Out of the Classroom: Field Trips at Summit

Not all lessons are best taught from inside the four walls of a classroom. Sometimes, students learn best when they’re piled into a school bus and taken off site where they can engage in experiences for themselves.

According to an interview in Education Next, culturally enriching field trips are in decline. Museums across the United States have reported a dramatic drop in school tours, including the Field Museum in Chicago, which at one time welcomed more than 300,000 students annually, but now sees below 200,000.

While schools all over the country, including those here in Arizona, are eliminating field trips for a variety of reasons, Summit is proud to stand by our belief that field trips are an important part of a well-rounded education.

“Enriching field trips contribute to the development of students into civilized young men and women who possess more knowledge about art, have stronger critical-thinking skills, exhibit increased historical empathy, display higher levels of tolerance, and have a greater taste for consuming art and culture.”

–Jay P. Greene, Professor of Education Reform at the University of Arkansas

Recently Summit Kindergarten students went to The Nina Mason Pulliam Rio Salado Audubon Center where they participated in hands-on nature and ecology lessons. These lessons are a great foundation for their prolonged STEM-based education at Summit!

Summit fourth graders visited the AZ Capitol building. This trip enhanced their current curriculum, which included how Arizona became a state, how our government works, and the process of making sure their voices can be heard. Students were lucky enough to briefly meet up with Rep. Jennifer Jermaine, and received a personalized tour / question answer session with Senator Sean Bowie, from our district. Sen. Bowie was awesome and allowed the kids to explore the senate floor, as well as, sit in the chairs and take pics with him.

Summit third graders went to Biosphere 2 to kick off their learning about the environment and serve as in introduction to the concept of human’s effect on the environment. This trip is a nice introduction to a project they’ll be doing soon about how we can all take action and make a difference for the environment. Students were able to see people working to lessen the impact people have on the environment, as well as engaging in hands-on experiences having to do with composting and living more lightly on the earth.

“Field trips are a key part of our learning because they allow  students to see and experience everything first-hand. Plus, experts and visual aids assist with giving our kiddos the most accurate and real-world experience. It truly enhances their learning.”–Kyle Allen, Fourth Grade Teacher

We know our students are getting the best education experience on campus or off.