Global and Outdoor Education

Global Link is our signature global education program that challenges selected students in grades 7–12 to experience life and community in spaces beyond their everyday comfort zone. 

Global Link is quite different from a traditional travel program. We focus on relationships rather than destinations and build up the students’ capacities to cultivate and sustain meaningful human connections and to adapt to learning environments different from their home at UPrep. Through extensive pre-departure training and a substantive in-field curriculum, students learn the personal and cross-cultural skills needed to immerse themselves in their host communities. Global Link also provides opportunities for students to bring their travels back home. Upon their return, students share their experiences with University Prep and the Seattle-area community through projects and presentations.

Domestic

Global Link American South provides 7th and 8th grade students an opportunity to explore social justice movements in their home community and in various cities around the country. Covering historical and contemporary social justice issues such as the Civil Rights movement, criminal justice reform, education, youth-led grassroots organizations, and environmental justice, this intensive connects students to the issues and histories of Seattle and the diverse communities of the American South. The signature experience of Global Link American South is an immersive educational travel program in Montgomery, Alabama.

Global Link Pacific Northwest is an intensive course open to 9th–12th graders that offers students a global experience without leaving the state of Washington. Exploring the region’s experiences in immigration and the emergence of global communities in and around Washington, this course connects students with the past, present, and future of our home region. Local field trips and face-to-face conversations culminate in a week-long expedition in various locations across the Pacific Northwest. 

International

Through a variety of intensive and semester courses, the international Global Link program offers Upper School students (10th–12th grade) academic learning and cultural immersion experiences, with several programs having direct exchange opportunities. The signature experience centers on groups of six to ten students, led by UPrep staff members, traveling to a host community for about two weeks. Most groups live with host families for the duration of their stay.

Examples of Global Link Courses:

Global Link: Culture & Identity in Colombia (Barranquilla)

Global Link: Jazz, Race, and American History (New Orleans)

Global Link: Engineering & Nepal (Nangi)

ECHO (Enriching Community Health in the Outdoors) adventure experiences at University Prep challenge 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.

At UPrep, ECHO experiences come in all shapes and sizes, ranging from day trips to high ropes courses and hikes on local trails to overnight wilderness programs and winter adventure challenges. Our programs place small teams of students (grades 6th-12th) 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, and to build community with others. 

All ECHO experiences feature pre-departure programming, 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 University Prep and the Seattle-area community through projects and presentations. 

echo Experiences include

• Weekend Wilderness Trips

• Affinity Group Hikes and Retreats

• Backcountry Backpacking

• Ropes Courses

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 year-long 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. If you have any questions about Semester Away, please contact Kate Williams, global and outdoor education program manager.

The Global and Outdoor Education office provides students in grades 10 through 12 with a variety of opportunities to explore and adventure in the Pacific Northwest Wilderness. 

Programs include

Backcountry/Senior Backpacking Trips
Wilderness First Aid Training (WFA)
Hikes and Retreats

Every year, UPrep opens its doors and our families open their homes to international students and visitors from the United States and abroad.

University Prep invites a small number of international exchange students to be enrolled at the school full-time while being hosted by UPrep families. We have hosted and supported students from all over the world, from Bangladesh and Colombia to Lithuania and Tunisia. 

As part of our Global Link program, we also regularly host more than 40 short-term visitors each year. In the past couple of years, students from Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, New Mexico, Botswana, India, Japan, and Lithuania have spent approximately two weeks attending school on our campus, exploring our city, and living with our families. Our community is always eager to welcome global citizens and build international relationships.

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 in need. 

Global Link domestic and international fees 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 tuition remission. The Global and Outdoor Education Office works in close collaboration with the director of enrollment and the director of diversity and community to regularly examine issues of inclusion and accessibility in all of our Global and Outdoor Education offerings.