Learning Expeditions

Learning Expeditions give students the opportunity to explore the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem through a combination of both day and overnight trips, with the goal of extending learning from the classroom into the field. Once a year, we take a capstone expedition further afield to destinations like southeast Alaska to study climate change up close.

Students are engaged in all aspects of expedition planning including:

  • Preparation Phase Students conduct background research, develop essential study questions, design experiments, and prepare for interviews

  • Expedition Phase Students engage in immersive, hands-on learning in the field. They meet experts, conduct interviews, collect data, and deepen their understanding of the study topic

  • Reflection and Analysis Phase Upon return students reflect on their experience and the information they have gained. They then apply the knowledge gained on the expedition to demonstrate their understanding through authentic products and assessments. Examples include papers, performances, presentations, videos, and podcasts

Our 2021-2022 Learning Expeditions included:

  • Butte- History of mining and the science of watershed restoration

  • Rocky Mountain Front- Waterfowl and wildlife migration

  • Yellowstone National Park- Winter wildlife ecology

  • Southeastern Alaska- Climate change up close

Photo by Tori Pintar.

Capstone Expedition 2022
Southeast Alaska: Climate Change up Close

In May, Peak Potential traveled with their sister school, Bozeman Field School, through coastal Alaska aboard the National Geographic Sea Lion with Lindblad Expeditions and National Geographic. Students studied #climatechange up close with experts in the field as part of the National Geographic Global Explorers program. Students met with experts in the field, boarded zodiacs daily to study glaciers and wildlife in the field , took a polar plunge and traveled through some of the wildest landscapes on earth. Resident orcas, humpback whales, arctic terns mid migration, sea otters, bald eagles, and so many salmon were just a few of the wildlife we witnessed.

Read our expedition recap on Lindblad’s blog here.