Service and Citizenship

Explorations’ experiential approach draws students into the real world through field studies, guest speakers, and service opportunities that complement classroom learning. Projects integrate with the curriculum of academic classes, helping students to understand that citizenship and volunteering are as important as, and not separate from, classroom learning.

Frequent service projects connect students with their community. When possible, we link service learning with our curriculum to enhance its relevance. By expanding young people's experiences to include meaningful service learning, their role in both the local and global community comes into focus. Students learn, too, that they have valuable skills to offer and that their role in society is important. Our students contribute more than 500 collective hours of community service each year.

Service learning opportunities will occasionally be undertaken as stand-alone activities; for example, when students undertake a full day of salmon habitat restoration work. Service learning and environmental stewardship are also incorporated into many if not most of our field outings, with students taking on trail building, litter and graffiti removal, and invasive species eradication.

We also partner with many service-oriented organizations in our community on school days, on field outings and during international expeditions. In our partnerships with other organizations, we seek to support our communities and to provide our students with the opportunity to learn valuable skills while developing a cooperative and service-oriented outlook. In working with these organizations, Explorations students support our community’s efforts to improve equality, feed the hungry, restore healthy environmental conditions, and to serve elders, children and under-served community member. Community engagement meets the mission of our educational programs as well.