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Desert School

May 19th, 2012 at 08:00am - May 28th, 2012 at 04:30am

Meeting April 27th at 7:30 in the auditorium. Come get more info and forms!

Hey Freshmen! How does a five-day vacation under the blazing hot sun sound? Well, mix that together with kayaking, hiking, rock climbing, and mountain biking and you have Desert School. Located in the picturesque Sun Lakes State Park in Eastern Washington, Desert School is school away from school.  But instead of tiny classrooms and lectures, you learn by exploring and experiencing your environment.

Not only do you get to hang out and learn with 70 other members of the freshman class, but each of the two sessions have 30 of Post's awesome staff members. In addition to participants and Staff, Desert School also provides teachers to help out students with work they are missing at Garfield. 

Desert School is a great way to meet new people and also hang out with your buddies while trying new things. All participants sleep in (non-coed) cabins and are broken into 6 coed groups, all headed by experienced staff members. Groups participate in two activities each day. It could be a study session or a couple hours kayaking on beautiful Deep Lake. It could be a Biology hike where you learn the intricate ecology and biology of the seemingly arid Sage Brush Steppe, or a Geology hike emphasizing the natural history and formation of the area. One of the favorite activities is rock climbing, trained professionals teach you everything you need to know to climb anything from a beginner run to something more advanced (say 100 feet up?). Oh wait, you can't forget mountain biking! There are a number of trails, both easy ones and hard ones, on which to try biking. Some bike trips even go to a lake where participants can swim. 

But some of the most fun isn't structured or planned. Whether it's a water fight or a game of ultimate Frisbee, free time is great. This year, there was a three-on-three basketball tournament with prizes galore. Or how about a watermelon eating contest? Anything is possible when surrounded by your friends and a ton of cool staff members and teachers. If you're looking for a golden tan, the desert sun could be your best friend. You could sunbathe as you work on your PROJECT! 

Yes, a project. To make up for the work missed in biology, every participant must complete a natural history assignment on the trip. It is exceptionally interesting and totally worth the time. 

So come! Every year we fill up the trip, and even more want to sign up. You only get one chance; every year there are tons of people who wish they had signed up. Don't miss out!

Contact Whitney Wood at (206) 369-1985 with any questions.