EDUCATIONAL ADVENTURES

Educational adventures can be closely tied to the CASEL (Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning) framework as they offer a holistic learning experience that encompasses several of its components:

1. Self-Awareness:

During educational adventures, scholars often face new and unfamiliar challenges. These experiences can help them become more self-aware by highlighting their strengths and areas for growth. They may discover hidden talents or develop a better understanding of their emotions and reactions in different situations.

2. Self-Management:

 Educational adventures require planning, organization, and the ability to adapt to changing circumstances. Scholars learn to manage their time effectively, set goals for the adventure, and make responsible choices, which are all elements of self-management.

3. Social Awareness:

Educational adventures often involve interactions with diverse groups of people, whether it’s peers, instructors, or community members. This exposure can enhance scholars’ social awareness by broadening their perspectives and helping them better understand the needs and perspectives of others.

4. Relationship Skills:

 Collaborative activities during educational adventures promote the development of relationship skills. Scholars must communicate, cooperate, and problem-solve with their peers, which can lead to the formation of stronger bonds and improved interpersonal skills.

5. Responsible Decision-Making:

Scholars are often faced with choices during educational adventures, such as how to navigate challenging terrain or allocate limited resources. These decisions can have consequences, providing scholars with opportunities to practice responsible decision-making and ethical reasoning.

6. Emotional Regulation:

Educational adventures can be emotionally challenging, especially when students step out of their comfort zones. They may experience fear, excitement, frustration, and other emotions. Learning to cope with and regulate these emotions in a novel environment is a valuable skill.

7. Confidence and Self-Esteem:

Successfully completing challenges and achieving goals during educational adventures can boost scholars’ confidence and self-esteem. This newfound confidence can positively impact their overall well-being and sense of competence.

CYSP believes that educational adventures can align with the CASEL framework by providing opportunities for scholars to develop self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, responsible decision-making, emotional regulation, and confidence. These experiences contribute to scholars’ holistic growth and support their academic, social, and emotional development.

Overnight Activities

The primary objective of overnight activities is to foster stronger relationships among scholars, provide a fun and enjoyable experience, and facilitate skill development outside of the traditional classroom and school environment. These overnight events are thoughtfully planned to encompass a wide range of CYSP activities, spanning from individual test practice to community service and extracurricular engagement.

Scholars participating in the program have the opportunity to take part in overnight and sleepover activities. These events can occur at various locations, adding diversity to the experiences. Additionally, school lock-in events will be organized throughout the year, allowing scholars to earn CYSP overnight activity points.

To ensure clarity and safety, advisers will furnish parents with permission slips that contain specific event details for overnight activities. It’s important to note that for an activity to qualify as an overnight activity, advisers or school staff members must be present with the scholars. Only events organized by the school will count as official overnight activities.

Other activities conducted during overnight events and camps, such as test preparation, tutoring, and physical fitness, can be recorded separately. It’s essential to avoid duplicating the same activity under two different categories.

CYSP believes that overnight activities serve as a holistic and enjoyable way for scholars to engage with various aspects of their own personal growth while reinforcing relationships and providing opportunities for skill development outside of the standard school setting.

Advisers/school staff members should be present with the scholar in order for the activity to count as an overnight activity. Only school-organized events will count as overnight activities. All other activities completed during overnight activities and camps (such as test prep, tutoring, and physical fitness) can be logged in separately. One activity cannot be written twice under two different categories.

The point value allocated to this category is 30 points. The maximum Overnight Activities entries allowed for each student are up to 10 nights throughout the school year.

Examples:

  • School lock-in events (at least with 2 supervisors)
  • Out-of-town camping trips sponsored by the school
  • Focus study group on overnight activities 
  • Out-of-town college trips 
  • Out-of-state school events (e.g., MATHCON, CONSEF)
  • All overnight activities must implement an educational component.  

SEL Competencies:

Relationship Skills: Building relationships with their peers. 

Logbook Entry:

  • Advisers will accompany students during these events, and they will record all overnight activity events in the CYSP tab. 
  • Only Advisors can enter overnight activity information in the CYSP tab “College Trip (Out of Town)”, “Out of town trip”, or “Overnight Activity”.
  • If an out-of-town trip is two days or more, it will count as an overnight through the SIS system. Advisers or scholars just need to enter the number of trip days in CYSP logbooks as “Out of town trip” or “College Trip (Out of Town)”.

Cultural Exposure 

In our rapidly globalizing world, the promotion of Cultural Exposure activities is one of our guiding principles. These activities are meticulously crafted to not only introduce scholars to diverse cultures but also to foster essential social-emotional learning (SEL) skills. Our primary aim is to equip scholars with the knowledge and emotional intelligence needed to thrive as global citizens.

Cultural Exposure activities serve as a platform where individuals from various cultural, religious, and ethical backgrounds come together, learning to collaborate, respect one another, and gain a deep appreciation for different traditions, regardless of minority or majority status. Through these experiences, scholars acquire valuable SEL skills that empower them to navigate complex multicultural situations with empathy, self-awareness, and effective communication.

In the CYSP program, we hold the expectation that scholars actively participate in activities that expose them to different cultures. They have the opportunity to attend cultural events or explore diverse cultural centers, providing them with firsthand experiences in cultural exchange and SEL development.

For most scholars, engagement in this category is mandatory, aligning with our commitment to nurturing well-rounded global citizens. Seniors have the option to participate. Each scholar can earn up to 10 points in this category, with the flexibility to log a maximum of 5 intercultural activity entries throughout the school year. This inclusive approach ensures that scholars not only gain cultural exposure but also foster their social-emotional learning competencies, which are vital for their holistic growth and success in an interconnected world.

Examples:

  • Attending cultural festivals
  • Visiting Chinatown, Greektown, Chinese, Italian cultural centers/museums, etc..
  • Attending Hispanic Heritage Celebration, Amish culture, African American culture, and Native American culture events.
  • Visiting cultural centers
  • International programs which are organized by the school, community, society
  • Attending a cultural event hosted by the school
  • Visiting museums that reflect different cultural backgrounds

SEL Competencies:

Social Awareness: Exploring diversity. 

The entry to Log:

Only the Advisor enters their intercultural activities information in their PowerSchool student account under “Cultural Exposure”. 

Out of Town Trip

Out-of-town trips not only offer scholars the opportunity to explore new places but also serve as a powerful avenue for social-emotional learning (SEL). These journeys provide a unique window into life beyond their immediate neighborhoods and towns, fostering holistic development.

Research has shown that educational trips, especially those taking scholars out of town, have a profound and lasting impact on their education and future careers. Beyond academic knowledge, these trips enhance scholars’ engagement, intellectual curiosity, and their overall interest in learning, both inside and outside of the classroom. They encourage scholars to become more socially and emotionally aware individuals.

In our program, scholars will have the valuable chance to participate in educational trips that take them beyond the school’s boundaries. These out-of-town trips may be organized by the school or individual advisors, always with the assurance of proper supervision from advisors or staff members to ensure safety and facilitate meaningful learning experiences. To maintain open communication with parents, permission slips containing trip details will be sent home.

It’s essential to emphasize that these educational trips are designed to extend beyond nearby metropolitan areas like Indianapolis, Columbus, Cleveland, and Chicago. They provide scholars with the unique opportunity to explore new horizons, broaden their educational and cultural perspectives, and develop key social and emotional skills that are essential for their personal growth and success.

The point value allocated to this category is 20 points. The maximum Out of Town Trip entries allowed for each student are up to 8 times throughout the school year.

  • Out-of-state or out-of-town day trips.  
  • Out-of-town trips to museums
  • Out of town trips to symposiums, events, speakers, etc.
  • Out of town landmarks and historical sites.
  • Out-of-town subject-related competitions

SEL Competencies:

Relationship Skills: Building relationships with their peers. Team activity. 

Logbook Entry:

  • Only advisors will enter out-of-town trip information in CYSP logbooks as “Out of town Trip”.
  • If the trip is an out-of-town college visit, it will count as both a college visit and an out-of-town trip through the system. Advisers just need to enter this information in the CYSP logbook as “College Trip (Out of Town)”.

In-Town Educational Trip 

In-town trips serve a dual purpose: they allow scholars to explore the localities within their communities and provide valuable opportunities for social-emotional learning (SEL). These trips enable scholars to discover the array of services and offerings available in their hometowns and cities while fostering connections with local businesses and residents, thus promoting SEL through community engagement.

Conversely, field trips are transformative educational experiences that bridge classroom lessons with real-world applications. They often become the most cherished and memorable moments in a scholar’s academic journey, contributing significantly to their SEL by enhancing social skills, empathy, and a deeper understanding of the world around them.

The in-town trip is thoughtfully designed to offer scholars a more profound understanding of their communities, unveiling different facets and unique qualities of their cities. Scholars will be transported via buses or other public transportation. Notably, scholars in grades 4-5-6 are required to participate in an in-town trip with their adviser, who will organize these after-school trips and provide permission slips to parents. It’s essential to clarify that in-town trips should be directly linked to school-organized activities to ensure their educational and SEL value.

The point value allocated to this category is 8 points. The maximum In Town Educational Trip entries allowed for each student are up to 4 times throughout the school year.

Examples: 

Any Field trip, like visiting museums, the zoo, or fairs in town

Not applicable: Sport Activities, Skating, Bowling, picnic, restaurant visit, etc. 

SEL Competencies:

Relationship Skills: Building relationships with their peers. Team activity. 

Logbook Entry:

Only advisors will enter in-town trip information in CYSP logbooks as “In-Town Trip”.

College & University Visits

A thoughtfully planned college visit serves as a vital opportunity for prospective scholars not only to explore college or university campuses but also to foster social-emotional learning (SEL). During these visits, scholars engage in informative campus tours, enabling them to delve into various facets of the institution, including its facilities, scholar life, cultural dynamics, academic offerings, and programs.

College visits empower scholars to ask questions, connect with fellow prospective scholars, and gain a deeper understanding of the college’s essence. It’s in these interactions that SEL skills such as effective communication, empathy, and relationship-building are nurtured, preparing scholars for success in their academic and personal lives.

Participation in this category is mandatory for high school scholars and optional for younger grades. It’s worth emphasizing that this activity carries significant point value, particularly for scholars striving to achieve gold and silver distinctions by the end of the year.

Each scholar can earn up to 12 points in this category, with the opportunity to log a maximum of 4 college trip entries throughout the school year. This rule applies to all scholars who engage in this activity, recognizing its critical role in their educational and SEL development.

Examples:

  • Visit a local college or university on your school trip.
  • Visit a college or university with the  CYSP group and advisor.
  • Scheduled a college or university visit with parents/ guardians.

Not Applicable: Sports activities, Academic competitions, and taking courses at a college. 

SEL Competencies:

Relationship Skills: Building relationships with their peers. Team activity. 

Responsible Decision Making: Helping with college choices.  

The entry to Log:

Scholars can enter the scholars’ college trip information in their PowerSchool student account under  “College & University Visits”.