In addition to local trips to museums, plays, and concerts, OFL is proud to partner with Pathways In Education to provide students with once-in-a-lifetime adventures. Pathways camps and programs are developed for OFL students to help guide them toward their dreams and goals through hands-on activities and unique cultural perspectives. From high ropes courses to historical reflections, Pathways’ opportunities afford students extraordinary lessons in teamwork, leadership, and self-confidence. The best part? All of these programs are 100% FREE to OFL students!
All students interested in participating in Pathway Trips must be in good academic standing. Directions on how to apply for each trip will be announced. All applications will be carefully reviewed and students will be notified if selected to participate in Pathways Trip.
For any questions, please contact Jennifer Godinez at email jgodinez@oflschools.org.
2019-2020 Pathways Trip Schedule
Washington DC
During a five day, four night trip to explore our nation’s capital in Washington DC., students earn elective credits while learning about American history as they tour museums and monuments. Student activities include visits to the Capitol building, White House, Smithsonian Museum, and the Lincoln Memorial. Students get a chance to develop their leadership styles by analyzing the historical influences they observe during the trip, and are encouraged to reflect on how these lessons can inspire them to leave their own mark in history.
Blackbird Farm
Located on 240 stunning acres in Mendocino, California, Blackbird Farm is a safe and welcoming place where participants are educated in sustainable farming and healthy eating while connecting with nature and peers. Like most Pathways Experiential Programs, participating students are nominated by their teachers and complete an essay and interview before final selection, and earn school credit for their involvement.
Students at Blackbird Farm enjoy:
- Campfires with storytelling and s’mores
- Harvesting fruit from orchards of pears, apples, cherries, plums, and walnuts
- Fruit preserving and cheese making
- Bread making
- Attending farm-to-table classes
- Tending to chickens, sheep, donkeys, and cows
- Participating in high ropes team-building courses
- Journaling their farm experiences
Service Learning
Community Service participants learn to work together, building trust and confidence and often forming life-long friendships, while being inspired to continue being active in their communities. Students learn about the operations of non-profit organizations and discover the value of gratitude, hard work, and giving back. During non-service hours students discuss which humanitarian causes mean the most to them and learn different ways they can directly impact their community, such as fundraising, volunteering, donating, and creating programs.
This year we will be partnering with Huerta del Valle in Ontario, CA. www.huertadelvalle.org
College Tour (East Coast)
Pathways College Tour takes students on a four day, three night fun and intensive tour, visiting five different colleges, including a public research university, a smaller public school, a private school, and a community college. At each destination, students visit classrooms, libraries, dormitory housing, bookstore, and lecture halls—they’ll even get to eat lunch in the campus cafeteria!
Students will get the chance to ask as many questions they like of their freshman tour guides about campus life, financial aid, and class schedules. In the evenings, students participate in workshops that will walk them through the process of filling out applications, obtaining references, and applying for financial aid, grants, and scholarships. Additionally, the tour will meet for evening workshops to discuss critical topics such as:
- The difference between the different types of colleges
- What to consider when choosing the right school
- The opportunity to attend sporting events and clubs & organization fairs
Rocky Mountain Pathways Ranch
Rocky Mountain Pathways Ranch (RMPR) is located on 56 acres in Allenspark, Colorado, on the edge of Rocky Mountain National Park. RMPR allows students to take over the operations of a traditional dude-style ranch while earning school credits and community service hours. Day-to-day ranch tasks present new challenges to students, pushing them beyond their comfort zone to develop critical collaboration and leadership skills. Students leave the ranch with life-long lessons, friends, and memories.
Trips to RMPR include:
- Tending to horses, chickens, llamas, alpacas, and angora goats.
- Saddling and riding horses
- Nature hikes
- Team-building and personal growth exercises
- Cultural and historical Colorado-themed classes
International Trips
Cuba
Pathways In Education takes students to Cuba to help further global understanding through cross-cultural exchange. During the eight day trip, students visit the homes of average Cubans, and tour organic farms and important landmarks, teaching them about Cuban economy, history, culture, and nutrition.
Cuba trips include:
- Tour of an organic farm
- Visits with local Cuban students
- Tour of University of Havana and participation in college level discussion groups
- Photography workshop
- Culinary school visit and demonstration
- Tour of Las Terrazas, the UNESCO world heritage site
- Visit to Finca Vigia, Ernest Hemingway’s home in Cuba (as a pre-requisite, students must read The Old Man and the Sea)
- Workshop at Central Pro Danza, a dance school for barrio children
Italy
An 11-day trip through Venice, Florence, and Rome immerses students in Italian culture, cuisine, and history as they come face-to-face with priceless works of art, learn how to make pasta, and tour the Vatican and Roman ruins. Students explore the rich artistic heritage of Italy by taking art classes, meeting local artists and touring museums. And of course, no trip to Italy would be complete without trying authentic Italian gelato and pizza!
- Viva Italia! (Italy Alive)
- From the canals of Venice to ancient Rome, we plan for our students to experience many of the wonders of lo Stivale (the Boot).
- Centuries of art, deep religious roots, beautiful architecture, gorgeous natural landscapes, and of course delicious culinary experiences await
China
Students spend 14 days discovering local treasures, divulging in local cuisines, and journeying through urban cities. From the Great Wall to the Forbidden City, students will gain insight on Chinese culture and its historical importance. With an emphasis on full cultural immersion, students will partake in activities including a lesson on Chinese calligraphy in Beijing, feed baby pandas at the Dujiangyan Panda Keeper Program, visit the terracotta warriors in Xi’an, and much more!
World War II Tour
Students spend 14 days walking in the footsteps of liberating soldiers, government decision makers and everyday citizens who endured the hardships of war in Europe. Students will experience an historical adventure as they tour the WWII European front of London, Paris, Normandy, Germany, and Poland. For two weeks, students will learn about the Blitz in Churchill’s cabinet rooms in London, sightsee in Paris while learning of its Nazi occupation, walk the Omaha beach in Normandy, honor fallen American soldiers at the Mardasson Monument in Luxembourg and so much more. While we’ll learn about the most destructive period in history, we’ll also hear about ordinary people who saved lives and ended the war.
