From March 30th to May 16th, 2008 the Wilderness Classroom will take participating schools on a virtual field trip by canoe down the Amazon River exploring the plants, animals, and people of Peru, Columbia, and Brazil. Our expedition team will use satellite technology to post updates from the trail and communicate with participating students and teachers on a daily basis. Photos, videos, journals, scientific data, and direct communication with expedition members will bring the plants, animals, and people of the flooded forest into classrooms in a whole new way, exposing students, many of whom have never left Chicago, to a whole new world.

Each CPS school in the Student Explorers Program, will receive access to the Wilderness Classroom Organization's multidisciplinary curriculum and lesson plans, two school assemblies (one before the adventure in March 2008 and one in late May/early June 2008 after the adventure), as well as training for participating teachers. At the end of the school year, participating teachers will be asked to provide a brief report of their teaching and student experience, submit examples of student work, and complete a brief evaluation.

CPS Educators interested in working with the Wilderness Classroom are encourage to fill out the online application below.