“As I reflect on May Term at Watershed, I’m in awe. A whole semester's worth of curiosity and challenge is distilled into one extraordinary month. Immersed in a single course and place, students wrestle with real‑world complexity, adapt when plans change, and discover resilience they didn’t know they had. Behind the scenes, our educators bring exceptional expertise and commitment—planning routes, educational experiences, and adapting as itineraries shift. This same commitment extends to our partners around the world: guides, scientists, artists, and host families who have welcomed generations of Watershed students. Watershed travelers are more collaborators then they are tourists, returning again and again to communities that now greet us by name. In four short weeks, May Term brings together the best of who we are—deep inquiry into the world’s greatest challenges, enduring relationships, and a global network built on genuine, long‑term connection.” — Ethan Burns, Director of Experiential Programs
It’s May Term at Watershed! Take a look at the courses Watershed offered this year and be sure to make it to the end of the post for some trip photos.
Upper School May Term Courses 2025
Finding Place: A Study of Kino Bay
An address, map, or geographic coordinate can determine our location, but the surrounding ecologies, geographies, and shared histories define a place. This course explores what living in and belonging to a landscape means, seeking possible answers to the essential question, what is place? This course travels to Kino Bay, Mexico, to dive deep into a small community and learn about its history, culture, geology, and ecology. In Mexico, we partner with Prescott College’s Kino Bay Center, staying at their facility and learning from their faculty and local experts. We camp for two nights on Isla Tiburon where we talk with Comaac elders and snorkel to learn about the local marine ecosystem. Additionally, we meet with members of the local community and learn about the history of Kino Bay. We participate in sea turtles and bird monitoring efforts, explore the intertidal zone, and hike through the desert ecosystem. Throughout it all, we explore what it means to travel, how to get along in a small community, and how seeing a new place teaches us about ourselves and our own place. (.5 Science / .5 Leadership Credits)
From Roots to Revolution: Ancient Civilizations and Modern Development in Peru
How does the legacy of colonization continue to influence economic, cultural, and environmental realities for indigenous, rural, and urban communities in Peru; and lead to more sustainable and equitable global relationships? Peru provides a unique lens into the relationship between ancient cultures and modern advances, contrasting the historical legacy of the Inca and the rise of 19th and 21st-century economic development. Through our field experiences in-country working with Adventure Heart Peru, this course examines the effects of development on cultures, ecosystems, and peoples by exploring Peru's Inca ruins, mountain towns, and bustling cities. Students practice their curiosity, courage, and emotional intelligence skills, as this course features homestays with Peruvian families, and likely features agricultural service learning opportunities dictated by the communities we are working with, and extensive travel throughout the Andes by plane, bus, and foot. (1 Social Science Credit)
Land of Ice and Fire: Field Science in Iceland
In this science-focused course, we ask how flora, fauna, and people have adapted and shown resilience to survive in Iceland's dynamic landscape of volcanoes, glaciers, and sub-arctic conditions. Through a multidisciplinary lens, students study various fields, including geology, volcanology, glaciology, biology, and anthropology, to gain a comprehensive understanding of Iceland. In our travels, students encounter and study Iceland’s natural wonders: geysers, geothermal vents, glacial lagoons, dormant volcanic craters, bird cliffs, and black sand beaches. We’ll engage with local experts—biologists, historians, and scientists—to deepen our understanding of these unique ecosystems and cultural histories. A highlight of the course is our partnership with the Skálanes Research Center on the fjords of the northeastern coast, which is accessible by a three-mile hike along the coast. Here, students conduct research-based fieldwork, either building on the research data collected by Watershed students and alumni since 2022 or developing their own projects. Horseback riding may be a component of this trip. This course offers a unique blend of scientific exploration and cultural interaction, challenging students to think critically as scientific thinkers while honing the skills necessary to be informed, globally-minded citizens ( 1 Science Credit)
Lewis and Clark
Looking for an all-water route through the (current) Western U.S. in 1800 was the modern equivalent of traveling to Mars, but an expedition led by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark was successful in making it across and back. This May Term course looks at the political and societal conditions that led to the historic journey and the idea of manifest destiny that developed from it, asking: How did the Lewis and Clark expedition shape America's identity, and what lessons can we learn from its impact on various communities? One content thread focuses on Thomas Jefferson's role in the process. We also explore the modern repercussions of the journey from various perspectives including those of indigenous peoples. To gain a perspective on the process and ordeals of the original expedition, we travel by canoe down (and a bit up) 100 miles of the designated wild and scenic Missouri River in Montana, a stretch largely the same as it was 200 years ago. We compare our geographic, scientific, and personal observations to those recorded in the original expedition. Additional topics covered in the course include an exploration of leadership, ownership, geography, cartography, imperialism, perspective, and the process of inquiry. (1 Social Science Credit)
The Politics of Asylum Seekers and Spanish Language Immersion in Guatemala
Why are people from Latin America seeking asylum, and what should and can the U.S. do to address the situation? This intensive travel course explores the modern history of Guatemala, focusing on the recent Guatemalan Civil War and its ongoing impact on the country’s social, political, economic, and cultural landscape. Students also examine U.S. foreign policy in Latin America, both historically and in contemporary times, while delving into themes of human migration and the factors driving so many people to seek asylum in the United States. The course includes 50 hours of intensive, two-on-one, in-country language instruction and may feature homestays with Guatemalan families to deepen cultural immersion. (.5 Social Science / .5 Spanish Credits)
Water in the West
In this regional course we explore the history and fate of water in the American West by examining how this arid region manages one of its most precious resources. The essential question that we dive into is, How can we create a sustainable and equitable relationship with water? The course includes a 100-mile, multi-day, backcountry river trip down the Green River in Utah, where we travel in canoes and study the waterways that constitute some of the West’s iconic river corridors. This is a remote course where evacuation is challenging and reserved for medical emergencies. Academically, this course supports student skills associated with reading, writing, art, and leadership. Additionally, we visit local dams, meet with experts, and learn different perspectives when it comes to where we go from here in terms of managing and preserving water in the American West. (.5 English / .5 Leadership Credits)
Middle School May Term Courses 2025
6-7 Preservation: History
Have you ever wondered: how do we choose what's worth preserving and how do we go about preserving it? The Preservation: History May Term course examines how the U.S. and Colorado manage our historically significant artifacts and sites. In this course, students have a chance to hear from historians, archaeologists, land owners, and other stakeholders who have a vested interest in how we manage shared history. Students visit a variety of historic sites and museums along the Front Range to experience firsthand why sites and artifacts are being preserved and the various methods of preservation. The course includes a six-night travel component to Crow Canyon Archaeological Center in Cortez, Colorado. The trip provides us with an excellent opportunity to visit the history we will be studying and give us the chance to meet the people tasked with managing the spaces and the people who call the area home.
8th Grade Passages
A tradition that goes back to the founding of Watershed School, each year, 8th graders take part in a self-reflective journey and symbolic passage from middle school to upper school and from childhood to adolescence. This year's course uses rock climbing, car camping, and a course-end endurance event as a means to explore the inner workings of the mind. Specifically, this course asks, how do we navigate and grow from challenges, failures, and fears to develop resilience and self-awareness? We also explore ideas of gratefulness, privilege, leadership, and physical and mental wellness. The course includes a six-day, front country rock climbing road trip and a four-day, front country camping trip to provide a myriad of opportunities for reflection and learning. Other course components include an overnight solo, hiking, and body and mind mindfulness training. The course culminates in a Passages ceremony with parents in attendance.
Integral to Watershed’s academic program since its early years, May Term fuses month-long, in-depth study of a complex topic with multi-day travel across the country and the world, helping a new generation of global citizens become ready to take on the world's greatest challenges.
Would you like to support May Term and Course Travel—beloved components of the Watershed experience—for today’s students and beyond? Please make a gift today!
