Immersive Travel Course Catalog 25-26

Immersive Travel Course Catalog 2025-2026

Authentic Leadership at Camp Colman Grades: 9-12 Cost: $0

What does our culture tell us a leader looks/acts like? How do these messages support and/ or get in the way of our own authentic leadership? What can the natural world teach us about leadership? What does time unplugged and outdoors do for our creativity and selfconnection? We will explore these questions at beautiful Camp Colman, where students will have the chance to put their learning into action as student leaders/counselors for the 6th grade Camp Colman trip. Upper school students will spend the week learning about leadership and child development, participating in reflective and team-building activities with each other, and collaboratively designing and leading a community-building program for the 6th graders. Participants will learn strategies and tips for creating activities and programs for groups that are challenging, meaningful, and engaging while serving as chaperones for 6th-grade cabin groups, sleeping in the cabins with their groups, and helping the 6th-grade build community. Participants will also have downtime to explore the Camp Colman ecosystems and enjoy the camp.

Please reach out to Jeremey Dumont (jdumont@forestridge.org) with questions.

The Salish Sea Grades: 7-12 Cost: $1,350

The Salish Sea is one of the most unique and important ecosystems in the world, right in our backyard. In this immersive course, we’ll explore how geography, ecology, and human communities connect across this region. On our first day, we’ll be introduced to Coast Salish tribes and hike at Snoqualmie Falls to experience the land firsthand.

The rest of the week will take us on a trip to the Olympic Peninsula with Global Family Travels. We’ll meet with tribal leaders and community members, explore forests and coastlines, and learn about the challenges and opportunities of sustainability from both Indigenous and scientific perspectives. Along the way, we’ll reflect on our own relationship to place and what it means to be a responsible steward of the environment.

Day

Location

Activity

Day 1 April 27

Forest Ridge

• •

Intro to Coast Salish tribes Hike to Snoqualmie Falls

Day 2 April 28

Depart Bellevue for Olympic Peninsula

•

Depart Forest Ridge (or Bellevue Park & Ride) to Port Angeles, with stops at Dungeness Spit and Blyn, home of Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe

Day 3 April 29

Olympic Peninsula

•

Elwha River and Lower Elwha Tribal Experiences and volunteer activity Visit Elwha tribal Fish hatchery

Day 4 April 30

Olympic Peninsula

Day 5 May 1

Bellevue

• • • • • • •

Morning visit to Makah Museum and possible interaction with tribal school Lunch Short Hike on Cape Flattery Trail Return to Port Angeles Morning chat with STEM Professional from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Return to School

Please reach out to Corina Rahmig (crahmig@forestridge.org) with questions.

Travel Skills: Washington, DC & New York Grades: 7-12 Cost: $3,500

This immersive travel course is designed for 7th-12th grade students to develop essential skills for navigating a new urban environment while traveling to our nation’s capital, Washington, DC (with a brief stint in New York City). Through hand-on experiences, students will learn and practice efficient packing, budget-conscious travel, eco-tourism, time management, and effective communication with locals and travel experts. They will also develop group decision-making abilities and demonstrate self-awareness and responsible choices in their activities and spending. Our immersive course also involves visiting other Sacred Heart Network schools including Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart in Bethesda, MD and Convent of the Sacred Heart at 91st Street in New York City.

During these visits, students will participate in various activities, engage in school tours, and interact with students and faculty to learn about the unique aspects of each school and what makes them Sacred Heart Schools, while also sharing their own experiences at Forest Ridge.

Please reach out to Stephany Fontanone (sfontanone@forestridge.org) with questions.

Innovation Exploration Grades: 8-12 Cost: $700 Minimum 10

You won’t want to miss this hands-on adventure where students explore the cutting edge of science, technology, engineering, art, and math. From building and coding robots in our Innovation Lab to flying in a wind tunnel at iFly, visiting Microsoft’s innovation hubs, and unleashing creativity at Bubble Planet Seattle, every day offers a new way to learn, create, and be inspired. The week culminates in a student showcase and an unforgettable overnight trip to The Tech Interactive in San Jose—one of the nation’s premier science and technology centers—where innovation and imagination come to life.

Day 1: Kickoff & Innovation at Microsoft Day 2: iFly STEM trip & drones at FR Day 3: Bubble Planet Seattle Day 4: Fly to San Jose & The Tech Interactive Day 5: STEM activity & fly home Please reach out to Jonathan Delgado (jdelgado@forestridge.org) with questions.

Junior California College Tour Grades: 11 Cost: $1,600

Join us April 27–May 1 for a college tour through Southern California. We’ll kick things off at the University of Redlands and then tour the renowned Claremont Colleges. Along the way, we’ll explore Chapman University and UC Irvine, then travel south to San Diego. There, students will experience life on campus at UC San Diego, the University of San Diego, and San Diego State University. This five-day journey offers the chance to discover diverse campuses, connect with student life, and imagine the next step in your academic journey.

Please reach out to Nikki Danos (ndanos@forestridge.org) with questions.

Colonialism, Conservation, & Art in Kenya Grades: 9-12 Cost: $5,030 Minimum 8

Students are invited to Nairobi, Kenya, to explore the theme of Imperial Reckoning. Together, we will examine the intersections of colonialism, environmental conservation, and art. Our journey will begin at the beginning of British colonial government in Kenya by touring Kiambethu Farm, where the first tea in Africa was planted. From there, we will take a deeper look at the impact that the tea industry has made on African tea workers and their communities. We will engage in a service-learning project with Friends of Creation, an initiative that combines environmental justice with youth employment in the tea fields.

Beyond Nairobi, we’ll travel to the Naboisho Conservancy to learn from local Maasai guides, rangers, and women about how they are leveraging land rights to both generate income and protect wildlife. We’ll also go on a luxurious safari in an area with the highest lion density population in Africa. Along the way, students will take part in plein air painting and bead work, using art to reflect on and capture the landscapes, wildlife, and communities they encounter. We’ll wrap up the trip by visiting African Heritage House, one of the largest and most diverse art collections in Africa.

Day 1 (25 Apr): Travel to Kenya Day 2 (26 Apr): Arrive in Kenya Day 3 (27 Apr): Edu Africa Orientation, Kiambethu Farm Tour, Plein Air or Hike in the Tea Day 4 (28 Apr): Service Learning with Friends of Creation, Brackenhurst Forest Walk Day 5 (29 Apr): Travel to Mara, Maasai Cultural Experience Day 6 (30 Apr): Maa Trust and Maa Beadwork Day 7 (1 May): Safari overnight at Saruni Camp Day 8 (2 May): African Heritage House Art Museum Day 9 (3 May): Travel out of Kenya Day 10 (4 May): Arrive in US Please reach out to Taylor Omondi (tomondi@forestridge.org) with questions.

China: Giant Panda Conservation Grades: 9-12 Cost: $5,845 Minimum: 12

Students will be able to spend time with adorable giant pandas in this incredible experience that’s perfect for animal lovers and students with an interest in animal conservation. This is a rare opportunity to get hands-on experience working with this endangered species. Travelers will help staff at the CPC Wolong Nature Center in Sichuan by monitoring the pandas’ diet, cleaning and maintaining their living spaces, and contributing to ongoing research. This program is doing real conservation work with pandas in a world-class conservation center.

Morning

Afternoon

Day 1

Travel Day: Flight TBD

Group Orientation and cultural intro

Day 2

Chengdu Panda Research Base Guided Sichuan cooking class (Mapo Tofu, tour and conservation learning Kung Pao Chicken)

Day 3

Travel to Qingcheng Mountain, Explore Taoist temples & scenic hikes

Day 4

Dujiangyan Panda Program Day 1: Behavioral observations: Feed pandas Clean panda enclosures & conservation & daily reflections discussion

Day 5

Dujiangyan Panda Program Day 1: Morning care, feeding, and educational program

Panda care and farewell ceremony

Day 6

Return to Chengdu People’s Park.

Tea and Mahjong under the trees & souvenir shopping.

Opera performance and Rustic Ties reflection ceremony

Day 7

Final group breakfast and departure

Jianfu Palace and Tianshi cave

Please reach out to Yasmine Brahmia (ybrahmia@forestridge.org) with questions.

Paris: City of Light Grades: 8-12 Cost: $5,100 Minimum: 10

This immersive travel experience invites students to explore Paris, the City of Light, from April 26 to May 3, 2026. Grounded in the curriculum of French 1 through French 6, the program connects classroom study to lived experience—shining a light on French culture, history, and faith.

Paris, often called the Ville Lumière, will serve as both backdrop and subject for our journey. Students will walk through Montmartre and witness the glow of Sacré-Cœur at dusk, navigate the Paris Métro with confidence, and reflect beneath the stainedglass brilliance of Sainte-Chapelle. From the stage lights of the Comédie-Française to the gilded halls of Versailles, each moment is intentionally curated to explore light in its many forms: intellectual enlightenment, artistic beauty, spiritual devotion, and personal reflection.

Students will apply their language skills in real-world settings—ordering meals, journaling in cafés, speaking with locals, and navigating daily life. Major excursions to Versailles and Mont Saint-Michel will deepen their understanding of France’s cultural legacy and offer moments for quiet spiritual reflection. Through daily reflection circles and guided activities, students will explore how light—literal and symbolic—guides French identity, art, architecture, and faith.

• • • • • • • •

Day 1 (Sun Apr 26): Depart SEA > Paris. Evening arrival, check-in at Select Hôtel Rive Gauche (Latin Quarter). Welcome dinner at Brasserie Balzar.

Day 2 (Mon Apr 27): Sacré-Cœur Basilica, Montmartre artists’ square, Notre-Dame de Paris, Shakespeare & Co. bookstore. Dinner at Le Procope.

Day 3 (Tue Apr 28): Musée d’Orsay (Impressionism, Gustave Doré, Van Gogh).

Sorbonne and Latin Quarter seminar, Sainte-Chapelle. Evening Bateaux-Mouches Seine River Cruise.

Day 4 (Wed Apr 29): Bibliothèque nationale de France guided tour. Palais Garnier opera house tour. Evening performance of Molière at the Comédie-Française.

Day 5 (Thu Apr 30): Full-day Versailles trip: palace, chapel, and gardens. Group picnic and evening dinner at Bouillon Racine.

Day 6 (Fri May 1): Musée Rodin, Jardin du Luxembourg, Seine bookstalls, ChampsÉlysées and Arc de Triomphe. Dinner at Relais Odéon.

Day 7 (Sat May 2): Full-day Mont Saint-Michel excursion: abbey, ramparts, pilgrimage reflection. Farewell dinner at Le Procope.

Day 8 (Sun May 3): Return to Seattle.

Please reach out to Safir Boudad (sboudad@forestridge.org) with questions.

4800 139th Ave SE Bellevue, WA 98006 www.forestridge.org