Sequoyah's Field Studies Program
The Field Studies program uses the magic of outdoor and international experiences to create meaningful learning for students about themselves, their communities, and the broader world.
Experiential, hands-on learning, challenges students to think differently, problem solve, and work as a team, while also building personal resilience and deepening relationships with other students and faculty.
The Field Studies program is the highlight of many students’ experiences at Sequoyah School, providing unique opportunities for students to grow and build confidence in themselves.
All classes go on one or two trips a year, including our kindergarten students (who go on a trip with one parent or guardian). These trips head to locations throughout California, Utah, Arizona, Nevada, Oregon, and Costa Rica.
Field Studies Education
Experiences
Field Studies trips create a strong foundation of social-emotional skills and understanding of our broader world that students carry into their campus classrooms and lives beyond Sequoyah School.
Curriculum
Field Studies at Sequoyah brings learning to life through hands-on K-12 experiential education that begins in kindergarten.
Objectives of the Field Studies Program
- Fostering a healthy & supportive community
- Creating meaningful connections between students and the natural world
- Developing deep bonds with students and teachers
- Going beyond perceived limitations and building self reliance skills
- Appreciation for the simple things (like a bed or a flush toilet)
What sets Sequoyah's Field Studies apart?
At Sequoyah, Field Studies is run directly by the school. Our in-house program allows us to design trips directly with faculty to best foster the learning of our students over time.
First trip in Kindergarten
Sequoyah Field Studies experience begins in kindergarten, where each student brings a parent on their first trip, and extends to 12th grade, when students design and run their own trip.
Faculty Leadership
All faculty are co-creators and leaders in Field Studies. That means camping with your classroom teachers, deepening your connection, and engaging with class material in a new way.
Parent Involvement and Community Building
Parents have the opportunity to join Field Studies trips from kindergarten through eighth grade. The number of parents who join each trip diminishes as students get older and students become more responsible and independent.
Field Studies lives at the heart of community on campus. We work, camp, eat, cook, and explore together. Families know and look out for each other’s children, parents meet and support students alongside each other, we all experience the adventure of Field Studies together.
Curriculum Integration
The Field Studies program works directly with teachers to make Field Studies an extension of the classroom. Learning about where we go begins before the trip, and continues after the trip through projects and reflections.
The Foxes Den
Named by our K-8 students, the Foxes Den is our 1800 square foot facility with camping gear to outfit all our trips and borrowable personal items for all our student, faculty, and parent needs.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if I've never camped before?
Students do not need any prior experience camping, hiking, climbing, backpacking, or traveling to participate on Field Studies trips. We have experience taking hundreds of students and families out who have never camped before. Our program works to ensure everyone learns the fundamentals and feels prepared and supported for their trip.
What gear do I need?
We send out a detailed packing list with every trip. In addition, we also have a large inventory of high quality equipment to loan out to students for free. The items include:
- sleeping bags,
- sleeping pads,
- puffy coats,
- fleece jackets,
- rain gear,
- headlamps,
- hiking boots,
- hiking pants
Is student participation a graduation requirement?
Students are expected to attend all Field Studies trips fully, as they are a graduation requirement. In addition to integrated curricular learning, these trips also provide an important opportunity for students to develop meaningful relationships with their teachers, peers, and foster a healthy school community.
Why are phones not allowed on the trips?
Students (and many of us) are inundated daily by a deluge of notifications, social media comments, and emails, just to name a few. One of the main goals of the Field Studies program is to be present and engaged with each other in community and in our natural world. Phones and other electronics are a big distraction which make forming these connections harder. For this, and many other reasons, we leave them at home.
Most of our students tell us after the trip that not having to engage with an electronic device for several days in a row felt like a big relief, and they are grateful for the experience.
Please note: Staff, faculty, and parents will have phones for safety and communication, as well as satellite communication devices for areas where there is no cell phone coverage.
