Trekkers 10th Grade Students Return from Cross America Expedition

Fourteen 10th graders and four adult leaders completed a 12-day Cross-America Trekkers expedition on July 12th. As part of Team Panther with Trekkers, a youth-mentoring organization that connects young people and caring adults through expeditionary learning, the group traveled throughout Colorado and Utah, to explore the region’s environmental and cultural uniqueness.

To qualify for this expedition, the students were first required to complete a four-week prerequisite Life Skills Course last spring. Led by Principal Program Manager Emily Carver,  the students learned about resume-writing, interview etiquette, appropriate interview attire, and how to present themselves professionally to others. Each student created a resume to share with their interviewers. They dressed professionally and traveled to an area business where they participated in a 20-minute mock interview as if they were applying for employment there. Professionals from Bangor Savings Bank, Boston Financial Data Services, Camden National Bank and The First hosted this year’s mock interviews at their workplaces in early April.

In addition to completing the Life Skills Course, the students also met collectively throughout the school year to plan their expedition around five educational components: community service, cultural awareness, environmental stewardship, wilderness exploration and adventure-based education. To incorporate these components, Team Panther visited the Colorado Wolf & Wildlife Center; went whitewater rafting down the Royal Gorge in Echo Canyon; explored ancient cliff dwellings at Mesa Verde; took part in a cultural exchange with Native Americans at the Cortez Cultural Center, participating in traditional Navajo dances; provided community service at a Habitat for Humanity project by pulling 1,200 lbs. of thistle; and did a sunrise hike at Independence Pass at the Continental Divide.

The Cross-America program is designed to give students the opportunity to explore firsthand the cultural and environmental uniqueness of a particular U.S. bio-region. To experience the area’s uniqueness, Team Panther students and their mentors hiked and explored Mesa Verde National Park, Great Sand Dunes National Park and Arches National Park.

Emily Carver, Principal Program Manager reflected on the expedition by saying, “The beauty of the landscape and the fact that students have been together cultivating their unique culture for four years makes this expedition something truly special. There’s no better place to ask big questions about life than some of our countries most beautiful and powerful landmarks.”

To see more pictures or read the trip log from the expedition, please visit www.trekkers.org and following the links to the 10^th Grade Cross America Trekkers page. You can also view more photos by visiting Trekkers’ Facebook page: www.facebook.com/trekkersonline. If you’d like to learn more about Trekkers, please call (207) 594-5095.