High School - Week Without Walls

Every year, usually in late January, the entire high school program moves outdoors as students participate in Explore Senegal.  There are four primary reasons for these trips:

• To learn more about our host country through hands-on activities.
• To understand and appreciate the importance of field experience; to take a subject studied in a classroom and put that knowledge to the test in a real-life experience.
• To work closely with peers and teachers outside of the classroom to enhance team-building skills and to work together as a community for the good of the group. Being away from home also helps instill confidence and a sense of independence.
• To work with a local community and to contribute in a positive way to the betterment of that community. 

These are all week-long trips and are planned by teachers and administrators.  Student safety is the top priority in planning these trips, and parents and students are given information far in advance in order to prepare for these trips.

For the 2012-13 school year, the following trips are planned:

• Grade 9 – Sine Saloum – Palmarin – Students will explore the ecosystem in this biology-themed trip, visiting the mangroves, fisheries and wildlife in this area.
• Grade 10 – Kedougou – Students will hike on this six-day trip in the far eastern region of Senegal, which features mountains, forests and rivers, offering a stark contrast to the dry, arid region of Dakar.
• Grade 11 – Northern Senegal – Students will visit Fula villages, the sugar and rice farms, and the city of St. Louis.
• Grade 12 –Students will plan their trip in the fall of 2012.
• French Trip – A language and cultural trip to France may be possible, depending on student interest.
• Independent Study – Students who wish to do their own field study may present their plan to the principal for approval.

With the exception of the trip to France, all trip costs are included in tuition.