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Overnight Trips: Building Confidence, Independence, and Purpose

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Overnight Trips: Building Confidence, Independence, and Purpose
Overnight Trips: Building Confidence, Independence, and Purpose
Shawn Bona, Middle School Co-Lead Teacher

At the Montessori Academy of Colorado, trips are essential to our curriculum because they embody MAC's Purpose Pathway. Each journey builds upon the last, creating a progressive pathway of growth that supports our students' development from their first overnight experience at Cal-wood to their final international expeditions in Middle School.

In Lower Elementary, students explore their curiosities of the world physically, and they begin to build their confidence knowing that they can do hard things for themselves. In Upper Elementary, students learn to plan, execute, and problem-solve in real contexts and within groups. They assume a high level of individual responsibility in the building and executing of businesses, and they begin to experience how everyone’s individual efforts contributes to larger group goals. The culmination of trips at MAC empowers Middle School students to connect their learning to global perspectives and meaningful action.

These aren't just trips - they're carefully crafted opportunities for students to discover who they are, what they're capable of, and how they can contribute to their community and the wider world.

Keep reading below for more information on trips at every stage in Upper School.

Lower Elementary: Confidence + Curiosity

Our youngest travelers begin their journey at Cal-Wood, an outdoor education center north of Boulder. This consistent, annual destination helps build familiarity and confidence as students, many experiencing their first nights away from home, develop independence in a supportive environment. These early adventures spark curiosity about the natural world while fostering community bonds in a new setting.

Upper Elementary: Critical Thinking + Entrepreneurship

In Upper Elementary, students take on increasing responsibility for trip planning and fundraising, developing crucial life skills along the way. They become active participants in all aspects of trip preparation, from managing budgets to planning group meals. "We put a lot of work into planning these trips and working together to make it happen,” says a current 6th grader.

Through entrepreneurial initiatives like the Upper Elementary coffee cart, student-led lunch businesses, and special fundraising events, students develop valuable skills in financial literacy, project management, and collaborative decision-making. Their travel experiences also expand to include beginning-of-year camping trips and ambitious class expeditions related to their yearly curricular themes to destinations such as: Moab, Taos, the Tetons, and Mesa Verde. Sixth graders culminate their Elementary experience with a trip to Washington, D.C., however they have been preparing for this trip over their three years in Upper Elementary.

Middle School: Citizenship + Purpose

While also fundraising and helping to plan their trip, our oldest students engage in transformative international and regional travel experiences that directly connect to their curriculum. "They help us learn about different cultures first hand and not just through digital platforms. We get to live it through real life experiences together," explains one Middle School student.

Their participation in Montessori Model UN in Rome exemplifies global citizenship, while student-designed regional trips, such as this year's New York exploration of immigrant experiences, demonstrate purposeful learning.