2017 – 2018 Approved Spring TRIPs
Spring 2018 Providence Friends Spring Break Service Retreat Trip Leader: Gara Field/Chaperones: Kelly Joseph & Jessica Stewart • Size/Grade: 12 students max., grades 9 – 12 • Dates: Spring break (March 14 – 17, 2018) • Approx. cost = $120
Description: Service involves acknowledging our responsibility to be stewards to the people around us, as well as understanding the structures and needs of our community by investigating how our talents can best be utilized. Service in the form of engaged scholarship includes spending time, energy, and effort to build trust, and enhance a community in real ways. We hope to create authentic opportunities to engage with and learn from others, and increase our sense of responsibility to one another. With empathy as a catalyst, we hope to transform individuals, promote appreciation, and create social awareness through engaged scholarship.
At Moses Brown, ethical leadership is described as living our core values of SPICES: simplicity; peace; integrity; community; equality; and stewardship. This immersive spring break service experience is a manifestation of our responsibility to learn and serve. It allows students to connect with local non-profits, and Providence Public Schools, as well as to explore important issues of local and global food insecurity. Students will sleep at the Meeting House for the duration of the retreat, and will work together to cook meals on a budget. We will travel to sites across the city by RIPTA whenever possible. The service retreat not only allows students to give back to Providence, but it also creates tight bonds within the group at Moses Brown.
Spring 2018 Puerto Rico: Science Sustainability/Service Learning Trip Trip Leaders: Matt Herreid/Chaperone: Yulie Lee • Size/Grade: 12 students max., grades 8 – 12 • Dates: Spring break (March 13 – 18, 2018) • Approx. cost = $2,200
Description: Join us to experience a living example of stewardship of the land. MB students will work side by side on the island of Puerto Rico with scientists and ecologists from the conservationist organization, Para La Naturaleza. Throughout this cross-curricular, hands-on adventure, professionals will guide us in tours of protected river canyons, ancient caves, and historic sites. After exploring the high mountain canyons, we will travel to the dry southwest corner of the island. At the La Parguera marine reserve, we will enjoy snorkeling adventures and up close exposure to mangrove, coral reef and blue water ecosystems. Our trip finishes in the northwest, visiting ruins of the Spanish empire and hidden remnants of the US cold war infrastructure.
Spring 2018 Dominican Republic Medical Service Trip 2018 Trip Leader: Kate Kenny /Chaperone: Dominique Avila ● Size/Grade: 12 students max., grades 9 – 12 ● Dates: Spring break (7 nights in March 2018) ● Approx. cost = $2,500
Description: MB students who have participated in the Dominican Republic Medical Service Trip have described how transformative the experience can be. Students travel out of their comfort zones, and provide much needed help in medical services (guided by a U.S. ER doctor). They also provide medication to residents of the bateys (small towns for sugar cane workers and their families). Many residents do not receive any medical support throughout the rest of the year, and the direct service MB students provide is often empowering, humbling, and lifechanging. One major goal before the trip is to raise and collect enough money to buy bulk medication, and secure shoe donations. Students also spend time sorting and labeling medication. Upon arrival in the DR, students will help set up several mini-clinics, and work station rotations for vital checks, doctor’s assistant, pharmacist, shoe distributor, deworming and medication distributer. While we do go out to dinner, swim, and enjoy time together, the focus of this trip is medical service specific to community needs, and prepping for our work in the field. After the trip, students help in the selection and training of students for the next year.
2017 – 2018 Approved Domestic Summer TRIPs
Summer 2018 Expedition Pacific Northwest: Mount Rainier and San Juan Islands Trip Leader: Erik Wilker/Chaperone: TBD • Size/Grade: 9 students max., grades 9 – 12 • Dates: July 15 – 27, 2018 • Approx. cost = $2,200
Description: This 12-day adventure trip to the Cascade mountains and San Juan Islands will allow students to build wilderness skills (teamwork, leadership, and self-reliance) while exploring one of the country’s most beautiful and culturally rich regions. Students will sea kayak and whale watch (multiple pods of Orcas are year-round residents of the San Juan archipelago and transients include Minkes, Humpbacks and Grays). Students also will backpack and camp in Mount Rainier National Park, ascending to high camp, two vertical miles above the sea plane below. The upper 10,000 vertical feet of Mt. Rainier (or Mount Tahoma, “Great Mother”) is covered by 25 active glaciers, which provide the essential waters for six major river systems. Students will learn about the ecology and history of the region, with particular attention paid to the culture, myths and current challenges of the Coastal Salish people. Adventurous spirits are welcome; no prior outdoor experience is necessary.
2017 – 2018 Approved Domestic Summer TRIPs
Summer 2018 Yellowstone National Park Service Trip Trip Leader: Tony McClellan/Chaperone: Mo Nagle • Size/Grade: 13 students max., grades 7 – 10 • Dates: June 15 – 23, 2018 • Approx. cost = $2,750
Description: This trip is to get students out into the natural world to conduct “citizen science” working with the National Park service in Yellowstone National Park by serving a local rancher in helping to replace cattle fencing that inhibits the natural migration patterns of Pronghorn and other animals. Students will also some of the natural features of the world’s first national park. Overnights will consist of a camping trip with various excursions in and outside the park. We will be also go on moderate hikes, spend time wolf watching, and work closely with a rancher outside the park.
2017 – 2018 Approved International Summer TRIPs
Summer 2018 Nepal Service Trip Trip Leader: Debbie Phipps/Chaperone: Katharine Rosenfeld ● Size/Grade: 12 students max., grades 9 – 12 ● Dates: June 2018 ● Third party agency affiliation: Hands in Outreach ● Approx. cost: $4,400
Description: Students will engage in service work with Hands in Outreach (HIO), a program that supports several schools for girls in Nepal. We hosted several visitors from HIO at MB in 2016, and three MB teachers travelled to Nepal in the summer of 2017 to work with teachers to develop pedagogical methods surrounding literacy and cooperative learning, and to start a library. This service trip might involve teaching younger students, working as teacher helpers, or engaging in other projects defined by the school. Students interested in this trip are expected to be adventurous, flexible, optimistic, and patient. In addition to service work, opportunities for cultural explorations may include: visiting temples, participating in a yoga retreat, and taking a short trek (without involving too much altitude). The opportunity to come to know—as much as one can in 10 days—a country so different from ours is a unique one.
2017 – 2018 Approved International Summer TRIPs
Summer 2018 Rome & Tuscany Summer Trip: Italy 2018 Trip Leader: Chandra Harris/ Chaperone: Lisa Ardente ● Size/Grade: 18 students max, grades 9 – 12 ● Dates: June 2018 ● Third party agency affiliation: Study in Italy: Suzanne Branciforte ● Approx. cost – $4,500
Description: This 10-day trip to Italy in Summer 2018 will provide MB students with an opportunity to thoroughly immerse themselves in Italian culture as we investigate 7 cities in Tuscany and explore Rome through visits to historic locations. As we encourage an appreciation of ancient and modern Italy and its people, our goal is to help students develop a more global perspective through which they can better understand and appreciate their own culture. Students of Italian will be able to employ their language skills in authentic situations, and Latin students will be able to decipher inscriptions in their original locations. Those who participate will experience the culture of Tuscany in myriad ways: by viewing the artistic treasures of Renaissance Florence in the Uffizi Museum; through sampling authentic regional cuisine, including two of the region’s largest exports, olive oil and cheese, in the Chianti area; while learning about the centuries-old Palio horse race, which takes place twice a year in the city of Siena; and by exploring the medieval walled city of Lucca. In addition, students will get a feel for ancient Rome in the Colosseum and the Forum, and learn about the cultural and historical significance of the Roman Catholic Church in Italian life during a trip to the Vatican. Summer 2018 China Trip Leader: Qiong Waters /Chaperone(s): Need 1 or 2 more chaperones from MB. ● Size/grade: 18 students max., grades 8 – 12 ● Dates: summer of 2018, 9 – 12 days ● Third party agency affiliation – EF Educational Tours (contact, Kayla Stanko) ● Approx. cost – $4,600
Description: The 2018 summer trip to China will provide MB students with an opportunity to explore China in a number of ways, including visits to iconic locations; meetings with Chinese people and longterm expats; and travel though Chinese cities of political, economic, and historic significance. Students will sample a variety of authentic Chinese cuisines; watch live cultural performances, and have an opportunity to experience China first-hand by venturing into an environment that is different from the U.S., applying Chinese language skills to real life situations; and gaining perspectives on how Chinese people make daily decisions.
2017 – 2018 Approved International TRIPs
Summer 2018 Global Student Leadership Summit: Berlin, Germany Trip Leader: Gara Field/ Chaperone: Sarah McShane ● Size/Grade: 12 students max., grades 9 – 12 ● Dates – July 7 – 16, 2018 ● Third party agency affiliation: EF Educational Tors ● Approx. cost: $5,000
Description: The first part of our trip, we will explore Berlin - capital of reunified Germany. Despite the city’s seemingly constant transformation, there’s plenty of rich culture and exciting cosmopolitan energy to absorb—from Unter den Linden, Berlin’s most elegant boulevard, to remnants of the Berlin Wall. We will take in the sights, meet with locals, and reflect on the forward-thinking and entrepreneurial spirit of Berlin. We will also take walking and biking tours across the city to see the Brandenburg Gate, the Holocaust Memorial, Checkpoint Charlie, and the Berlin Game Science Center. The latter part of the trip, we will join students and educators from around the world for the Global Student Leadership Conference where we will hear from world-renowned speakers on the Influence of technology on society, attend expert-led workshops, and gain valuable insights into the role of technology in our rapidly evolving world. MB students will also become part of an international team of students who engage in design thinking and creative problem-solving to develop and present innovative solutions to challenges around the world. This student-centered trip embodies all aspects of what MB values as its North Stars: ethical leadership, expert thinking, and global awareness.
Summer 2018 Galapagos Islands Trip Leader: Eric Aaronian/ Chaperone: Lauren Brignac-Huber ● Size/grade: 14 students max., grades 9 – 12 ● Dates: July 2018 (8 – 9 days) ● Third party agency affiliation: Holbrook Travel ● Approx. cost $5,500
Description: During the trip our guides will lead and teach students on the natural history of the islands, see wildlife found nowhere else on the planet and take us to the sites that inspired Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution. This trip should generate interest of any student with an interest in biology or those wishing to learn about conservation. There have been many ecological challenges due to the heavy travel to the islands over the last twenty years. Strict conservation efforts have been put into place to maintain the integrity of the islands as a response. This trip would be a great experience for any of our students since we cover evolution and theories of Darwin at length in the biology curriculum. Travel to multiple islands will take place on the M/Y Yolita or a similar vessel. Each day, we will visit a different island and explore the wildlife by travelling on foot and snorkeling in the water.
2017 – 2018 Approved Class TRIPs
Class TRIPs Washington, DC War Memorial Trip Trip Leader: Abby Phyfe Chaperone: Meg Fifer ● Size/Grade: 20 students max., Seniors in Literature of War class (& others if we have room) ● Dates December 2017 ● TRIP goals: To experience the memorials built to commemorate veterans ● Rough itinerary: Sunday – Tuesday, combining Quaker perspectives on war with a war memorial tour, and a visit to the DC VA Medical Center for service learning ● Approx. cost = $500 White Mountains Backcountry Hiking Trip Leader: Jeremy Saksik Chaperones: Samantha Bradshaw or Laura Hunt ● Size/Grade: 12 students max – rising 4th and 5th graders ● Dates June 2018 ● TRIP goals: To develop independence and potential leadership skills in upper elementary students, as well as their sense of responsibility for protecting and preserving our region’s natural landscapes. ● Rough itinerary: Monday – Thursday. In collaboration with Appalachian Mountain Club. One night at Highland Center Lodge (road access). Two nights at Lonesome Lake or Zealand Falls (backcountry hut). Educational programming and meals provided by AMC staff. ● Approx. cost = $500 Washington DC Trip Trip Leader: Jeff d’Entremont Chaperones: Ana Weiner, Carolyn Garth, & Hugh Madden, ● Size/Grade: 5th graders, 25-35 ● Dates June 2018 ● TRIP goals: To visit landmarks in Washington DC that connect to the 5th grade study of civil rights, human rights and non-violence. Also to be a community building capstone trip for the lower school experience. ● Rough itinerary: Monday – Thursday. Trip is planned in partnership with EF. Sites visited include: US Institute of Peace; Lincoln Cottage; Frederick Douglas house; Friends Lobbying group; Washington Monument; Lincoln Memorial; MLK Memorial. Also visit Six Flags America. ● Approx. cost = $1,200