When you come to Edge you hear a lot about individualized learning, flexible scheduling, and other ways that our school accommodates learning styles and lifestyles to help you reach your graduation goals. You’ll also find out that some of our learning happens outside of the classroom. In fact, it happens outside of our school entirely!
This fall we took 8 field trips in the Tucson area, to learn more about everything from stargazing to recycling to art making. But in addition to the site specific topics, we also learned from each other – getting out of our comfort zones and enjoying time with our classmates and teachers. These field trip experiences brought us back to campus just a little closer than when we left.
Las Cienegas National Conservation Area
“Never in my life would I have thought that I’d be driving in a car with my teacher.” (Edge student and NCA field trip participant)
Led by our science teacher Lee Borzick, this trip brought us out into what is over 45,000 acres of rolling grasslands and woodlands 45 miles southeast of Tucson. We spent the day learning about the diverse plants and animals that live in NCA. One thing that makes Edge different is that our teachers go by their first names with our students. Sharing an intensive field trip experience like this was a great way for students to bond with Lee outside of the classroom and further foster the Edge community.
MOCA (Museum of Contemporary Art Tucson)
We went to downtown Tucson to visit the only museum in our area dedicated to contemporary art from around the world. We checked out exhibits and explored their building, and got to meet their staff and do a collage-making activity with a local artist.
We got a behind the scenes tour of the museum and then took a tour of the University of Arizona campus. We got to see the college experience up close and learn about a day in the life of a college student.
“I made new friends on this trip.”
“I learned about the stars and going outside in the mountains.”
“I’m interested in hiking more.”
(Edge students and Sky School trip participants)
This trip is a highlight of our school year every year. Led by our science teacher Lee Borzick, we spent three days and two nights in the Catalina Mountains outside of Tucson. It’s a unique opportunity to get out there and experience nature first hand. We coped with cold weather, saw beautiful scenery and did some team building activities. We visited the UAZ telescopes and learned about the night sky. And we left with a deeper understanding of our earth. Highly recommended!
We walked to UAZ from Edge and took a tour of the campus – lots of us didn’t know UAZ was so close to our school! The UAZ Poetry Center welcomed us as the first group to visit since the pandemic, and hosted a writing workshop.
Career Expo
Every year we visit a Career Expo in Tucson to learn about career opportunities after graduation. Students learned more about jobs in health care and cyber security, and networked with local employers.
Southern AZ Construction Career Days
Edge students learned more about careers in the construction industry, including trades, infrastructure, utilities, engineering, design and architecture and more. This hands-on field trip took us on a “day in the life” look at what it’s like to work in this industry. Did you know that women make up only 10.9% of all workers at a construction site? Construction companies are looking to hire more women, and it’s a great opportunity for Edge grads!
Republic Recycling Services Plant Tour
There are also lots of opportunities for employment in the many waste management companies in and around Tucson. Lee Borzick took us on a tour of Republic Recycling to learn about the environmental impact of our waste and the work that the recycling industry is doing to lessen this impact. We also learned about job opportunities in the industry and made some networking connections.
Thanks for another great field trip Lee!
Edge tuition-free charter high school field trips provide opportunities for you to get out and learn about our community and explore career options. Want to find out more? Contact us and enroll today!
About Edge
Edge is a Cognia accredited, tuition-free, charter high school, with two campuses in the greater Tucson area. We provide an alternative to traditional education, meeting the diverse learning and life needs of our students with our blended curriculum and flexible morning or afternoon class schedules. Our high-quality, passionate teachers are dedicated to individualized instruction in our small academic classes. Be you. With us. At Edge.