IMMERSIVE TRAVEL STUDIES
”The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.”
– Marcel Proust –
"Traveling to DC and participating in the Mock Senate was a great experience. I want to work in policymaking, and it was really worthwhile to dialogue with people who hold different beliefs and strengthen my advocacy skills. I also loved the Museum of African-American History and Culture!"
- Adam, 12th Grade
Courses with Travel Studies
Science
Research in the Field
Our robust science trips take students to the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, Belize, Costa Rica and the Galapagos. On each trip, students partner with local scientists, from the National Parks Service, The Oceanic Society, and the Charles Darwin Research Station, to study the local ecosystem, species and culture, and to engage in service projects to protect coastal, rainforest and grassland habitats from invasive species.
Social Studies
Close Up in Washington DC
In this weeklong trip to the US capital, students participate with the nation’s largest nonpartisan, civic education organization, The Close Up Foundation, to learn about the democratic process. Students are immersed in Washington politics, and engage with a variety of viewpoints from legislators and their peers, reflecting on the role of the individual in shaping society.
Language and Culture Studies
Discover the World
With destinations including Spain, Peru, and Quebec, students have an opportunity to explore, immerse, and participate in the language and culture they have been studying. These unique, firsthand experiences in a new country expose students to different ways of life - supporting them to broaden perspective, grow intellectually and socio-emotionally, and gain valuable life skills.
Humanities
Confronting History: The Holocaust Tour
On this two week trip to Europe, O’Dowd students join with partner high schools in New Jersey and Kansas to study historical anti-semitism, the Nazi rise to power, actions and inactions of bystanders and collaborators, Jewish resistance, and the Final Solution. By confronting this very dark period in history, students have an opportunity to examine how people and societies are influenced, and reflect on their own ethics and decision-making.
Service Learning
Connecting Faith and Justice
With an Urban Immersion to Canticle Farms in Oakland, a Rurual Immersion to Appalachia, and a Policy Immersion in Washington DC, students connect faith with justice by building meaningful relationships with local communities, working together to transform our world.