Outdoor Education

Going to school at Watershed is an adventure. Our students go to new places, connect with peers, and feel a sense of wonder as they explore the world.

orientation and wilderness

High school students begin the year with a nine-day backcountry trip, known as Wilderness, with their advisors and members of their homeroom. They learn valuable outdoor skills and take daily turns leading the group. They also experience a 24-hour solo that helps develops character and capacity for reflection. 

Middle school students begin with a four-day camping trip, known as Orientation, that offers an opportunity to connect with advisors and the middle school as a whole. 

Students return feeling more confident, closer to their classmates and teachers, and with a common understanding of what it means to be a person of character. Orientation and Wilderness offer an opportunity to learn about grit, empathy, optimism, and collaboration.

outdoor opportunities Throughout the year

A Watershed education gets students out into the real-world for learning as often as possible. As part of their studies, our 9th and 10th grades have travelled to Moab to study conflicting forces in the history of the American West and our middle schoolers have camped and rafted along the Colorado River to study water issues facing the Rocky Mountain West.

You don't have to be an outdoorsy kid to come to Watershed—but all Watershed students experience the sense of adventure and wonder that comes from experiencing the outdoors.

safety & risk management

At Watershed School we encourage our students to lean into risk and take chances. With that said, we are fully committed to safety and ensuring that risk is managed appropriately. It is a top priority for us as a school and faculty. We are proud of our excellent safety record and continuously review and refine our safety policies to maintain that record. While it is important to recognize that there are real risks associated with participating in outdoor activities and field work, each student is expected to play a role in their own safety by adhering to the rules, policies, and procedures we’ve established.

Our risk management efforts include safety reviews of our programs, stringent hiring requirements and annual instructor evaluations, the development of comprehensive program plans and emergency response plans, and the requirement that Watershed staff be certified in Wilderness Medicine. Even with these measures, risk of injury cannot be 100% eliminated. To mitigate any potential issues, we place a strong focus on risk management both on-campus and off.