Both John Dewey and the Expeditionary Learning program place an important emphasis on stimulating students intellectually in order to develop them into contributing and useful members of society. As someone who grew up experiencing both a standardized-testing classroom environment, where memorizing answers was stressed over understanding principles, and an environment in which creative learning and doing what interested me, I strongly agree with the principles put forth by John Dewey and Expeditionary Learning which stress creative learning in topics that interest the student. John Dewey especially stresses this in his work “My Pedagogic Creed” where he writes that “the stimulation of the child’s powers [is a product of] the social institutions in which he finds himself” (93). This is important to note, as Dewey demonstrates that a child’s intellectual growth is directly related to the way and environment in which they learn. From personal experience, I can attest to the fact that it is not only more fun to learn when an environment of discovery and creativity is fostered in the classroom, very similar to that promoted by Expeditionary Learning. Ron Berger from Expeditionary Learning notes that work from students should be “meaningful, valuable, and beautiful”. This emphasis on the quality of work, and how it is completed is a refreshing change from the culture of standardized testing fostered in many traditional classrooms today. Not only does an emphasis on quality and stimulation help students learn and remain interested in their work, it also benefits society as a whole. Ron Berger notes this when he describes some of the projects that students have done, such as compiling the stories of World War Two veterans for publication. John Dewey also notes the benefits of intellectual stimulation to both students and society when he writes that “education is the fundamental method of social progress and reform” (99), demonstrating to his audience the effects of education on both individuals and society. From personal experience, the writings of John Dewey, and Expeditionary Learning, intellectual challenges and stimulation within the classroom not only create brighter students, but a brighter future as well. It is because of this that we must institute more engaging lesson plans for students, breaking away from the culture of memorization and standardized testing.