Off-Campus Projects for 2015

We will offer 8 amazing Off-Campus projects during Project Week this year, including 3 international trips and 5 domestic projects. For more information on these projects, please refer to the Off-Campus Project Guide.

Students, if you would like to participate in any of these projects, you must have a face-to-face conversation with Mr. Joslin FIRST. Then, he will give you instructions on how you or your parents can make a deposit for the project, which is due October 10, 2014. Please email Mr. Joslin to set up a time to meet, or stop by Pilalas 104 during office hours. During that meeting, he will put you in contact with the project leaders so that you can get more information about the project.

Below are descriptions for the 2015 off-campus projects.

CREATING MUSIC IN A PROFESSIONAL RECORDING STUDIO
Students will travel to Nashville, Tennessee to record music at the Latitude Studio in Leiper’s Fork. Students will spend fifteen hours in the studio working with professionals exploring the ins and outs of the recording business while recording three to five tracks to present to our school community. Students will document their work through social media, the project blog, and will create an iMovie that captures their experiences. The recordings will be featured on the New Hampton School website and will be used in admissions materials to recruit new musicians to Husky nation. When not in the studio, students will enjoy the sights and sounds of this music city. We will visit the Grand Ole Opry, Ryman Auditorium, Country Music Hall of Fame, and experience various live music performances.

FORENSIC BIOLOGY
Students in this project will experience first-hand what it takes to be a successful forensic scientist. We will travel to the Crime Museum in Washington, DC to participate in 6 workshops that will teach us actual techniques used in forensic science. These workshops include a forensic lab, anthropology, blood and DNA, impressions, pathology, and body decomposi- tion. We may also have the opportunity to work with real scientists from the J. Craig Venture Institute, the first private company to successfully sequence the human genome. We will also have time to explore some of the many other scientific, cultural, and historical offerings of our nation’s capital.

PROJECT ADVENTURE
Do you seek adventure? Do you crave journey? Do you love the outdoors? Do you like to camp, hike, mountain bike, kayak and rock climb? Are these activities just for fun and leisure time or can these be your career? Join us in beautiful Santa Cruz, California as we try to answer that question. While partaking in these activities and immersing ourselves in the lifestyle, we are also going to get a glimpse into what it takes to work in the adventure market in both the private and federal sectors. In addition to learning about adventure careers, we will have the opportunity to learn about the ecosystems that are unique to the area. A typical day will include waking up in a pristine redwood forest, exploring coastal inlets via sea kayak, and making dinner at our campsite while reflecting upon the day.

HOW TO START A SUSTAINABLE, ETHICAL, AND SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS
Basing out of the Seattle area, this trip is intended for budding entrepreneurs and those interested in learning about sustainable, organic, and creative business ventures. While the companies we visit will range from those that make or label food to those that make body care products or fashion accessories, they each have in common a distinct vision that is both good for the planet and beneficial for others. Beginning with Booda Organics (an organic, vegan body care company) and the Non-GMO Project in scenic Bellingham, WA, we will then explore the beautiful city of Seattle (the Space Needle, Pike Place Market, the original Starbucks) with visits to Theo Chocolate (an organic chocolate company) and Alchemy Goods (an up-cycling company that makes bags, backpacks and other accessories out of recycled materials including inner tubes). The Pacific North- west, whose culture fosters sustainable and organic business models, makes an ideal setting for students to experience the ways in which they can not simply talk about their ideas, but actually create real change as future innovators and entrepreneurs.

GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP AND SUSTAINABILITY IN THE CARIBBEAN
We will explore the effects of a long U.S. military occupation and years of bombing practice on the people and the ecosystem in one of the most beautiful places on Earth: Vieques, Puerto Rico. We will discover the role that sustainable development and environ- mentally and socially responsible tourism can play in creating a future for Vieques while also considering what our role as global citizens can be to help the people of Vieques achieve their goals.

ITALY
In Rome and Pompeii, the cities have been preserved so you can take a step back into time and see first hand what life must have been like. This natural look at one of the most beautiful parts of the world will serve as the perfect setting as we tour Italy in search of the social, cultural, and economic developments that have made Italy the remarkable place that it is! From the 2,000 year old Colosseum to the houses lining Pompeii’s perfectly preserved streets, history has been frozen in time. Your passage through the centuries continues under the gilded archways of St. Peter’s Cathedral in Vatican City and in the natural beauty of Capri. Students will be left with an experience of a lifetime and a better understanding of the influence that Italy has had on the world.

FIRE AND ICE
Students will tour cultural and geological landmarks of Iceland, including the National Museum, Blue Lagoon, and Thingviller National Park. Students will explore the intersection of geologic forces in Iceland, including geothermal pools, water- falls, geysers, and glaciers. We will learn first hand how Icelanders harness this natural energy to provide clean, sustainable pow- er via geothermal and hydroelectric plants. We will investigate how Iceland’s landscape impacts, both positively and negatively, local citizens while also learning about Iceland’s rich cultural history (i.e. the Vikings) and their current political system.

HISTORY AND CULTURE OF PANAMA
During this seven day trip to Panama the group will discover Panama’s unique place in the Western Hemisphere, both in its distinctive culture and relationship with the United States. Through visiting Panama City, Old Panama, the Panama canal, and many other unique sites, the students will be able to experience and discuss the Spanish and US influences in Pan- ama through such arenas as architecture, language, economics, and many others. These experiences will allow the students to ponder the essential question of how Panama has been able to maintain a distinct Spanish identity despite its longstanding re- lationship both economically and historically with the United States. The students will also have time for a canopy tour and hike, a canoe ride on the Rio Chagres, and a visit to El Macho waterfall. Throughout the trip, every student will have opportunities to partake in a group photo blog, showcasing the interesting sites and activities that the students experience.