Exploration Week Trips 2026-27
Empowered Minds, Engaged Hearts: The BCD 5th-8th Grade Service Journey
At Boulder Country Day School, we believe that education should do more than just prepare students for the world - it should inspire them to improve it. Our Exploration Week travel lineup for grades 5 through 8 is an evolving, intentional program designed to transform our students from observers into compassionate leaders.
Our Philosophy: A Private School with a Public Purpose
The evolution of our trips program was born from a clear desire within our community for more travel opportunities and a culture of service that is deeply ingrained in who we are. We aim to offer individualized, service-first programs that align with curriculum and challenge students to step outside their comfort zones through a combination of service work and adventure.
We embrace the identity of being a “private school with a public purpose.” This means our trips are not isolated events; they are a scaffolded journey that builds year-over-year, moving from our regional neighbors to distant shores. By the time a BCD student reaches 8th grade, they have transitioned from learning and exhibiting basic empathy to engaging in complex civic leadership.
Each of the trips outlined below is designed to serve as an opportunity for students to practice and refine a specific set of leadership skills:
- Public Voice: Articulating community needs and solutions with confidence.
- Inclusion: Building collaborative partnerships that respect all voices.
- Stewardship: Applying long-term thinking for the planet and the community.
- Leadership: Developing the courage to lead through tangible acts of service.
The Journey: A Scaffolded Approach
Our program is designed to grow alongside our students, scaling in distance and depth of engagement as they mature.
5th Grade: Caring in the High Plains
Dates: May 10-14, 2027
- Theme: Taking Care of Ourselves and Others - Foundations of Empathy & Neighborly Stewardship
- Service: At Kindness Ranch in Hartville, Wyoming, students provide hands-on care for animals rescued from testing facilities, developing patience and broadening their awareness of issues beyond their immediate community.
- Adventure: Exploration of Rocky Mountain National Park and Horsetooth Reservoir
- Mode of travel: Van transport to and from Kindness Ranch and between locations
Cost per student: $2,050 (costs include all meals, transportation, lodging, and activity fees; financial assistance is available)
6th Grade: Resilience in the Desert
Dates: March 22-26, 2027
- Theme: Meeting the Challenge through Cultural Exploration and Environmental Resilience
- Service: In Joshua Tree, California, students engage in land restoration and stewardship with the Mojave Desert Land Trust. They learn that environmental health requires active resilience and collective effort. We will visit Temalpakh Farm and the Agua Caliente Cultural Museum in Palm Springs to take a deep dive into the history and culture of the area.
- Adventure: Hiking and rock climbing in the iconic landscapes of Joshua Tree National Park
- Mode of travel: Flights to and from Palm Springs; van ground transport to and from airport and between locations
Cost per student: $3,040 (costs include all meals, transportation, lodging, and activity fees; financial assistance is available)
7th Grade: Stewardship of the Sea (CELP)
Dates: October 12-16, 2026
- Theme: Creating Inclusion and Belonging through Interconnectedness & Marine Conservation
- Service: At the Catalina Environmental Leadership Program (CELP) in California, students explore the vital link between land and sea. They engage in hands-on ecological restoration and learn how local actions impact global ocean health.
- Adventure: Snorkeling in kelp forests, kayaking coastal waters, and participating in night dives to experience the marine ecosystem firsthand
- Mode of travel: Flights to and from Long Beach or LAX; ferry to Catalina; bus ground transport between locations
Cost per student: $1,760 (costs include all meals, transportation, lodging, and activity fees; financial assistance is available)
8th Grade: Coastal Leadership (The Culmination)
Dates: May 10-14, 2027
- Theme: Explore Many Paths and Be Part of Something Bigger through Advocacy, Policy, and the “Why” of Civic Action
- Service: In Washington D.C. and the Eastern Shore, students explore the area through the lens of inquiry-based leadership and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Unlike a traditional “tourist” approach, this lens empowers student teams to investigate a specific real-world issue – such as housing, food security, or civil rights – and use the city as a living laboratory to find answers. This shifts the experience from passive listening to active, student-driven exploration.
When the journey moves to the Eastern Shore, the lens shifts to the intersection of social justice and environmental sustainability. By studying the legacy of Gloria Richardson in Cambridge and the impact of climate change on tidal wetlands, students see firsthand how policy, history, and the environment are inextricably linked.
- Transition: This culminating trip supports students as they find their own why before moving into high school and beyond.
- Mode of travel: Flights to and from Washington D.C. or Baltimore; bus ground transport to and from airport and between locations
Cost per student: $3,150 (costs include all meals, transportation, lodging, and activity fees; financial assistance is available)
Our Strategic Partners for Exploration Week Trips
We selected our travel partners through a systematic research process, narrowing our choices to organizations that prioritize community-led service over “voluntourism.”
The Road Less Traveled (RLT)
Partner for Grades 5 and 6
We chose RLT for their commitment to unplugged experiences that foster resilience and self-confidence, leaning into our school values of taking care of ourselves and others and meeting the challenge. Their mission is to provide life-changing experiences through meaningful service and stewardship of the natural world. We value their community-driven approach, ensuring that our students work on projects defined and directed by the local communities themselves.
Catalina Environmental Leadership Program (CELP)
Partner for Grade 7
CELP’s mission is to inspire youth to live more sustainably and take responsibility for their future. One reason we selected this partnership is for their curriculum, which focuses on the interconnectedness of all living things, and mirrors our value of creating inclusion and belonging. Their programs build on the student travel experiences in 5th and 6th grade, and bridge the gap between classroom science and real-world application through hands-on ecological restoration in a unique island setting.
World Leadership School (WLS)
Partner for the 8th Grade Culmination
WLS was chosen to lead our most senior students because of their “Walking Together” philosophy. Their mission is to help schools transform learning into thinking, feeling, and doing. By focusing on asset-based community development, WLS ensures our students learn to listen and learn from local leaders, moving from helping to true partnership. Students are challenged through this program to explore many paths and to be part of something bigger.
The BCD Outcome: Engaged Global Citizens
While our exploration trips focus on global citizenship and service, BCD remains committed to our outdoor education program as a pillar of the late elementary school and middle school experience. These trips serve as essential milestones, providing dedicated space for students to step away from their daily routines and immerse themselves in the natural world. By navigating the challenges of outdoor adventure together, students build grade-level camaraderie and develop the teamwork and communication skills necessary for a cohesive community. Whether it’s at Keystone Science School, Snow Mountain Ranch, or Cal-Wood, these additional opportunities for outdoor experiences foster a lasting appreciation for nature and ensure that our students grow as a unified team, ready to tackle the challenges of our evolving world together.
A BCD graduate leaves with more than just a handful of travel experiences; they leave with a deep-seated identity as a leader. By weaving these experiences into our interdisciplinary curriculum, we ensure that the lessons learned in the field – empathy, courage, leadership, and service – stay with our students for a lifetime.
Annual Travel Timeline
Our program is spread throughout the year to take into account student preparedness to travel, and to ensure a balance of outdoor education and service-learning throughout the school year and year-over-year.
First semester
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August: 8th Grade (Outdoor Ed at Keystone Science School)
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September: 5th Grade (Fall Outdoor Ed at Cal-Wood); 6th Grade (Fall Outdoor Ed at Snow Mountain Ranch)
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October: 7th Grade (Exploration Week at CELP/Catalina Island)
Second semester
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February: 7th Grade (Winter Outdoor Ed at Snow Mountain Ranch)
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March: 6th Grade (Exploration Week in Joshua Tree)
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May: 5th Grade (Exploration Week at Kindness Ranch, Wyoming); 8th Grade (Exploration Week in D.C./Eastern Shore)
Financial Assistance
Financial Assistance
BCD has a long standing commitment to providing financial assistance to those families who qualify. This same commitment applies to Exploration Week, removing financial barriers so that our 5th - 8th grade students can participate in these important travel opportunities.