Odyssey students undertake 7 expeditions a year, each to a different destination and to accomplish a distinct goal.
Early Fall - Orientation
Right on the heels of the return to school, we head off on our first expedition. Immediately, we define the safe boundary of our community, strengthening old friendships and making new ones. The group engages in team-building challenges as well as personal ones. We make time to reflect and refresh. Students return to campus connected, empowered and ready to take on the new year.
Late Fall - Marine
In October, we head off again. This time with the intention of building on the teamwork and challenge ethic established on our first outing. Traditionally, this is an oceanographic expedition. Our group lives and studies on a dive boat navigating through the northern Channel Islands. Prior to departure, students study concepts in the abstract. While on the water, they experience them in reality – marine biology while kayaking in a national marine sanctuary, ecology while hiking on thoughtfully restored and protected islands.
Late Fall - Ashland
Our 8th graders take a cultural expedition to Ashland, Oregon. There, students get a taste of college life while staying on the campus of Southern Oregon University. They take seminar classes taught by staff of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival on Shakespeare and take in both Shakespearean and non-Shakespearean plays.
Winter - Snow School (Mt. Alice)
To experience winter mountain environments and to discover new abilities, the entire school heads to the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Here, students learn about all things alpine – mountain weather, avalanche danger, snow shelter construction, mountaineering tools, the power of proper preparation and the importance of working as a team.
Early Spring - Mt. Whitney
Location of this trip varies depending on conditions. With teamwork solidly established and the commitment required understood by all, it is time to ascend. This mountainous expedition puts everyone and everything (safely) to the test. The ascents are often steep, the air can be thin and the equipment can be cumbersome. Students confront their limits and, with support, push past them.
Late Spring - 6th and 7th Grade Capstone
The last expedition of the year for 6th and 7th graders is an opportunity for students to integrate newly acquired skills and experiences into their view of themselves. This truly is their journey. Now, they begin to experience themselves as capable, resilient and confident leaders.
Capstone Expedition - Japan
The culminating expedition for every 8th grade Odyssean is a 3-week immersive experience in Japan. It is, perhaps, the most difficult and the most rewarding. The challenges of this expedition emphasize internal skills over physical ones. Students live far outside their comfort zone – in the homes of host families, in classrooms taught in Japanese, in a culture wildly different from their own. Our students sleep in temples, navigate public transportation, put their language skills to the test with locals, and experience history first hand at Hiroshima. This journey culminates with an ascent of sacred Mt. Fuji.