Global Presencing: Earth Immersion & Travel
Learning about ourselves, others & our living planet through Immersive travel experiences
In a world where young people have nearly unlimited access to our planet through imagery, information, and internet platforms, how might we provide deeper connections to lived experience? How might we support adolescent learners to engage their world in deeper, authentic ways that move beyond image and information? In a culture where that has let go of traditional rites of passage, how might we create meaningful explorations of identity through exposure to the wider world?
Our Grades 6-12 SOLA students are offered a unique opportunity to experience themselves as earthen beings held in presence by a living planet through our Global Presencing Immersion programs. Global Presencing is offered as a double-trimester elective, and participating students must enroll in both trimesters. During the first trimester, students will work with a mentor-selected venue, or self-select a venue and begin planning their trip, creating a budget, developing fundraising platforms or a student run business, and depending on the venue, identifying service projects in their intended destination. While doing so, a circle of care will is created through mentor led, individual and group contemplative activities, during which some essential human questions will be explored-
Who am I, really? How am I ‘seen’ by the wider world? What is consciousness, What is reality? How do others experience life, express their alive-ness? What does it feel like to belong, and what do I belong to?
During the second trimester, participants will dive deeply into the culture, language, food, history, spiritual traditions, and ecology of the intended destination. As they prepare, students will practice important life skills and ‘presencing’ activities that will be needed during their adventures. Participants will cook, clean, work as a team, navigate using maps, make collaborative decisions, and learn to be present to ourselves, our peers, and our place- wherever that may be. Through this process, students will learn more about themselves as creators of their own class/community culture, and dive deeply into cultural identity as an element of their own humanness.
These expeditions are led by experienced mentors, teachers and expeditionary educators. We are currently establishing additional venues in Ireland, Costa Rica, and Bali which will include even more art, food, culture and adventure experiences.
Grades 6-8 venues are chosen by teachers/guides; grades 9-10 venues are chosen by students from a teacher-curated list of options; and grades 11-12 students identify a self-selected, group elected venue of choice.
Our 2020 Global Presencing Venue for grades 9-12 will be the Luberon Mountains of Provence, in France.
If you are interested in joining us, please click on the link below and complete the application. Our circle of travelers will be limited to 12 students and 3 chaperones. We will review your completed application and, if accepted, contact you with further information. The application deadline for Global Presencing 2020 is February 1st, 2020. Click here for a sample budget.
Global Presencing Venues
Luberon Range, Southern France:
Southern France is a place where diverse world cultures have intersected for thousands of years! Our Luberon adventure is based in the village of Rousillon, and we explore the medieval villages of Lacoste, Gordes, Bonnieux, and the bustling historic cities of Arles and Avignon. We explore Lavender fields, sampled olive oil and honey from a local organic farm, visit prehistoric caves, learned to harvest clay and make pottery, paint and pigment, sample delicious regional and French cuisine, experience immersive history, ride horses and fat bikes through fields and ochre canyons, and swim in the pristine blue waters of the Gorges du Verdon.
Ireland:
In Ireland we divide our time between the Connemara Mountains, the Burren Peninsula, the humanly uninhabited Saltee Islands nature preserve, Dublin and Galway Cities. We make baskets with world famous basket-maker Joe Hogan, challenge our physical bodies at Killary Adventure Company, rove and walk the Burren Peninsula with poet-farmer Patrick Macormack, explore music, art and culture in the ancient city of Dublin and bustling city of Galway, and roam the ancient ruins of cathedrals, villages, and castles.
