School-based travel with connections to curriculum can be powerful, as students practice independence, build confidence, and integrate new perspectives into their thinking as they reflect on travel experiences in the context of their own lives and communities. Our student travel program for fifth through eighth grades provides opportunities for students to engage in purposeful service learning; to delve deeply into the many voices of history; to examine critically the complexity of environmental issues facing the world today; to immerse themselves in a Spanish-speaking culture and setting; to practice the principles of social justice and action; to grow social-emotional intelligence; to collaborate in teams for the greater good of the group; to develop cultural competence; and to derive meaning and satisfaction from cultural and artistic experiences. NPES travel also brings students and teachers lasting memories and great joy. While all trips are optional, most students participate.

• Grades 5 and 6: Outdoor Education in Wisconsin (a fall trip one year, a winter trip the next)
• Grade 7: Day trip to Springfield, Illinois
• Grades 7 and 8: Civil Rights tour of Atlanta, Georgia and a tour of Washington, D.C. in alternating years
• Grade 8: Student-planned Urban Adventure Day (small groups of students exploring Chicago based on themes of their own choosing)
• Grade 7 and 8: Opportunity to travel abroad with NPES to visit a Spanish-speaking country in the Americas over spring break (currently Costa Rica)