“The greatest traditions of experiential education value everyone being heard and the fact that leadership is shared.”Margaret White Campbell, The Colorado Springs School's Founding Headmistress
At The Colorado Springs School, senior Tristan K. ‘26 has taken part in a wide range of Experience-Centered Seminars (ECSs), three-week immersions into topics such as biodiversity in Hawaii and Broadway in New York. But it was the Tall Ships ECS during his junior year that he describes as life-changing.
The seminar takes students on a 10-day voyage through the U.S. Virgin Islands aboard a 137-foot schooner. Living and working as crew members, they learn seamanship, navigation, and marine science while embracing the World Ocean School’s values of ship, shipmate, and self—building leadership, responsibility, and teamwork along the way.
“I didn’t want to leave,” Tristan said, “and I had never experienced that before.” On this trip, he bonded deeply not only with classmates but also with the ship’s crew. At a talent show on the final day, he performed a song he wrote on the spot, receiving encouragement that helped him feel true to himself.
“I just felt like, oh, I’m being myself, and then I continued to be myself throughout the rest of the year and even now. I’m a much more chill person because of that ECS,” he said. “Honestly, if I could, I would do it again. I think if you asked anybody on that trip, we’d all say the same. It was life-changing for all of us.”
Tristan’s experience is just one example of how CSS extends learning beyond the classroom. Through experiential education (ExEd), students are challenged to learn by doing, reflecting on their experiences, building resilience, and deepening their understanding of themselves and the world around them.
ExEd at CSS takes place daily in classrooms through hands-on, inquiry-based learning, as well as through immersive field experiences that take students outdoors, across Colorado, and even around the globe. Together, these opportunities create a continuum of challenge and growth that spans PreKindergarten through 12th grade.
“It builds their connection with each other. It also grows their connection with themselves by just gaining independence and gaining confidence,” said Emily Fuller, Experiential Education and Auxiliary Programs Coordinator. “When you do things that are difficult and out of your comfort zone, you become more confident.”
Experiential education at CSS dates back to 1962, when founding headmistress Margaret White Campbell brought with her the influence of John Dewey, the American philosopher and reformer she studied under at Columbia University. Dewey’s emphasis on problem-based, hands-on learning—innovative at the time—continues to shape CSS programs and guide teaching today.
“The greatest traditions of experiential education value everyone being heard and the fact that leadership is shared,” Mrs. Campbell said.
Building Independence, Step by Step
Our youngest CSS students—PreK through 5th grade—take part in two seminars each year. This all-inclusive program encourages children to step outside their comfort zones early on through hands-on learning and problem-solving.
Fall Adventure emphasizes community-building and includes overnight stays, both on and off campus, while the Colorado Expedition each spring immerses students in the state’s early history and culture, with past trips including Mesa Verde National Park and its well-preserved Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwellings. These experiences gradually expand in duration and distance, from one-night stays in Kindergarten to multi-day adventures by 5th grade.
To support younger students as they develop independence, CSS partners with Parent Educational Leaders (PELs), who help guide small groups during trips. These CSS parent volunteers ensure students are safe, supported, and building the confidence to take more responsibility for themselves. By Middle School, PELs step back, and students begin managing their own gear, time, and group responsibilities.
“The goal is to give age-appropriate support at each stage,” Ms. Fuller said. “By Upper School, the teachers facilitate ECS courses, but the students lead their own learning experiences.”
Middle and Upper School: Choice, Challenge, and Growth
In Middle School, students engage in a three-part seminar series designed to broaden their interests and deepen their skills. The year begins with a shared adventure, such as mountain climbing and camping, that sets the tone for community and collaboration. Subsequent seminars allow students to explore individual interests in areas like Outdoor Education, Arts, Social and Current Issues, STEM, and Life Skills. From topics such as Things That Fly to Animal Communications, students apply academic concepts in practical, real-world settings.
The program culminates with the 8th-grade Walkabout, a 10-day expedition through Utah’s canyon and river country that emphasizes leadership, teamwork, and personal growth.
“Walkabout gave me and my classmates time to be together, surviving through everything: fun experiences, scary experiences,” said freshman Louis C. ‘29. “I learned to never take anything for granted, because I realized that some of the things I had at home, there was nothing like that out in the desert.”
In Upper School, students begin the year with Mountain Caravan, a two-day mountain adventure focused on community-building. In March, they participate in Experience-Centered Seminars, immersing themselves in areas of personal passion. Past seminars have included studying homelessness and community service in Colorado, exploring space and engineering in Houston, creating glass art in the Pacific Northwest, and examining migration’s impact on families in Senegal, Africa, allowing students to integrate classroom learning with hands-on, real-world experiences.
“It’s about expanding their comfort zones,” Ms. Fuller said. “By Upper School, students are ready to push beyond what they thought possible, whether that’s leading a group project or pursuing a field of study they’re passionate about.”
CSS alumni often cite their ECSs as some of the most memorable highlights of their time at the school.
“Each and every one of my ECS experiences will stay with me forever. Perhaps the most influential, though, was my trip to Puerto Rico in 2022," said alumna Leksi Edwards ‘23 (pictured here on that ECS). “I'm confident that this trip forever changed my outlook on service and the world around me. It taught me the value of donating my time to give to others, and I'll never forget that feeling.”
Growth in Action
The growth that happens through ExEd is often most visible in small, powerful moments. During Middle School Seminar I this year, to hike the fourteener Mount Sherman, one group of students doubted they could even make it to the trailhead. Hours later, they had climbed into the alpine, pushing step by step until they could see the summit before turning back due to weather and time.
“At the end, I asked if it was the hardest thing they’d ever done,” Ms. Fuller said. “Most raised their hands. They learned that small steps toward a big goal add up to huge success, and that lesson will stick with them far beyond this one hike.”
Teachers, too, describe the program as transformative—not just for students, but for themselves.
“I love ExEd trips because it gives me joy to share outdoor settings and my passions with students. I have also grown personally through the years because of these outdoor expeditions,” said Amos White, Middle School History Teacher and Walkabout coordinator (pictured below), who has been leading ExEd experiences at CSS for nearly three decades. “Longer ExEd trips can be challenging for teachers, as they require immense amounts of physical and emotional energy, but they are definitely some of my most rewarding interactions and teaching moments.”
Preparing Students for Life
By design, each ExEd experience prepares students for the next. Over time, they develop grit, teamwork, independence, and a deep sense of connection to their peers, their community, and the wider world.
From their very first seminar in PreK to their final ECS as seniors, CSS students experience a progression of learning that is uniquely theirs, one that transforms not only how they learn, but who they become.
“ExEd gives students opportunities to be challenged and to grow,” Ms. Fuller said. “They gain confidence, build stronger relationships, and leave CSS ready to face life’s challenges with resilience and purpose.”
Save the Dates for Upcoming Summit to Success Events in the Trianon
September 24, 5:00-6:00 p.m.: Elevating Excellence in our Divisions
October 8, 8:00-9:00 a.m.: Elevating Student Wellness at CSS
October 15, 5:00-6:30 p.m.: Elevating Academic Excellence in Upper School
November 6, 8:00-9:00 a.m.: Elevating STEM & Innovation at CSS
