Adventure
Promoting Adventure and Courage is a core practice of Expeditionary Learning (EL) and also a clear expression of EL’s roots in Outward Bound. One of the ways in which DDES puts EL into practice is through our Adventure program.
Students experience two Adventures each year, starting in kindergarten with a day trip to Cherry Creek State Park and growing to a four-night camping trip across state lines by the time they’re in fifth grade.
We know kids have much to gain from exploring nature. Some main focuses of our program are to:
- Support students to reflect on their experience, which helps create a rich opportunity for learning about oneself, one’s peers, and the world.
- Promote experiences that create opportunities for leadership and collaboration as students face challenges together.
- Encourage students to discover they can do more than they thought was possible and find aspects of themselves they didn’t know existed.
Fieldwork & Service Learning
Another core practice of the EL education model is connecting students to the world beyond school through meaningful fieldwork, collaboration with experts, and service-learning. In addition to learning from text and classroom-based experiences, students at DDES use the natural and urban/social environments in our community as sites for purposeful fieldwork and service connected to student’s academic work. Our “City as Campus” vision enables students and teachers to explore our unique setting in downtown Denver to find meaningful ways to connect student’s learning directly to their community.
Adventure & Fieldwork at a Glance
| Grade | Fall Adventure | Spring Adventure | Fieldwork Examples | Cost per student |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kinder | 1 day trip Cherry Creek State Park | 1 night cabin trip Woodland Park | Butterfly Pavillion, Tattered Cover, Bee experts, Denver Center for Performing Arts | $350 |
| First | 1 night cabin trip YMCA Camp, Deckers | Craftsman & Apprentice, Botanic Gardens, Downtown Denver Partnership, Career experts, Denver Center for Performing Arts | $395 | |
| Second | 1 night tent trip Lake Dillon | 1 night tent trip Cherry Creek State Park | American Museum of Western Art, Civil Rights community partnership, Denver Center Performing Arts | $395 |
| Third | 1 night tent trip Golden Gate State Park | 2 night tent trip Mueller State Park | Public Library, school visits, urban habitat exploration, Hawk Quest, Denver Center Performing Arts | $400 |
| Fourth | 2 night tent trip Rocky Mtn. National Park | 2 night cabin trip Vail Pass Huts | History of Colorado Museum, Ute Museum, The Greenway Foundation, National Renewable Energy Lab, Denver Center Performing Arts | $425 |
| Fifth | 2 night tent trip Great Sand Dunes | 4 night tent trip Moab, Utah | Voter Registration Drive at Civic Center Park, Expert Community Advocates, Museum of Nature & Science Heart Lab, Denver Center Performing Arts | $450 |
*Fall and spring adventures are subject to change. Fieldwork examples are not an exhaustive list.
Family Contributions
Once a year during summer registration, DDES asks all families to contribute to our Adventure and Fieldwork programs. We understand that not all families are in the position to contribute. If your student qualifies for Free and Reduced Lunch, or if your family is simply not in the position to currently pay, you can contribute $100 per student, or what contribution you are comfortable with at the time of registration. We are happy to accept partial donations, and we will send out email reminders periodically throughout the year.
Please know that all students fully participate in each program regardless of contribution and that DDES also has the equipment, clothing, sleeping bags, shoes, etc. to make sure all students feel comfortable and confident during their Adventure experiences.
Contributions make these experiences possible, and the funding is thoughtfully allocated to where it’s needed most:
| Expense | % of Total |
|---|---|
| Reservations | 18% |
| Equipment | 1% |
| Transportation | 3% |
| Food Expenses | 6% |
| Activities | 3% |
| Overtime for Staff | 7% |
| Bus Maintenance | 7% |
| Adventure Specialist Salary Support | 40% |
| Future Buses | 9% |
| Fieldwork Costs | 6% |