Field trips are a time to hang out with friends, explore new places, and learn new things, but there has to be more than just those surface-level details. What drives people to want to go out and hang out with friends? It cannot just be to “skip school” or have an excuse to hang out. This year, Yorba Linda’s publication team continued their tradition and went on an adventure of a lifetime in the Big Apple.
They commenced their trip on Halloween Day. From a lost phone to a lost bus, it was undoubtedly an experience from the start. They made it and spent Halloween night as farmers and farm animals, squishing through crowds of people in the village and on the metro. Then, they trod the streets along with millions of others. The concrete jungle of New York felt like home for those 5 days, filled with friendship and experiences of a lifetime. From the centuries of art at the MET to “Back to the Future” on Broadway to Columbia University, it was an eye-opening experience around every corner.
Learning went beyond just observing culture or experiencing a new place. There was this sense of independence and connection from everyone. It was a time when many students could be away from home, taking on the world (sharing bathrooms) for the first time; while having friends to share that journey with. For some, it was the first time they had taken the metro or packed a suitcase alone. What can’t be learned from the classroom all revolves around us.
Along with those life lessons, there was classroom learning, too. Students from Newspaper and Yearbook classes attended the Columbia Scholastic Press Association’s workshops to hone in on their crafts, meet real journalists and professional writers, and talk amongst some of the brightest aspiring journalists. These experiences improved writing skills and led to people willing to open up an uncomfortable room or topic. Attending workshops encouraged students to dig deeper and find the real story, not just the fluff that the public eye can see. From filing FOIA requests to the student press law center, they learned that student journalism can go beyond Hollywood gossip and glam. Field trips are eye-opening experiences that improve student learning. Madison Miller (11) states, “Field trips are great because they take the classroom knowledge and put it in a real-world context.” These are the experiences that will continue to circulate throughout someone’s life. The lessons learned on field trips like this stay long after returning to the classroom, helping shape who we are and who we will become. They remind us that learning happens everywhere–in classrooms, city streets, and within ourselves.
