Retreats and Trips
Student committees work with Park Faculty Scholars and administrative staff to plan and organize class retreats and learning laboratories, or studies of current issues in their regional or national context. Each Park Scholar takes a leadership role in organizing one of these trips or other class activities during their time at the university.
Learning Laboratory I
Learning Laboratory I is an experience designed and implemented
by first-year Park Scholars that allows students to better understand
the people, history, strengths, and challenges of North Carolina.
This year, the Class of 2014 explored the topic of education, literacy, and the achievement gap. The group traveled to Winston-Salem to learn first-hand what leaders are doing to narrow the gap in education and literacy caused by social disadvantages. By engaging with individuals from former North Carolina Governor Jim Hunt, responsible for establishing the Smart Start program in the state, to teachers at a child development center, who spend each day developing and implementing curriculum, Park Scholars learned about the complexities connected to the issue.
Learning Laboratory II
Each fall, the sophomore class of Park Scholars travels to Washington,
D.C. to study a leadership challenge facing our country. This year,
the Class of 2013 focused on national education reform in the wake
of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, reauthorized in
2001 as the No Child Left Behind Act.
Park Scholars met with a wide range of individuals representing
federal and state government, think tanks, educational organizations,
principals, and teachers to learn about educational priorities set
by the current administration and programs designed to carry out
these priorities. Guest speakers addressed issues such as measuring
student achievement and teacher effectiveness, implementing the
Race to the Top program, improving the quality of teachers, and
balancing a focus in math and science with the arts and humanities.
First-Year Retreat
Prior to the start of the academic year, each new class of Park Scholars travels to the Blue Ridge Mountains to participate in their retreat. Park Faculty Scholars facilitate discussions on a shared reading experience. Upperclass Park Scholars work in small groups to prepare the class to take full advantage of the opportunities afforded by the Park program and NC State. The class also participates in challenges, both on the ground and on high ropes, which hone skills such as teamwork and communication.
Senior Retreat
The senior retreat is one of the culminating events during the final year of the Park Scholarships experience. Each year, the senior class selects one of America’s national parks as the site for their retreat. The retreat provides seniors with the opportunity to reflect on the past and craft plans for their future. Alumni participate in the experience and assist in leading the class in reflection activities. Previous retreats have taken place at locations such as Grand Canyon National Park and Olympic National Park.
Learning Lab II:
Washington, D.C.
The Class of 2013 was actively engaged in discussions held at the U.S. Capitol, Rayburn House Office Building, and National Education Association. Students also attended a performance of the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center and toured the White House.
Park Scholars met with area alumni, including a discussion with Teach for America corps member Everett Warren ’10, and a monument tour led by The Times of London Washington Bureau correspondent Matt Spence ’04 and George Washington University Law School student Caitlin Meisenbach ’07.