Recently, Concordia Seattle took an all school (K-8) field trip to the Pacific Northwest Ballet’s Nutcracker on one of the monthly field trips. Something magical happens when students take learning outside of the classroom and this trip was no exception. Students who have struggled in the classroom confidently made new friends on the bus trip. Eyes lit up seeing a live orchestra for the first time. Their minds spun as they tried to figure out how the set design worked. They adapted and bonded as they waited for the bus that was late, learning how to check the schedule and calculate time left. For many of them, it was their first time in a setting such as this one and made quite an impact. 
Exposure to the arts at this formative time has a proven benefit. According to a recent study from the University of Arkansas, students who participate in art-based field trips throughout the year “ have fewer behavioral infractions, attend school more frequently, score higher on their end-of-grade exams, and receive higher course grades.” *
If you have been in a classroom, you know there can be ruts that occur. Perhaps it’s a certain subject that causes one or two students to groan. Perhaps a certain student is struggling with a growth mindset in homework and you feel stuck on how to help them. Field trips are exciting adventures that take students beyond the classroom. While not all schools are able to take field trips due to size and finances, Concordia Seattle’s small class sizes and emphasis on building confidence and community alongside academic mastery make prioritizing monthly field trips a no-brainer.
Concordia’s monthly field trips vary and are often civic, cultural, or scientific in nature. Students are exposed to many different ideas, cultures, and settings that broaden their worldview. This is such an important time in development for building an understanding of themselves and the world around them. Monthly cultural themes and field trips that further contextualize those expose them to a diverse set of influences and allows growth and awareness.
Combining personalized academics with monthly field trips makes the Concordia curriculum tough to beat.
Attend our upcoming open house to learn more!
Sources and Additional Reading :
- “ Field Trips Linked To Stronger Test Scores And School Engagement”, Stephanie Kelly (2018, Updated in 2024) Nations Classroom
- An Experimental Evaluation of Arts Field Trips A Study by Heidi H. Erickson, Angela R. Watson, Jay P. Greene https://scholarworks.uark.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1091&context=edrepub