Winterim Blog 2022

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Oh, what a fun Winterim it was! We had a great last day learning about Colorado history, participating in community outreach and bouncing in the "Boot Camp" bounce house.  We're so grateful to all of those who contributed to making this Winterim a huge success!

Songs and Tales from Colorado Trails, led by Calvin Weatherall, performed for Lower School today! This amazing musician played over ten different instruments while teaching the students about Colorado history.

First grade went up to Mud Lake in Nederland and we went snowshoeing!   We also played games in the snow, and learned that it can take up to 2 hours for a snowflake to fall to the ground.  We also got to see animal tracks in the snow.  After the snowshoeing fun and a picnic, we stopped by the Carousel of Happiness and rode on the hand carved animal statues.  It was a blast!  

We spent the day at the Arvada Center learning about various art mediums. Second graders got to craft sculptures out of clay and compose their own version of "The Starry Night" using oil pastels and watercolor.  

The third grade explored nature today on snowshoes! We learned some snow science and enjoyed a beautiful day outside. 

4th graders enjoyed snowshoeing today up at Mud Lake in Nederland! They learned about snow science and had a chance to play with their kindergarten buddies in the snow. We finished the day with a ride on The Carousel of Happiness!

Today the kindergarteners went to the Wild Bear Nature Center in Nederland. We met with a guide who led us on a nature walk near Mud Lake. We also built snow forts and looked for animal tracks. On the way home we stopped at the Carousel of Happiness and had a blast getting a ride on a painted animal.

2nd Grade spent the day exploring Mud Lake with the Wild Bear Nature Center team leaders.  We learned about the importance of snow, how mountains form and how to identify various animal footprints in snow. 

Today grades K, 2, and 4 went snowshoeing at Mud Lake Open Space in Nederland and then visited the Carousel of Happiness in our way back down.  We learned about the water cycle and the importance of local watersheds.

Yesterday 3rd grade spend the day hiking the Wonderland Lake park in Boulder. We hiked over 2 miles and then played at the playground for a bit.

2nd grade got to spend the day exploring various trails throughout Chautauqua Park with our very own park rangers. We learned about the ecosystems, plants/animals and what we can do to keep our forests thriving. 

Winterim day 1 is in the books! 4th graders hiked Hogback trail in Boulder, had lunch and played at Chautauqua Park, and finished the day with a 4th vs. 3rd grade dodgeball game - even some teachers jumped in to play!

First grade went to Chautauqua Park and got to explore the Mesa and McClintock Trails.  We saw all different sorts of birds, bugs and trees. The students got to enjoy hikes guided by rangers.  After our hikes, we went to the park and had a picnic.  Students got to play in the rain before we headed back to Dawson. 

Our intrepid middle school backpackers dived deep into the canyons of southern Utah to explore Fish & Owl Canyons of Bears Ears National Monument. Throughout our 6 day adventure, we conquered 20 miles of canyoneering, seeing ancient Pueblo ruins, incredible natural arches, and experiencing a week in a real-life sandcastle! The students demonstrated grit and resilience as well as good humor in making this a memorable trip. Thanks to KMAC (Kent Mountain Adventures) guides Reed and Sam for their enthusiastic leadership!

After a rocky beginning, the US Bahamas Winterim had an amazing visit to the Island School on Eleuthera.  We learned about marine biology from researchers and local experts, and just by being in and out of the water all day long.  We learned how ooids form in deep water and wash up onto sandbars, how to catch a sea turtle (kick really, really fast!), how to grow both fish and lettuce using the same recycled water, how to spot a stingray, what native Bahamian fruits taste like, what lives in a mangrove swamp ecosystem, how to appreciate endangered coral, and what happens if fishermen feed the sharks every day (hint: they get REALLY big).  The students braved sunburns, no-see-'ems, creaky bikes, very bumpy boat rides, and overnight flights, but never lost their spirit of exploration and fun.  It was a thrilling trip.

On our final night at Stone Canyon, the 6th grade gathered around a campfire to sing songs, tell stories, and eat s'mores. Before departing, everyone had the opportunity to try ziplining and archery. Once back at Dawson, we had a sleepover party in the Innovation Center, complete with pizza, line dancing, and a movie. Our trip was full of unexpected turns, but the kids did a wonderful job going with the flow and enjoying the moments as they came.

Wow - check out the creations dreamed up and built by the Winterim, Building Upcycled Furniture!

On Thursday morning, we made our way up the windy road towards Sequoia National Park's Giant Forest.  On our way, we observed areas of high intensity burns created by the KNP Complex Fire as well as untouched areas thriving with life.  At the top of Beetle Rock, students spent some time nature journaling before we met up with Miss Katie from the Sequoia Parks Conservancy.  Trekking poles in hand, students made their way through a grove of giant sequoias as they learned how these mammoth trees grow from tiny seeds, how they rely on heat from fire to release seeds, and how climate change is affecting them now.  After a picnic in the sun, we put on gloves and wielded "trash picker-uppers" to give back to the parks by picking up trash.  It felt good to put our stewardship in action!  Before heading back down that windy road, we made sure to pay homage to General Sherman, the world's largest tree.  A long day concluded with a fantastic dinner by the river at the Ol' Buckaroo.

Today in the "Intergenerations" Playwriting workshop, our week of writing came to fruition. Professional actors from the Boulder/Denver area arrived today to play improv games with us and give voice to the plays students wrote throughout the week. We finished the week with a brief showing of our works in progress in the form of staged readings!

Bright Lights, Big City practiced all day for our performance for family and friends at frequent flyers. Then we headed to Sweet Cow in Louisville for celebratory ice cream. Congrats to all on an awesome job!

On our final day of Winterim, Food, Glorious Food spent the morning working on the cookbook that the group is producing and watching a video about "healthful eating" produced by the Educated Choices Program. We then journeyed to the Morning Fresh Dairy in Bellvue (where Noosa yoghurt is produced) for a tour, baby cow petting, tons of free samples, and an exquisite lunch at the farm's Howling Cow Café.

From Luca Adams:
Today was the final day of the cooking winterim. In the morning we made spring rolls, Bangkok Drunken Noodles, Thai chicken coconut curry and Thai corn fritters. We then went to lunch at Teocalli, which is a Mexican restaurant. After that, we cleaned the rest of the kitchen and finalized our cookbook as an end to a great Winterim! 

Heading for home!

A glimpse of the action from our Colorado climbers!

From Luca Adams: In the morning the theme was France and we made crêpes and Croque Monsieur. In the afternoon we 'battled' against the Middle School Winterim, "Food, Glorious Food," in a dessert competition where we made chocolate mousse, Boston creme donuts, and a chocolate cake!

Imogen, David, Maggie, Declan and Autumn make a run to Walmart to stock up for the signature drink recipes they each created!

Today we learned about winter adaptations and climate change's effect on the Yellowstone environment. We explored snow science by digging snow pits and taking measurements to find the snow water equivalence. We snowshoe hiked around Trout Lake and a close encounter with a Bison, we did have! We witnessed the signs of the changing of the seasons including some warmer weather and sunshine. But, much more exciting was a great view (using scopes and binoculars) of a mama bear and her 2 cubs awakening and starting to stir from their den. They were observed collecting more bedding to slumber for a little while longer yet. We finished the day with a hike to an ungulate graveyard, abundant in pedicles for certain. Any words you don't know there? We didn't know them before this week either!

-with gratitude to Vivi for her help with the writing of today's summary for our group!

The backcountry skiing group saved the best day for the last day. By all accounts today was about as much fun as one can have sliding on snow. This intrepid group of rock-star students left the yurts after breakfast and proceeded to climb up to 12,300 ft to the top of Putney Peak amid snow showers and 35 mph winds at the summit. The final push, which consisted of a boot pack up the wind scoured rocks, took courage and grit and our guides couldn’t have been more impressed with our determination! The descent from the peak was fantastic. Between the views and powder we were a happy group of skiers, and that was just the beginning. Several more laps and by the end of the day we had climbed (then skied) 3,000 vertical feet of powdery bliss! Back at the yurt the stoke levels remained high as the shared laughs continued. Our night culminated with a beautiful appreciation circle, which was at times heartfelt and occasionally hilarious, but never disingenuous. It has been a magical adventure and one that we won’t ever forget. After a short ski back to the bus tomorrow morning, we will make our way back to school. What an amazing  trip it’s been.

Blog post by Finn and Charlie: Another great day in Seattle. To begin, we went to an eatery called Piroshky on Third which served eastern European-inspired pastries. The group then headed over to the Chinatown International District for a tour of the area. Our guide was very knowledgeable, and showed us some of the spots that illustrate the rich culture that define the Asian American experience in Seattle. Still in the International District, we explored the Wing Luke museum which featured an exhibit on Bruce Lee and his years in Seattle. His personal notes, clothing, and movies were all displayed to emphasize his cultural significance in America. Out on the street, we were greeted by the self-proclaimed King of Chinatown who was excited by our towering heights at such a young age. We then took the light rail to Pike Place Market. At the market, we bought tons of food and enjoyed the vibrant atmosphere. Since it was Saint Patrick’s Day, the ginger of our group, Finn, thought it would be appropriate to allow the gallant gentlemen of the fish market to practice their fish tossing tradition over his head, almost resulting in a salmon tail to the forehead. (Click the link to view the harrowing video.

Bright slights Big City spent the day exploring Denver. We toured the Denver Art Museum, took a play writing class workshop, had an amazing Italian dinner, and ended the evening watching the new play “Refuge” at the Curious Theatre. 

The El Paso Winterim had a wonderful last day in the border region. We began with an observation of district court in Las Cruces (no cameras allowed but students are seen walking to court below) and we then got to meet with New Mexico’s only district judge. We then had a fantastic lunch of burritos & tacos before exploring old Mesilla. Students then returned to Peace Lutheran Church for their final migration story share and a homemade dinner of enchiladas. We returned to our lodging and closed the program with story sharing of our own. The group has developed a close connection in just one week and did an incredible job learning and taking in such complex stories and material. Students are excited to return home tomorrow! 

We got up close and personal with some Alligators today during our swamp airboat ride! Some of our adventurous eaters even tried alligator sausage for lunch. Later on we took a cooking class where we made Mahi Almandine, a southern succotash and delicious bread pudding. We will head out soon for a jazz concert at Preservation Hall. Whew…what a day! 

It was a gorgeous day to visit Whittier College and see some Dawson alumnae, Theresa and Stasi, who gave us the inside scoop!

Today, the students finished the decoration of their guitar bodies and necks. Each of the nine guitars is completely unique and they look amazing! Tomorrow students will be putting everything together and hopefully by the end of the day we will be tuning them up to play!

Today in the "Intergenerations" Playwriting workshop, students began the day by playing the improv game "Hotel Clerk." Next, the groups got together to share all of the scenes they wrote for their "fractured fairy tales" and stitched together the separate texts into one continuous script. This is all in preparation for the professional actors coming to do staged readings of their plays tomorrow to wrap up the week!

Today Get Active headed to Denver for a private tour of Mile High Stadium! We got to explore the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame, professional locker rooms, VIP suites, and ended our time on the Broncos field itself! 

The El Paso Winterim group had long & informative day. We began the day hearing from Reuben Gonzales, director of Annunciation House, who shared his 45 year history of serving migrants in El Paso. We then drove to the border fence and met with Border Patrol agents. Students were able to ask questions and learn a great deal about daily life on the border, giving them a unique perspective far beyond news headlines. We had a tasty burrito lunch and then drove the Rim Road above El Paso. Students then had a chance to explore Segundo Barrio, a neighborhood next to the Port of Entry. We capped off the day with soup & apple crisp at Holy Cross Retreat Center and a closing journal reflection. 

Day 3 in the Red Mt Pass backcountry was another smashing success. The day started with an outstanding in-yurt lesson from our guides on assembling an expedition team. Following that was a great morning tour and ski with wide smiles all around. The combination of warm temperatures and sun followed by a colder night and overcast day led to crunchy conditions in most areas. The students experienced first hand how snow conditions depend greatly on the aspect and angle of a slope. Following a fun ski, we skinned to a beautiful snowy meadow where we had an amazing lesson on companion avalanche rescue. The students were able to put much of their learning to use with several mock burial scenarios. After returning back to the yurt a small group headed back out for a “bonus lap”. Our guides led us to an amazing north facing pitch in which we found ourselves skiing knee-deep powder right back to the yurts. The night concluded with the students presenting their final projects to their peers. Each group was given a skiing objective and the methodically led the group through the planning process. A great day putting all of our newfound education to use. One more full day left out here in this winter wonderland!

After clearing all of the invasive species yesterday, today was planting day in the Limahuli preserve. We planted more than 40 plants across the cleared area to try to improve the habitat. This included planting a memorial tree for Mr Nate Lord, who started our program here in Kauai and sadly passed away in the spring of 2021. One of the Limahuli volunteers braided leis from ti leaves that we each got to leave with the tree to protect it. Then we spent our third afternoon of paddling with the students starting to learn to stern the boats. Even our most experienced paddlers found it hard work! Now we are finishing the day with the Tahiti Nui Luau.

Today we got out of bed, and right to it. A quick stop by the local Starbucks to get coffee, and then we headed for the ferry to Bainbridge Island. We began at a Japanese memorial site that focused on the history of the Japanese internment camps during WWII. This was an eye opening experience for all of us because it is commonly left out of American history. We read stories about Bainbridge families who had to sell all of their belongings with no belief of them ever retuning home. When we finished this, all 12 of us students went to a local Japanese restaurant for some butt-whoopin' spicy teriyaki chicken. After a scenic ferry ride back to Seattle, we caught the bus to the Seattle Chinese Gardens located at South Seattle College. Here, we were given time to go on our own and explore the garden, and all its serenity and beauty. Once we all reconvened, Dr. Carter explained to us the meaning of yin and yang and how these factors were portrayed throughout the garden, with aspects such as mountains and water, and light and dark. Finally, we made our way over to our dinner at Din Tai Fung for some mouthwatering xiao longbao (soup dumplings). "Oh boy, those were some good dumplings" -Alfie Whitemore. We hopped onto the train and rode back to the hotel, ending the day with about 17,000 steps. 

We had another great day! The weather was beautiful. We visited Northeastern and Boston College, and we were able to connect with Dawson alumni who attend both. Elise Freedman, who attends Northeastern, joined us by FaceTime from Spring Break, and Libby Howenstein at BC met us after our tour. We then took the T to the harbor for a dinner cruise complete with sunset views and dancing.

Yellowstone Wednesday update: we woke up early today for some early morning wildlife watching, and good thing we did! We saw a wolf on a riverbank close to the road who was still working on eating an earlier kill. According to our guide, this was a top tier wolf sighting as they are usually seen through scopes far away, and we could see him clearly with our bare eyes. We spent the day learning about the various wildlife and their roles in Yellowstone National Park. With some further wolf sightings, we followed the Junction Butte wolf pack which we viewed yesterday. We also learned about a method of telemetry which helps researchers follow the wolf packs using signals from tagged wolves. We went snowshoeing and found an elk skeleton with a fully intact skull! After a little more hiking, we walked along the recently frozen Pebble Creek and explored a cave. We learned about identifying trees using a dichotomous key, and the role they play in our ecosystem. Overall, we are becoming more comfortable here in Yellowstone and we are enjoying the beautiful scenery and our time together here!

Food, Glorious Food! began the morning with a cupcake decorating challenge: which group's pull-apart cake are you most impressed by?

A glimpse of our sailors' activities today!

The NOLA winterim had a busy day helping out with the Nola Tree Project. We helped mulch, weed and plant at the New Orleans Botanic Gardens. We followed up with our 3rd Cafe Du Monde stop for beignets and coffee and a stroll through the sculpture garden. Now off to a concert in the park! 

So many fantastic colleges to visit! UCLA (including a hall that reminded the gang of head of school George Moore), USC, Pepperdine, CalLutheran... And a little off-their-feet time cheering on some USC baseball. Follow @MsHandTeacher on Twitter for regular updates! #LAWint22

The guitars are looking AMAZING! So much progress and still so much to do. Two days left to complete the guitars including soldering the electronics, finishing the painting of the guitar bodies, attaching the necks, and assembling, stringing, and tuning these musical works of art! 

Students in Bright Lights, Big City spent the morning practicing our hip hop routines, then did an improv workshop with local playwright and director, Kelly McCallister. We ended the day at Frequent Flyers perfecting our silks skills and prepping for our performance on Friday.

Get Active Day 3 showed no sign of slowing down! In the morning, Ms. Kalman and Ms. Fisher took the group to Top Golf in Thornton, where Ms. Fisher was at the top of the leaderboard by the end of the session! After lunch in the park, we spent the afternoon learning basic techniques and movement of karate at Wado-Kai Longmont.

Today, the two groups have moved forward their initial story ideas for their "fractured fairy tales" in two ways. First, students took turns "directing" one another to create frozen pictures that represented important moments from their stories. Next, the students met in their intergenerational writing groups to separate who was going to write which scenes for their final products and to ensure their plotline matched up without any inconsistencies.

Kanoe & Caitlin learn that in order to make good coffee, you have to learn to taste the differences between bad coffee!

Natalie, Kanoe, & Caitlin prepare for a proper cupping of coffees from around the world, processed in three unique ways.

Good morning from Washington DC!

Another epic day in the San Juans! After a delicious pancake breakfast, the crew had the calories they needed to climb again today. We made our way up to just below tree line where we dug 4 snow pits each on a different aspect of the mountain. There we investigated the various storm layers within the pits and noted how terrain contour and weather events can cause different types of snowpack even in very close locations. Another arrow in our avalanche-safety quiver. Following our snow pit lesson we made our way back up to the ridge line before a glorious 1k foot descent of untracked snow. The kind of skiing you dream about. From there we transitioned back to our climbing skins and headed back to our yurts at 11,700 ft. Tonight’s cooking group treated us to “perfectly Al dente” fettuccine with a rustic bolognese sauce ;). The evening program consisted of working on the culminating “trip planning” project and some well-earned sauna time. What a day!

Day 3 Blog post by Emma and Ella:

Today we ventured into the preserve behind the Limahuli Gardens to clear out invasive species from the hillside. Then we paddled for our second afternoon. Our first paddling session yesterday was eventful. We were warned not to lean right, away from the outrigger. We learned the hard way why when we flipped our boat and had to bail it out before continuing our paddle! Everyone in the boat was wet but laughing hard.

The El Paso Winterim group had a fantastic first day on the ground. We began the day with a lovely breakfast and morning meeting at Holy Cross Retreat Center. We then drove into Las Cruces, New Mexico where students rolled up their sleeves and made Gorditas with Border Servant’s Corps. We heard a an incredibly moving migration story from Carmen, a migrant from Juarez and students expressed such amazing empathy. We then visited a receiving shelter in a converted hotel run by Save The Children. Since September they have served over 95,000 migrants from all over the world. Students asked thoughtful questions and were impacted by the work being done. We headed back to our lodgings for some downtime before an outdoor pizza dinner and evening reflection. It was a wonderful first day and we’re so impressed with our students’ work! 

This morning we learned about the history of Yellowstone and its rock formations by forming a timeline of geological events. On our morning drive we enjoyed more close-up views of bison, elk, and mule deer. We went on a short hike and started to learn about the beautiful mammoth terraces and the four types of thermal features that exist in Yellowstone: hot springs, geysers, mud pots and steam vents. On a snowshoe hike, we saw more geothermal terraces and learned about the variability in water conditions. We also saw some wolf tracks on our hike, which was exciting! Even better though, was getting to see wild wolves among the bison using a scope from a ridge above! So cool! After lunch, we studied rocks of various types and visited the "Grand Canyon of Yellowstone" - a stunning view of the river from 1000 ft high. We ended the day with a view of a beautiful frozen waterfall. What a gorgeous first day in the park!

We're off to a great start at Keystone Science School.  It's pretty much been non-stop since we got here, with a ton of cross-country ski time and outdoor play.  Today one group went to the continental divide while another went skiing on the Dillon Lake Reservoir.  The kids are having a blast!

It was a great Tuesday in Boston! We rode the T, explored Boston
Common, visited Emerson College, and toured Fenway Park.

A sailor's life: Taking the sails down, swabbing the deck, doing their chores, and hoisting the sails back up!

Bright Lights, Big City continues to refine their aerial and dance skills this week. Today we learned our 2nd hip hop routine and students continued to build their aerial skills.

From Rodas: Today we made foods from Africa. One group made Samosas from east Africa and others made some soups. It was amazing to taste the different types of food/seasoning across Africa. We also went to a Japanese restaurant, Japango, which was really nice and many of the kids got to taste different kinds of sushi and step out of their comfort zone. 

The 6th graders are pushing themselves to take risks today as they climb on this challenging High Ropes Course.  Many fears of heights have been broken!

Today, students began the day with improv activities to warm up our brains and bodies before meeting up in cross-generational partnerships. In these small groups that mix senior citizens with Dawson middle schoolers, students will take a well-known fairy tale and "fracture" it by adapting it to a different time or place, or changing important plot events. Today, the multi-age groups discussed and outlined their fractured fairy tales, with both groups doing mash-ups of well known stories. One group is tackling Three Little Pigs meets Little Red Riding Hood, while the other is combining Little Red with Hansel and Gretel!

After smooth travels to Bozeman, Montana, we connected with our Yellowstone Forever program hosts. We enjoyed a beautiful drive to our cabins near the town Gardiner. Along the way, we spotted several first glances of Yellowstone wildlife including elk, bison, and big horn sheep! To top it off, check out the amazing view of Yellowstone from our cabins! After the tiring day of traveling, we had our first cabin-cooked meal, some downtime including competitive card games, and some journal and prep time for our upcoming study of the geology of Yellowstone. 

On Day 2, Get Active had another eventful day of non-traditional sports! In the morning we learned how to hang from fabrics and perform aerial skills at Frequent Flyer Aerial Dance in Boulder. In the afternoon, we learned how to shoot bow and arrows at High Altitude Archery in Longmont.

From Luca Adams: Today we made east Asian food! First, we went to the pacific ocean market to pick up our ingredients. We then made many different kinds of food from gyoza to spring rolls!

Colorado Photography crew went out and explored the Paint Mines in El Paso County yesterday. Everyone got awesome photos of this otherworldly landscape. 

Day 2: We started our morning with a cafe breakfast filled with professional culture. After returning to our rooms to wake up the remaining few, we went to MoPop (Museum of Pop Culture) and discovered how tall Jack Sparrow was. MoPop featured music, indie games, and Daleks for all the Dr. Who fans.

On our bus ride back we met the wonderful Mr. Frye who regaled us with stories about the parking garage that shared his name. Once off the bus, we went to lunch at Kao Kao where Charlie attempted to finish a near-infinite serving of pasta. He fought admirably but was defeated by the low mein.

The El Paso Winterim landed safely after a smooth flight. We met up with our World Leadership School instructor and did introductions. From there we headed to local restaurant for a fantastic dinner. We then drove to the Holy Cross Retreat Center in Las Cruces, settled into our rooms and got a good nights rest. We’re looking forward to a great day ahead!

It was a spectacular day in the San Juan Mountains for the backcountry ski group! After meeting up with our guides and getting our gear, we left Ouray and headed up to the top of beautiful Red Mountain Pass. We said goodbye to the Dawson bus and hit the trail. The students quickly learned how to ski tour as we skinned our way up to the yurts. After settling into our new home for the next 4 nights, we headed out for an afternoon ski and we are so glad we did. Under a bluebird sky, we climbed our way to the top of the ridge line east of the yurts and we’re treated to the views of a lifetime. The ski down was nothing short of incredible with shin-deep fluffiness and hoots and hollers all around. The delicious dinner was well-earned and we will all sleep well tonight. Let’s do it again tomorrow!

Taking Boston by storm! This college group is loving this town!

Good afternoon from overcast Nassau, Bahamas! Today’s sky may be gray above, under the water it is electric! We were up early today. Our bus took us on a scenic tour of the west side of the island. We saw where Sean Connery‘s estate is. The kids didn’t know him. 

First day of glassblowing. Students worked on glass paper weights and learned how to use many of the new tools. We begin blowing glass on Tuesday and will start with tall drinking glasses. 

Vernon, Natalie, Caitlin, David, Kanoe, and Eduardo perform their targeted marketing advertisement for "James" their target consumer.

Bright Lights, Big City was back at it at the dance studio and aerial studio today working on their partnering skills. 

The New Orleans Winterim is underway on Bourbon Street! We have walked through the city and just left the historic Voodoo Museum. We are now headed to a riverboat jazz cruise on the Mississippi River!

Today Get Active MS Winterim went rock climbing at Boulder Rock Club with Ms. Kalman and Mr. Jacobsma!

The L.A. college group visited USC today, including their famous Trojan, and The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences Courtyard.

6th grade has arrived at Stone Canyon and is learning the ropes. We had a delicious lunch, and kids are now engaged in their first round of activities.

The group has gotten on board this gorgeous sailboat! Close quarters, but excited. Cozy dinner in the bunk room.

And a wonderful side story: The kids got amazing compliments from the staff on the plane, the hotel, and the restaurant - and, at breakfast, some anonymous person hosted the group with $150 for breakfast "to the future people who would be saving our world"!

The backcountry ski group had a smooth trip to beautiful Ouray, “The Switzerland of America”! We spent the day acclimating before we head to our high-altitude home in the woods tomorrow. A dip in the healing waters of the Ouray Hot Springs was just what the doctor ordered and the dinner that followed was a treat. Up & at ‘em early tomorrow!

The Boston College Winterim arrived this afternoon in Boston. After getting to our hotel, we enjoyed walking around in the sunshine on Newberry Street, exploring the shops. Tonight we are having dinner at The Cheesecake Factory and we look forward to our first tour tomorrow morning at Boston University!

All aboard! Heading to Seattle to sail!

Good afternoon from sunny Nassau, Bahamas! We traveled here through the night. We arrived to an 85° day! We moved into our rooms after a great lunch and then got to our activities. We snorkeled for about three hours from the white, sandy beach of our hotel. We saw starfish, angelfish, rays, and some beautiful wrasse. It was amazing! After dinner, we had our pre-dive conference with our dive master. While each of the students is tired, we are ready for tomorrow morning’s dive on Holiday Bowl! 

How does snow form in the sky, how does it change when on the ground, and what types of snow layers have a greater chance of avalanching? All questions that the backcountry ski group explored today! Using “avalanche boards” the students experimented with slope angle and snow variation (flour, cornmeal, and sugar) to gain a better understanding of avalanche predictability. In the afternoon we began learning how to use avalanche beacons. Thanks to loaner beacons from Boulder-based Backcountry Access, the students were given mock search scenarios and put their newly acquired knowledge to the test. Next stop, Ouray, CO and then on to Red Mt Pass!

On day 2 of our program we had a field excursion to the Fiske Planetarium at CU Boulder where we learned about Polynesian celestial navigation. We even got to play an interactive game about “wayfinding” where every group member had a specific role with different knowledge that helped the group succeed. Then we practiced our interviewing and observation skills on Pearl Street to find out about the culture of Boulder. Day 3 started with sharing our findings from that research. Then we engaged in some team building with an “invisible maze” and a viewing of the film The Haumana about hula. We finished with final details for the trip and we are ready to fly out tomorrow!

Today we ventured to Rocky Mountain National Park and learned about snow science. We hiked in FREEZING weather - with the wind chill, it was -10! - and dug snow pits in order to learn more about the importance of snowpacks, especially here in Colorado.

The Bright Lights, Big city winterim had an active day doing hip hop at Streetside Dance Studios in the morning and then learning how to climb silks in the afternoon at Frequent Flyers. 

From Kate Weibel: Today we started off cooking the food of South America. For the appetizer, we made empanadas. For the two entrees, we made steak with chimichurri and arepas. For dessert, we made brigadeiro, a Brazilian chocolate cake. Stay tuned for the rest!

From Eliza Lennox: Today was a really fun afternoon! This afternoon, all the food that was created was European themed! There were mini pizzas, gnocchi, macarons and an amazing lasagna. Lots of laughter and teamwork :) 

The New Orleans winterim group spent Friday exploring Five Points in Denver. We learned about the history of Jazz in Denver and stopped off for lunch at Randall’s, a NOLA chef who has made Five Points his home for the past 20+ years. 

After learning topographic map reading skills, the backcountry skiing group had a beautiful morning hike on the South Mesa trail, dialing in our layers for the upcoming trip. Our afternoon was spent learning about trip planning and setting the group contract. We’re getting excited now!

Today the CNC Guitar Winterim students made progress preparing their stock to be milled. In the afternoon, students started to design the features of their guitars using Fusion 360 which they will use to output their design to the CNC router. There are a wide variety of designs in progress and we can't wait to see how they turn out!

The Bright Lights Big City Winterim spent the day at the Arvada Center for Arts and Humanities learning about music, acting, and art. Students went on a guided gallery tour of the current exhibition, made cubist style masks, learned the basics of African drumming, and practiced their stage combat and sword fighting skills. We ended the day with dinner in Old Town. 

On Day 1, we met via Zoom with alum Byron Thomson, now a clerk for the federal district court of Maryland. Day 2 students had an in-depth tour of the Capitol, including meeting with Judges Jaci Brown, Neeti Pawar, Craig Welling, and Ted Tow. We were witness to some of the record breaking debate in a State House of Representatives committee that ended up lasting through the night!

Building on yesterday's work to develop a more nuanced understanding of culture, today we explored concepts of cultural appropriation and authenticity. The students also made Chinese dumplings (jiaozi) and soy sauce eggs. Emma showed particular mastery of a variety of wrapping techniques, whereas Charlie was so distraught at his own mutated creations that he threatened to drink the soy sauce marinade for the eggs. Fortunately, his classmates intervened.

We had a fantastic day at CU Law School. Students attended a legal aid clinic class with Professor Violeta Chapin. They interacted with second and third year law students and investigated the history and current status of the DACA program. They were full of poignant questions and thoughtful ideas! We then spent some time exploring the CU Law campus and wrapped up with a well-deserved ice cream. Our students are learning so much as they prepare for their trip to border next week.

The L.A. and Boston College Tour groups are starting this week looking at some of our wonderful nearby schools. Here we are visiting University of Colorado-Boulder’s campus on a chilly but beautiful morning, and talking with the team at Naropa University.

Today we went to Divide in order to go to the Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Center. We learned about the history of wolves in the US and how they were hunted to near extinction. We learned about reintroduction and conservation efforts, and discussed the potential effects of Colorado’s new law about the reintroduction of gray wolves. Before we left, we all howled our best, and the wolves joined in!

We started off today by going to King Soopers to shop for our ingredients! After that we all split into groups and started to make our yummy creations :) Stay tuned for results!! 

Imogen,David, Autumn, and Declan show off their new coffeeshop logos, which they created by hand or on Adobe illustrator and laser etched onto their own travel mugs!

The CNC Guitar Making Winterim got off to a great start today with all of the students collaborating on designing their guitars and coming up with a wide variety of plans for how they will look. After the students finished their plans, they selected their pieces of wood and glued them up to create the stock that they will mill on the CNC router later in Winterim.

We started to prepare for our trip to Kauai by learning some introductory information about our topics of study. The day started by setting our focus on team building and then we launched into looking at the types of plants we will be working with at the Limahuli Gardens (native plants, canoe plants, and invasive species). We finished with an introduction to ethnographic research and preparation for collecting data on a field trip to Boulder tomorrow. It was a great day with high energy!

Our Winterim group had a fantastic first day full of thoughtful discussions, exploring narratives, and diving into the complexity of immigration. Students explored demographic data of El Paso, investigated firsthand accounts of migrants on several continents, and watched a documentary film followed by presentations and discussions on the film's themes. We also collectively established group norms to follow and re-visit during our time in El Paso. Tomorrow we head to CU Law school to sit in on a legal defense clinic with students. 

Our summary: This morning, we learned about the importance of Leave No Trace and learned the seven key principles (and the hand motions that go along with them!). We then drove to Rocky Mountain National Arsenal, where we went on a short hike and drove along a wildlife drive, where we saw a hawk, deer, and herds of bison! We were a couple hundred feet away from the last herd that we saw. Did you know that bison can jump FIVE feet?

The group got off to a good start today at Sherpa's in Boulder!

The college Winterim groups combined and enjoyed exploring Colorado College for our first tour - including catching a few minutes of a women's lacrosse game. Among other highlights, we met up with Scarlett Reavey '19, Liam Keeley '20 and Olivia Spencer '21, who shared valuable reflections of their transition from Dawson to life at CC.