Treks

Treks are a learning opportunity in which students can earn academic credit through an off-site (outside of school) project. They can be during school hours or not. Each phase requires a completion of at least 3 treks.

It is NOT just a field trip.

Treks are more intense than most field trips. They require clear and meaningful pre-trek work, and post-trek follow up work for the project. They can be designed by students independently, for small groups, or as part of studios. They can be initiated and designed by teachers as well.

IMPORTANT!

Treks need to be closed out (evaluated, with credit either awarded or not) by the end of Doc Week in each Trimester. This is because incomplete treks count as unexcused absences, whereas treks that earned credit are considered an Off Site Learning Opportunity (OSLO) and the days are counted as "present" for attendance purposes. See OSLO Policy below.

Trek Approval process for Student/Family Designed: (for learners)

Step 1: Talk with your advisor

• Before you propose a trek- take stock. Do you have any unfinished treks already in the works?

• Work with your advisor to make sure all your prior treks are completed for credit!

All trek days are marked as unexcused absences until the planned work is complete. ..

Some Guidelines To Keep In Mind

• For a HALF DAY trek, plan it at least 3 days in advance,

• For a FULL DAY trek, plan it at least one week in advance,

• For a FULL WEEK trek, plan it at least one month in advance

• For a MONTH LONG (or longer) trek, plan it the quarter before.

Step 2: Get permission for your trek.

Your entire learning team and MC² leadership all need to approve your form. You will need to get everyone to sign it, in the correct order (top to bottom.)

• You must fill out the information at the top- no staff member is going to sign a blank form!

• Your studio teachers and advisor need to give an update as to what you’re working on in the three blocks.

• Your parents/guardians need to check those studio updates and see if you can afford to take the trek. If you are behind in all your work it may not be a great idea to take a trek.

• Once your learning team has signed off, then all treks get approved by the School Leader and the Admin Assistant.

Step 3: Design the trek

You will need to plan out the trek with your advisor using the digital Project Foundry Trek proposal. This is where you will identify all the Phase checklist items, Essential Knowledge credit, habits and identify the pre-trek and post-trek work you will be completing. It is important to note that if the planned work does not get completed, then you will not earn trek credit.

Step 4: Upload Permission Form: The paper permission form then gets uploaded to the Project Foundry Digital Trek proposal.

Step 5: Submit digital Trek Form to staff: This digital proposal must be submitted to advisor for feedback/approval. Your trek (offsite learning opportunity) is not considered a trek (offsite learning opportunity) until your project in Project Foundry reads “ACTIVE”.

Step 6: Complete the Pre/Post work All trek days are marked as unexcused absences until the planned work is complete - Because of this, Treks must be completed and evaluated before the end of the trimester they take place in.

From the MC2 Attendance Policy:

Off Site Learning Opportunities (OSLO) are not considered absences and are defined as student involvement in school sponsored activities and time spent to complete a checklist item that may not be completed in school, such as a college visit, personal trek, or internship work.

• Any OSLO must have a pre-approved plan, designed ahead of time with an advising teacher.

• Students complete all of the predefined work.

• Once credit is awarded through an assessment, the advising teacher instructs Sarah to mark the days (previously recorded as unexcused absences) as an OLSO, to count as days in school.

Treks count as a type of “off site learning opportunity.”

Other trek resources