May Term & Global StudY

May Term is a unique, month-long course that integrates in-depth study of a complex topic with overnight travel across the country and the world.

Middle School may term

Watershed 6th graders start with a shorter trip in the American West to explore history and science in the field. Visits to sites like Mesa Verde and Tetons Science School allow students to experience increased freedom while connecting academic content to in-depth inquiry in the field.

In 7th grade, students start to venture further afield, such as a course on creativity that eventually takes students to San Francisco where they visit Maker Faire and explore the arts and innovation sectors of Silicon Valley.

In 8th grade, students participate in a Passages course that stretches their leadership skills and focuses on preparation for a rigorous college preparatory experience. This course typically has a service component, such as to the Pine Ridge Reservation, to help students understand the reality of privilege and their place in a diverse world.

All travel costs are included in our base tuition and fees.

UPPER School may term & Global Studies

Every upper school student at Watershed has the opportunity to encounter global cultures, challenges, and opportunities in a rich May Term global study program. The goal of this program is to help develop a new generation of global citizens ready to take on the world's greatest challenges. Program sites include a variety of domestic and international locations that offer a global perspective on current issues. Past program sites have included the Grand Canyon, Guatemala, Hawaii, Iceland, Peru, Vietnam, Ecuador, Kenya, and Tanzania. Program sites are added and removed with some frequency as new global challenges and opportunities emerge.

Past May Terms

Upper school May Term courses vary from year to year. In 2024-2024, upper school students selected from the following May Term courses:

Guatemala

The Politics of Asylum Seekers and Spanish Language Immersion

Iceland

Arctic Culture and Science Research

peru

Ancient Civilization & Modern Development

missouri river

Lewis & Clark’s Journey

kino bay, mexico

Ecology, Geography, Marine Ecosystems, and History

We find that students are more motivated to master a foreign language when they have traveled abroad, and global travel is one way that we bring real-world learning to our language program. Upper school students should expect to travel to Latin America with intensive May Term courses that integrate with our Spanish language program as a graduation requirement.

All travel costs are included in our base tuition and fees.