The Division of Undergraduate Studies, Wellness and Campus Life initiated a new program entitled Summer Excursions.
Three trips will be offered this summer for students who completed their first year.
“It grew out of a desire to help students explore the world around us,” said Glenn Fee, director of the Community Action Program. “We’re offering this to students completing their first year in school as an effort to encourage discovery and build class unity as they begin to take the next step as the future leaders of the DU undergraduate population.”
June 7-14 students will have the opportunity to visit the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation in South Dakota. Students will be involved in volunteer work with Habitat for Humanity and the Native People’s Initiative in South Dakota. Additionally, students will be absorbed into the heritage of the Sioux and learn more about life on a reservation.
The trip costs $350 and includes travel from Denver to South Dakota, food and lodging, and admission to cultural sites and parks. Students must pay for travel home at the conclusion of the trip.
In July students can embark on a week-long excursion to the nation’s capital. “Experience DC” will take place from July 6-11. Students have the opportunity to observe Colorado legislators in session, visit the U.S. Supreme Court and tour the White House.
Other landmarks including Smithsonian Institution Museums, the Holocaust Memorial Museum, the U.S. Capitol Building and the National Mall will also be visited. Students will also spend time volunteering with children in the area.
The trip costs $480 and includes lodging at George Washington University, light breakfasts and all transportation in the area.
Also included in the price is dinner and the Tony Award-winning show “Aida” at the John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts. Students must provide for their own transportation to and from Washington. Admission to all memorials, museums and landmarks is free of charge.
The final excursion will take place in Denver’s backyard.
“Discover Colorado’s High Country” will give students the opportunity to explore the Colorado mountains from Aug. 29-Sept. 4.
Students will hike along the Continental Divide Trail in southern Colorado and help the Continental Divide Trail Alliance work on a section of the trail.
The trail will eventually stretch from Canada to Mexico along the divide.
Participants will also have the chance to raft down the Gunnison River and explore the petroglyphs in Escalante and Dominguez Canyons.
The cost of the trip is $390 and includes transportation from Denver, food and the rafting trip. Participants must find transportation back to Denver.
“If these trips help students discover a new interest or supplement an area of study, then we’ve exceeded our expectations,” Fee said.
Students may apply for any of these trips beginning Monday. Applications are available in the Student Involvement Center and the Center for Academic Resources and are due April 15. Contact Shelia Gannon at 303.871.3465.
