Experience our government firsthand as part of a national gathering of teenagers from all over the country with diverse backgrounds and viewpoints. Students will engage in discussions with experts, policymakers, and members of Congress or their staff; build lasting relationships with their peers; explore Capitol Hill; observe live congressional committee hearings to understand policy crafting, and participate in meaningful debates in a Mock Congress. 

Live off-the-grid on an island in Maine! Hurricane Island is carbon neutral and the operations of the island community are environmentally sensitive, including the use of solar rays to generate power for the island. The trip will introduce students to an aspect of the island (the intertidal environment, its sustainable infrastructure, terrestrial ecology, freshwater resources, or migratory birds) and then prompt them to generate questions and a field experiment around that topic. Students experience an immersive process of collecting data, maintaining a consistent sampling protocol, synthesizing and presenting their data, and finally holding a debrief of the scientific process. 

Travel to the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem for an unforgettable student program focused on conservation ecology and wildlife management! Students will spend a week in and around Yellowstone National Park working on habitat restoration and bison grazing projects. Students will learn basic camping skills sleeping in tents and collaboratively preparing meals. By the end of the course, students will gain a strong understanding of the complex conservation issues facing the region and in-depth knowledge of bison and wolves. As a last day culminating event, the group will raft the Yellowstone River.