high school experience. Glenn discusses his vision, its impact on students, and why it is essential to continue providing exceptional experiential learning opportunities.
Kirkwood City Lifestyle Magazine: What inspired you to create the Chelsea Center?
Glenn: I started it in memory of my daughter, Chelsea, a Webster Groves High School grad. After she passed away, I wanted to do something in her honor. I first created a scholarship, but then I wanted to do more for the students. I’ve always been a big believer in the experiential learning that comes from traveling the world. By the age of 21, Chelsea had visited 25 countries across five continents, as well as 33 states. I saw how these experiences opened her eyes and built her confidence. I wanted to bring that type of experiential learning to high school students, allowing them to engage with their interests through travel, internships, volunteer projects, job shadowing, or learning a new skill.
Kirkwood City Lifestyle Magazine: What makes the Chelsea Center’s approach to experiential learning so unique?
Glenn: It’s a three-part process. Before the experience, we help students plan and set expectations. During the experience, they keep a journal. Afterward, they write a reflective piece about what they learned about themselves and others. It’s not just about doing something; it’s about understanding its impact. We have had students choose to work in science labs and a mortuary, do environment studies, build a guitar from scratch, be sports announcers, and participate in a myriad of local and international volunteer projects. This includes five students who have gone to Nepal to teach English in a remote Himalayan village after their graduation. The goal is to provide a range of opportunities.
Kirkwood City Lifestyle Magazine: What has been the reaction from the Webster Groves School District?
Glenn: I worked with John Clark, the high school principal at that time, to propose the initial idea of the Chelsea Center to the school board. One member asked how many high schools in America have experiential learning centers; after researching all 23,000+ high schools, I found none had what we were proposing. I made a ten-year financial commitment to fund part of a teacher's salary and expenses for the Chelsea Center. After the first 10-year commitment was fulfilled, I made a larger 10-year financial commitment, which is what we're currently in the middle of. If you have good people doing good stuff, give them more resources.
Kirkwood City Lifestyle Magazine: What has been the impact on the students?
Glenn: It’s been incredible. Last year, we connected with about 700 of the 1,400 students in some way. My ultimate goal was for students to walk across the graduation stage with a greater sense of self-confidence. And that’s what we see. In their reflections, almost all of them report gaining confidence. They learn they can interact with adults, complete a complex project, and handle whatever comes next. Seeing that growth is what it’s all about.
Kirkwood City Lifestyle Magazine: What’s next for the Chelsea Center?
Glenn: Kids from Hixson are coming this summer, before they start ninth grade, to work on a project. We've also invited the Kirkwood School District to send students to the Chelsea Center. Our biggest promoters are the students who do our projects. We say, “Go tell your friends.” We want to share our experiential learning model and help more high school students in St. Louis and across the nation.