My Global Link trip to Colombia was life-changing. It inspired me to make a conscious effort to travel in college through study abroad programs, fellowships, internships, teaching positions, and research with professors." –UPrep alum
Our Global and Outdoor Education office manages place-based, community-oriented, experiential learning opportunities. From Global Link and Semester Away to Snow School, every program is designed to enrich the UPrep experience. Students step out of their comfort zone to have transformative experiences, foster meaningful relationships, and engage with new communities and environments with respect, responsibility, and integrity.
A Closer Look at Global Link: Taiwan
Meet the Team
Brian Gonzales Director of Innovation and Experiential Education
Kate Williams Global and Outdoor Education Program Manager
Global Link is our signature global education program that connects students and their families with partner and host communities across the United States and around the world.
Through short-term domestic and international travel programs and hosting experiences in Seattle, Global Link places students in cross-cultural contexts beyond their comfort zones. Global Link provides them with opportunities:
To learn about themselves in order to build meaningful relationships with others
To seek out new environments and perspectives to deepen their understanding of complex issues and histories
To embrace the unfamiliar in order to adapt, adjust, and demonstrate resilience
To process, reflect, listen, and collaborate within a team environment
To engage in shared responsibilities and collective solutions
All Global Link programs feature required pre-departure training activities, local field-based learning experiences, a domestic or international travel program centered on relational global learning via host or partner communities, and post-program debrief, reflections, and Bring-It-Back presentations and projects.
Domestic
Global Link provides select 7th and 8th grade students an opportunity to collaborate with their teammates in order to respectfully engage community partners in Seattle; Albuquerque, NM; and Montgomery, AL. Through local field trips and a week-long expedition to New Mexico or Alabama, these January intensive courses explore historical and contemporary social justice issues, such as the Civil Rights Movement, criminal justice reform, education, youth-led grassroots organizations, and environmental justice.
International
For Upper School students (10th–12th grade), Global Link is a co-curricular cultural immersion experience that connects students with host communities in Colombia, Lithuania, France, Botswana, Nepal, Taiwan, Japan, and Samoa. Select groups of students, led by UPrep trip leaders, travel to one of our international partners for a 10- to 12-day program focused on cross-cultural exchange and ambassadorial leadership. Travel typically takes place during spring break, and most groups live with host families for the duration of their program.
Students in all grades are invited to participate in Global Link exchange visits. During the fall and spring semesters, select students from our international partner schools travel to Seattle for a 10- to 12-day cultural exchange experience. Hosted by UPrep families and supported by Global Link student ambassadors, Global Link exchange visits are a powerful way to connect our community to our international partners, foster meaningful cross-cultural relationships, and reciprocate the hospitality UPrep receives during our travel programs.
Outdoor Education at UPrep challenges students to engage with the Pacific Northwest as courageous learners, curious adventurers, supportive teammates, and socially responsible citizens of the land we have the privilege to call home.
From 6th, 8th, 9th, and 12th grade-level retreats to courses such as Lifetime Activities and Environmental Ethics, every student at UPrep will spend time with their classmates learning and building community in the outdoors. For those seeking to grow as leaders in the outdoors, UPrep offers Middle and Upper School students a variety of outdoor leadership experiences.
Outdoor Leadership: Backpacking and Wilderness First Aid Certification (11th–12th grades)
Outdoor Education Programs for 6th–8th Grades
Overnight Wilderness Expeditions and Camping Trips (winter and spring break)
Camp UPrep (summer)
Outdoor Education Programs for 10th–12th Grades
Wilderness First Aid/Responder Trainings
Backcountry Backpacking Trips
Camp UPrep Program Assistant opportunities (summer)
ECHO: Affinity-based Outdoor Adventures for 6th–12th Grades
UPrep's ECHO program is a collaboration between the Office of Outdoor and Global Education and the Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging. ECHO brings together students and staff from communities traditionally underrepresented in the outdoors to connect with each other and the natural world.
Through a combination of outdoor activities, guest speakers, and community partners, ECHO explores, engages, and enhances a sense of community at UPrep and beyond. ECHO programs place small teams of students from our Affinity Groups within experiential opportunities:
to take on challenges in new environments
to work collaboratively and collectively to set goals and define success
to take initiative, make decisions, and be accountable for their impact
to build community with others
echo Experiences include
Weekend wilderness trips
Day hikes and retreats
Backcountry backpacking trips
High ropes courses
Outdoor climbing trips
Overnight ski/snowshoe retreats
ECHO programs feature pre-departure training, student-centered learnings and reflections, and robust safety and risk-management protocols. Gear and materials are provided when necessary and all programs are designed to be inclusive, accessible, and equitable. After adventures are complete, students share their experiences with UPrep and the Seattle-area community through projects and presentations.
Semester Away is a program for students interested in pursuing educational opportunities beyond UPrep. Upper School sophomores and juniors can receive credit toward graduation through semester or yearlong accredited study abroad or internationally-focused programs. A Semester Away is an intensive experience that requires students to dig deep, think differently, collaborate with others, and apply their knowledge to the real world.
Recently, UPrep students have studied away and had transformational experiences at the following schools:
High Mountain Institute (Colorado)
Oxbow School (California)
School for Ethics & Global Leadership (Washington, D.C. & South Africa)
Alzar School (Idaho & Chile)
The Island School (Bahamas)
The Mountain School (Vermont)
Maine Coast Semester at Chewonki (Maine)
The Traveling School (Various)
The Outdoor Academy (North Carolina)
Approved students are eligible for remission from UPrep tuition expenses. Applications and admissions processes vary from school to school.
UPrep is committed to ensuring that our Global and Outdoor Education programs are accessible to as many students as possible. Financial aid and support is available to all students and families who qualify.
Global Link domestic and international fees as well as fees for Outdoor Leadership programs are inclusive and cover all of the student's travel and program expenses.
For our visiting international students, UPrep covers the costs of any school-related program they would like to try (sports, Ski Bus, Mock Trial, dances, etc.) and UPrep host families are eligible for hosting reimbursements that cover things such as additional food costs, cultural excursions with their families, and more.
Students interested in spending a Semester Away are eligible to apply for UPrep tuition remission. The Global and Outdoor Education Office works in close collaboration with the director of enrollment and the director of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging to regularly examine issues of inclusion and accessibility in all of our Global and Outdoor Education offerings.
