Student Travel

Policies for travel in 2021-2022

Travel for 2021-2022 will be limited to domestic and local sites, with no international programming, due to border restrictions surrounding COVID-19.

Due to the continued high levels of transmission of COVID-19 domestically and the increased risk of severe outcomes for unvaccinated individuals, LFA will require all students participating in travel through the Stuart Center be fully vaccinated by the date of departure.

Travel at LFA

Travel at LFA is how we live our ideal of a “midwestern heart and global mind.” We also practice our school values of scholarship, responsibility and character through mindful travel that goes beyond tourism to learning and seeks to connect with communities through intention and purpose.

There are two types of travel: experiences directly linked to the curriculum and tied to an academic class, called curricular travel, and co-curricular, travel that goes beyond the curriculum to experiential learning. The Stuart Center works to organize both kinds of travel experiences in conjunction with the Head of School Office, Academic Council, the Global Group and the Dean of Students Office.

We are excited to announce that for co-curricular travel, we are working with Peace Works Travel, a non-profit with a track record of working with independent schools in organizing travel experiences that focus on fun and learning. This year, our travel experiences will take students to Chicago, Arizona and Washington D.C.

Co-Curricular Travel Destinations 2021-2022

Chicago – “American Identity in the Winds of Change”

March 19 - 24
Price Range: $3,325 - $4,260*

Southwest – “Native Voices and Natural Wonders”

March 19 - 24
Price Range: $3,050 - $3,495*

Washington D.C. – “Truth, Justice and the American Way”

March 27 - April 2
Price Range: $3,360 - $3,795*

Registration Deadline: October 29, 2021

Full Trip Descriptions

Chicago – “American Identity in the Winds of Change”

6 days / 5 nights: March 19-24

Prices:
8 Students, 2 Chaperones: $4,260
20 Students, 3 Chaperones (Max): $3,325

north side of downtown Chicago with Lake Michigan in foreground

Program Summary

Since the 1893 World’s Fair, Chicago has been known as a global city, a thriving center of international trade and commerce, and a place where people of every nationality come to pursue the American dream. Chicago is a melting pot of arts and culture, a foodie haven, a wildly popular sporting events bucket list destination and the birthplace of blues and American Jazz. Chicago’s dynamic exterior conceals a rich interior landscape. As the city pulses with sensory delights, there is a deep undercurrent of art, activism and empowerment at play. An exploration of the literature, history and modern issues in one of America’s most iconic cities invite us to deep awareness of ourselves. What can Chicago teach us about our American identity? The juxtaposition of energies creates an opportunity to view the dynamics in play, learn about Chicago's rich history and contemplate what its future holds.

Educational Summary

Chicago provides a wealth of history, music, food, art, literature, sports, architecture, nasty politics, mafia, gangsters, gentrification, fires, devastation and innovation. Our program connects students with change-makers in the spaces intersecting the academic and practical life from people of all walks. Popular points of interest include Hyde and Millennium Parks, The University of Chicago, The House of Blues, Hull House, Chicago law enforcement initiatives, Urban arts projects of Theaster Gates, the Obama Foundation, Wrigley Field, The Art Institute of Chicago, and several other world-renowned institutions. Visit with the student Peace Warriors of North Lawndale College Preparatory School, I Grow Chicago whose mission is to ‘heal the hood,’ award-winning journalists of WEBZ 91.5 Chicago’s podcast ‘16 shots,’ University of Chicago students and faculty, local artists, athletes, musicians and more. Ultimately, we introduce students to explore Chicago with an examination of our own Americanness: migration and industry, race and identity, artistic excellence and the struggle which defines creative pursuit of our full potential in a democracy.

Southwest – “Native Voices and Natural Wonders”

6 days / 5 nights: March 19-24

Prices:
8 Students, 2 Chaperones: $3,495
20 Students, 3 Chaperones (Max): $3,050

scenic view of grand canyon with the sun low in the sky

Program Summary

There’s no place on earth that can inspire alignment with the elements quite like the Southwest. The sheer vastness of it can make you feel humble insignificance, like a single grain of sand on an infinite shoreline. It can also make you feel dizzying strength, in awe of our incredible natural world.

Educational Summary

On this exclusive experience, students understand the Grand Canyon and climate change through a human geographer's lens. As the Earth’s climate, life, and landscape are informing humans of their impact, this program invites students to draw upon ancient wisdom, and envision more sustainable possibilities. What is the “why and how” about this national treasure? In what ways have humans sought to coexist, master and manage this natural wonder? What lessons can the Southwest and Navajo Nation teach us to apply in our daily lives? Through a balance of active engagement, guided excursions, and quiet reflection, students discover answers to questions of responsible global citizenship and the importance of living in harmony with the elements.

Washington D.C. – “Truth, Justice, and the American Way”

6 days / 5 nights: March 27 - April 2

Prices:
8 Students, 2 Chaperones: $3,795
20 Students, 3 Chaperones (Max): $3,360

Program Summary

Explore the power of student citizen engagement in our democracy. Travelers explore themes of American identity, art, Constitutional law, media and the three branches of government. Students will visit significant museums, sites at our national capitol, meet with student representatives on the Hill, and understand the many ways in which popular civic activism defines the American promise of “liberty and justice for all.”

Educational Summary

First amendment: How free speech and journalism provide the first draft of history. What does it mean to have the right to speech, press and assembly? Students explore concepts and limitations on the freedom of speech, while analyzing the dangers of “fake news” in an era of mass media. Do the three branches of government work in the interest of the American people? How does this separation of power protect and/or complicate the law? Trace the African-American journey from “Property” to “President,” 1600 – 2008. In what ways do marginalized populations use the Five Freedoms of the First Amendment to exercise civil rights under the U.S. Constitution? Students understand civil procedure of how individuals have historically challenged unconstitutional laws to secure their guarantees of “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” Bill of Rights: Theory versus practice. In what ways are the rights guaranteed by the Constitution qualified? How do we balance the limitations / rights of the state with the limitations / rights of the individual? Beyond the Hashtags: The online struggle for offline justice. Meet with members of student activist organizations to understand the potential of popular causes to “go viral” or “go stale.” How are issues of human rights unethically framed in mass media to benefit the oppressors?

Learn More About Curricular Travel

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Student Travel

Policies for travel in 2021-2022

Travel at LFA

Co-Curricular Travel Destinations 2021-2022

Chicago – “American Identity in the Winds of Change”

Southwest – “Native Voices and Natural Wonders”

Washington D.C. – “Truth, Justice and the American Way”

Full Trip Descriptions

Chicago – “American Identity in the Winds of Change”

6 days / 5 nights: March 19-24

Program Summary

Educational Summary

Southwest – “Native Voices and Natural Wonders”

6 days / 5 nights: March 19-24

Program Summary

Educational Summary

Washington D.C. – “Truth, Justice, and the American Way”

6 days / 5 nights: March 27 - April 2

Program Summary

Educational Summary