Outdoor Education
The Wesley Outdoor Education Program has expanded, and we are excited to share the details and the thinking behind its development with you. Our outdoor education program now includes day trips for 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders, as well as fall and spring trips for Middle Schoolers at every grade level.
Beginning this year, our 6th grade students’ fall trip will be to AstroCamp! AstroCamp is in Idyllwild, CA, and provides an incredible setting for students to take part in STEM activities outside of the classroom - from exploring the night skies, to completing engaging science experiments like building and launching rockets, to taking part in the ropes course challenges and team-building work that allows for meaningful teamwork, life skills, leadership development, and more.
Our 7th and 8th graders’ fall trip will now be to Catalina Island Marine Institute! We were lucky enough to secure a spot at the beautiful site of Toyon Bay, in a private canyon and cove on Catalina Island. Students will take part in three days of learning about marine science and deepening their environmental awareness, and will snorkel over reefs, take part in low and high ropes course challenges, hike, complete science labs, and so much more.
In addition to a fall trip to Catalina Island, our 8th grade students take a much-anticipated, culminating trip to London the week prior to spring break. This trip augments elements of the English curriculum, specifically Shakespeare, and provides those students who attend with a remarkable experience, one that enhances their participation in our 8th grade program both socially and academically.
Trips such as these, that grow out of the school curriculum, provide the opportunity for teachers to incorporate the pending experience into their teaching and real world applications of learned information for our students. All outdoor education experiences build independence, inspire global and environmental awareness, create even stronger friendship bonds, and offer new venues for cognitive development through authentic experiences. All of these programs are included in tuition.
