Exploratory Trips

At The Leelanau School it is our mission to discover and develop the potential of the whole individual.

Learning happens everywhere, not just in classrooms. It also happens in the residence halls, in clubs and on trips. We want all of our students to become lifelong learners and develop the ability to grow and meet whatever challenges them in their lives. Many of our students learn differently, which requires them to learn about themselves and develop strategies to be successful in academic settings. We help them develop the strategies and push themselves appropriately to excel.

Our trips are an integral part of the learning experience at The Leelanau School. Whether they are going to Stratford Ontario, Guatemala or the Manitou Islands, students learn to be resilient by working in unfamiliar—which for many, translates to uncomfortable—situations. We are careful to present the students with challenges they can meet and overcome. Our expectation is that when members of our community encounter a challenge, we will not avoid it, but work together to resolve the situation.

One of the hardest parts of beginning a new school year or starting at a new school is the initial transition into the social environment. No matter how comfortable and socially confident a person is, there is always some anxiety associated with a new social setting. One of the functions of our exploratory trips at the beginning of the school year is to help students transition socially. By travelling and working together on these experiences students learn about each other and interact with each other in safe, controlled settings. They will be more connected and know more about each other after a three day exploratory experience than they would after three weeks of classes.

During the exploratory experiences students will be introduced to The Leelanau School values for their class and will become familiar with the norms and expectations of our community.