Set Sail: Severn's Leadership Lab Charts the Course for a New Year

9/24/2026

At the end of every summer, roughly 100 returning Upper School students gather for Severn's Leadership Lab, a hands-on retreat built around collaboration and conversation about the year ahead.

The activities span a wide range. Some are physical challenges where teams must work together to solve a problem, like doing a rope walk with very little support (the secret? Use each other!), while others bring the entire group together to vote on a theme for the coming school year. That collaborative vote produces a single guiding phrase known as the Adaptive Challenge. And this year's phrase? Set Sail.

Coming to a Consensus

Reaching this decision is no small feat. Students brainstorm and debate for two full days before settling on a final choice. But through honest conversation and an open environment for sharing, Set Sail rose to the top. "I felt like my voice and others were heard," says senior Charlie Anglim. "It was for sure a space to share your opinion."

For senior Katharine Kraft, that openness is exactly the point. "It’s a way for students to use their voices and ideas to reflect on our community," she says. "Moreover, with only the students' input, we get a more organic view of our school and what we strive to improve or achieve."

Yearslong Goal

The beauty of the Adaptive Challenge is that it isn't a goal to check off, but instead a way of living throughout the school year, explains Assistant Upper School Head and Leadership Lab organizer Marc Buckley. Sophomore Liam Brown agrees. "The Adaptive Challenge is a guiding point to use as a motto or a confidence booster throughout the school year," he says. "It's something we fall back on when we need something to keep us moving forward."

What makes the phrase so powerful is how far it reaches. "What's neat is that Set Sail does not just apply to the Upper School as a whole," Kraft continues. "I see it applying to each person. A freshman can see this as setting sail onto new horizons, like a new class, club, or friend group. A senior, on the other hand, can see it as moving forward toward college and the dreams they have following Severn."

Set Sail

Year after year, rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors come together on their own time to collaborate on bettering their school community. That dedication reflects more than an obligation to one's school — it reveals a deep personal connection to a place that helps students grow and where their voices are truly valued.

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