Travel and field experience broadens the mind.
We believe that moving outside one’s normal environment provides rich educational experiences. It enables us to broaden our global perspectives, build new relationships, practice skills, and apply knowledge obtained in the classroom to the outside world. Travel builds independence, confidence, cooperation, curiosity, and adaptability. It teaches humility as we encounter the unknown and empathy as we reveal the common human condition. These are essential skills that contribute to the development of moral leaders and global citizens. All field study trips are optional and require parental approval. Field study programs follow the highest standard of our school safety guidelines and are attended and supervised by Clariden educators.
PRE-K and KINDERGARTEN
Students in Cougar Prep through Kindergarten take field study day trips in the local DFW metroplex. These field study trips are intentionally aligned with their Project-Based Learning curriculum. Locations include but are not limited to museums, farms, fire stations, and nature centers.. Another important aspect of field study involves inviting subject matter experts to come to our campus to conduct presentations and demonstrations. These visits have included the mayor, doctors, emergency responders, scientists, authors, and artists.
GRADES 1-3
As students progress through first, second, and third grade, they continue visiting the DFW metroplex to conduct their field study. During these school years, the experiences become more robust and the subject matter experts are more elaborate and detailed. As with all field study, locations and experts are carefully selected to align with the Project-Based Learning curriculum and enrich classroom learning. Locations include but are not limited to museums, farms, aquariums, and nature centers. Students in these school years have the opportunity to meet with scientists, authors, university professors, and cultural experts. Our third graders especially enjoy their annual trip to Austin, TX to visit the State Capitol.
GRADES 4-5
In Grade 4 and 5, we continue day trips but begin to introduce field study programs that are a little farther away. We travel across the DFW metroplex and within the state. Every two years, students will take an out-of-state, multi-day field study trip to Walt Disney World in Orlando, FL. This trip culminates months of work on the students' Imagineering project. Students visit Disney to research roller coasters, meet with Disney Imagineers, and take daily education classes that explore concepts such as motion and energy.
MIDDLE SCHOOL
Middle School students continue field study trips locally but also have the opportunity to travel within the country. To foster voice and choice on the Middle School destination trip, students are given the opportunity to select a domestic location each year. A semester-long course is then designed around this destination, covering its history, landscapes, unique features, and cuisine. Past destinations have included Key West, FL; Boston, MA; and San Francisco, CA. In addition, our involvement in rocketry, robotics, and Odyssey of the Mind competitions has led us to visit several U.S. states.
UPPER SCHOOL
Our Upper School students participate in numerous local field study trips such as those to meet with subject matter experts like recent trips to Southwest Airlines’ headquarters in Dallas and the flight museum in Fort Worth. Upper School students also have the opportunity to travel within the U.S., such as trips for competitions associated with rocketry, robotics, and Odyssey of the Mind. Students may also begin international travel. Past locations include the United Kingdom, London, Belize, France, Mexico, and more!
