As Semester 2 winds down, there’s one thing on everyone’s mind: Watershed May Term. These iconic, immersive, travel-based courses invite students to explore big questions through firsthand experience - whether paddling remote rivers, walking historic routes, or engaging with communities across the globe.
Blending travel with academic inquiry and reflection, May Term challenges students to step outside their comfort zones while building resilience, empathy, and real-world problem-solving skills.
For May Term 2026, students will once again embark on extraordinary journeys that connect history, culture, science, and leadership, turning the world itself into their classroom. This year’s lineup blends exciting new offerings with beloved traditions, each designed to provide powerful, eye-opening learning experiences.
Upper School
Upper school May Term courses invite students to dig deeply into complex topics while engaging directly with the people and places connected to them.
Students interested in American history and exploration will have the chance to retrace the legendary journey of Lewis and Clark, paddling 100 miles of the Missouri River in Montana while examining the expedition’s historical context and its lasting impact on Indigenous communities and American identity.
Another powerful humanities experience, the Civil Rights Road Trip, turns to the American South. Traveling through key locations from Selma to Memphis and beyond, students will encounter the stories of individuals and communities who shaped the Civil Rights Movement while reflecting on how movements for justice take root and continue today.
Environmental inquiry takes center stage in Water in the West, where students will canoe through Utah’s dramatic canyon country along the Green River. Along the way, they will investigate the science, politics, and culture surrounding one of the West’s most pressing questions: how we build a sustainable and equitable relationship with water in an increasingly arid region.
Several courses expand learning onto the global stage:
In a new course, Routes to Revival: Commerce, Culture, and Community in Rural Japan, students will hike the historic Nakasendō Trail through the Kiso Valley while exploring how Japan’s historic trade routes shaped its cultural and economic life. The journey then turns toward the future, as students collaborate with a nonprofit working to revitalize rural communities through creative reuse of abandoned homes and community spaces.
In another inaugural course, Seeds of Sustainability: Entrepreneurship and Ecology in Costa Rica, students will live and learn on a women-run coffee farm while exploring the connections between gender, ecology, and sustainable business. Through hands-on work, local partnerships, and jungle field studies, students will examine how small-scale agriculture and female leadership are helping communities thrive while protecting the land.
For juniors and seniors studying modern China, China: Bridging Worldviews offers an opportunity for deep cultural immersion. Students will participate in homestays, attend school alongside Chinese peers, and explore cities rich with historical and cultural significance. The course challenges students to look beyond headlines and stereotypes as they build a nuanced understanding of life in contemporary China.
Students with a strong independent drive may also choose to design their own May Term Independent Study or Internship, working with mentors to pursue a personal passion or gain real-world experience in a professional setting.
Middle School
May Term experiences for middle school students focus on exploration, connection to the natural world, and personal growth.
Sixth and seventh graders will dive into wildlife ecology in Wild Things, a course that examines the complex relationships between humans and predators in the American West. Traveling to Wyoming’s Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, students will study wolves, cougars, and other wildlife at the Teton Science School while exploring how conservation and human communities can coexist.
For eighth graders, Passages remains one of Watershed’s most meaningful traditions. This leadership-focused experience marks the transition from middle school to upper school through backpacking in the desert, rock climbing, reflection, and a period of solo time in nature. The journey culminates in the Passages Ceremony, where families celebrate students’ growth and readiness for the next chapter of their Watershed experience.
Learning That Lasts
What makes May Term special is not only where students travel, but how they learn. Whether paddling through remote canyons, walking historic trade routes, engaging with community leaders, or reflecting quietly in the wilderness, students encounter challenges and perspectives that stay with them long after the journey ends.
May Term is designed to expand students’ sense of possibility, helping them see themselves not just as learners, but as thoughtful participants in a complex and interconnected world.
And for many Watershed students, it becomes one of the most memorable and transformative experiences of their time at the school. We are so excited to start gearing up for these incredible journeys - and can’t wait to hear about them along the way!
