Adventure Education
Voyage Updates: Check back here for all voyage arrival updates.
WHAT IS
ADVENTURE EDUCATION ?
Adventure Education is about personal growth—specifically, the kind of person students become through challenge, reflection, and experience. At its core is mindset: the attitudes and beliefs we bring to new and difficult situations. Adventure Education helps students build positive, resilient mindsets and develop self-reliance when facing uncertainty.
Through hands-on, outdoor experiences, students learn to collaborate, support one another, and solve complex problems together. The natural world becomes the classroom, providing meaningful opportunities for authentic learning. These diverse and dynamic experiences foster engagement, empowerment, empathy, and a deep respect for self, others, and the environment.
2026-2027
Voyage Details
PREPARATION
Medical Requirements
All students must have a current sports physical on file to participate in overnight Adventure Education voyages. A sports physical is considered current if it has been completed within one year of the voyage date.
Summer is an ideal time to schedule a sports physical, especially for students participating in fall voyages. Physicals may be completed by your child’s primary care provider or at a Little Clinic or urgent care location.
Gear Lists
Gear Lists are subject to change depending on the needs of specific voyages (location, season). Colorado weather is unpredictable and sometimes severe. It is best to be prepared in terms of survival gear, while also discerning which items to avoid in order to minimize pack weight.
Students should be responsible for Voyage packing. Longer voyages often include a gear check prior to leaving so that students have an opportunity add anything they've forgotten.
See trip descriptions for gear lists for each voyage.
Renaissance does maintain a inventory of select gear; in the event your child needs to borrow an item please request the item with your child's teacher prior to gear check.
2026-2027 VOYAGE DATES:
Please note dates and details are subject to change.
Final date assignments will be shared as soon as possible.
6th Grade Fall Voyage - Adventure Sampler & Outdoor Basics
When: October 20 - 23 or October 27 - 30
Where: Camp Rosalie
What: The Adventure Education experience begins at Camp Rosalie in beautiful Bailey, Colorado. This voyage is about getting comfortable being outside and away with friends. Students will participate in crew building activities, discover the science of nature in their own backyard, and start developing crucial outdoor skills; plus spend plenty of time in the fresh air! On their last night, students will venture away from camp for an overnight “backpacking” adventure. Those new to Adventure Education learn the basics of outdoor skills and backpacking. More seasoned voyagers have the opportunity to continue to develop their Adventure Education skills. It's bound to be a blast!
Please dress appropriately, bring two full water bottles, Day One sack lunch, and 2-4 small snacks.
6th Grade Gear List coming soon
7th Grade Fall Voyage - Outdoor Skills and Backpacking Prep
When: September 29 - October 2 or October 6 - 9
Where: Ben Delatour Scout Ranch (BDSR) - Red Feather Lakes, CO.
What: Voyages are designed to teach students to thrive in the outdoors, in the classroom, and beyond. On this voyage, students will learn all the basics of being outside while bonding together as a crew. We’ll spend night one at a campsite near the vehicles learning how to pack a backpack and how to prep food for our journey. Then, we’ll embark on a 2 night backpacking trip to learn essential outdoor skills - including building fires, LNT, the 10 Essentials of survival, filtering water, orienteering, tent basics, etc - all from the trail! No experience required.
Please dress appropriately, bring two full water bottles, Day One sack lunch, and 2-4 small snacks.
8th Grade Fall Voyage - Backpacking
When: August 25 - 28 or September 1 - 4
Where: Brown’s Peak Loop - Snowy Range, Wyoming
What: Embark on an unforgettable backpacking journey to the untamed wilderness of Wyoming with your crew. Amongst towering peaks and lush forests, immerse yourself in the beauty of nature while building deep connections with your fellow adventurers. Traverse pristine trails, encountering wildlife and awe-inspiring vistas along the way. As you explore alpine meadows and refresh in mountain streams, you'll not only delve into the wilderness, but also enhance the outdoor skills you acquired in 7th grade, such as navigation and survival techniques. Whether you're a seasoned backpacker or new to our school, this trip is designed to captivate and challenge all participants alike!
8th Grade Backpacking Gear List
8th Grade Rite of Passage - Backpacking
When: End of April / Beginning of May
Where: TBD
What: The transition between middle school and high school is a big time in an adolescent's life. Students spend a lot of time in solitude, reflecting on who they are, and who they want to become as high schoolers. Students take time to soak in the last middle school voyage, bonding as a crew.
9th Grade Voyage - Canyoneering and Exploration
When: November 2 - 5 or November 10 - 13
Where: Moab, Utah
What: We added a new trip to our docket last year - canyoneering and exploration in Moab, Utah! This trip offers students an incredible chance to explore stunning desert scenery while building teamwork, resilience, and outdoor skills. Guided by experienced leaders, students will hike, rappel, and learn about the area’s unique geology and ecology. This adventure promises personal growth, and lasting memories - not to mention some incredible sunsets.
Please dress appropriately, bring two full water bottles, Day One sack lunch, and 2-4 small snacks.
10th Grade Spring Voyage - Avalanche Awareness and Snow Science - Hut Trip
When: December 1 - 3 or December 8 - 10
Where: Near Leadville, Colorado - Sangree M. Froelicher Hut
What: Winter backpacking anyone? Our 10th Graders will be snowshoeing to a 10th Mountain Division hut in the backcountry. On this trip, we’ll discover how to test snowpack conditions, learn about the effects of climate change on our fragile winter ecosystems, and build snow shelters that would help us survive the cold! We’ll also play in the snow, build community, and enjoy some of the most gorgeous vistas of the high country from the comfort of our premier backcountry cabin. Come out and see why Colorado is renowned for its winter glory!
10th Mountain Division Waiver (online)
11th Grade Fall Voyage - Canoeing
When: September 8 - 11 or September 15 - 18 or September 22 - 25
Where: Gunnison River and Dominguez Escalante Canyon
What: Our most popular high school voyage has always been the canoe trip. Colorado canoeing on the Gunnison River will spark your sense of adventure with opportunities for hiking and exploring, floating in your life jacket and camping along the river's edge. During this Colorado canoe trip, you will be dwarfed by high walls of red sandstone and shale deposited during the age of the dinosaurs. The idea of Crew really takes on a more authentic meaning when traveling for days by boat. Time on the river is magical and unforgettable. RSS at its best!
Please dress appropriately, bring two full water bottles, Day One sack lunch, and 4-6 small snacks.
12th Grade Day Trip - Student Choice
When: TBD - November or December
Where: TBD
What: Our senior class will have the opportunity to plan their own day trip! More details to come.
Gear List to be given once students have planned a trip.
12th Grade Rite of Passage - Student Choice
When: May - Coming Soon!
Where: Student's Choice - Coming Soon!
What: In the spring, seniors will make the incredible transition from adolescence to adulthood. This voyage will be centered around that Rite of Passage. As a culmination of students’ time spent at Renaissance, Seniors will take on the challenge of planning and executing their own Rite of Passage trip this spring. Our Adventure Education staff will work with them throughout the school year to help them hammer out the details of logistics, budget, food, transportation, and activities. We will use their input to create a unique and unforgettable adventure. This final chapter of the voyage journey is not to be missed!
A Student's Reflection
In this documentary, created for his Senior Capstone Project, Jackson Miller reflects on his voyages and the benefits of outdoor education.
The Senior Capstone Project is a highlight of the senior year experience at Renaissance Secondary School. It is the culmination of a student’s education, encouraging students to think critically, problem solve, and integrate their full academic knowledge into a meaningful and personal project.