Expeditions rely on a strong school or classroom culture to support the schedule changes and immersive experiences present in the model.

For Expeditions to run well, it is important that the school culture is strong enough to support changes to the typical schedule as well as other key model components such as field visits, hosting guests in the classroom, etc.

Expeditions should feel special and should celebrate student growth and positive risk-taking during every stage of the experience.

A strong Operations Leader is required to run point on logistics, as well as dedicated teachers to lead Expeditions.

Expeditions require a school-wide effort with careful coordination among the people in the following roles:

• Owner: This person serves as the Expedition point person and project manager to ensure that the team remains on track. See the launch planning guidance. Quick Start Guide
• Greenfield Expedition Teachers: School-based teachers lead these Expeditions. In the model, Expeditions replace science, social studies, and enrichment and are taught by those teachers. 
• Academic Leadership: This role may be held by a single school leader or divided among several individuals. It involves ensuring that teachers are prepared to lead their Expeditions and providing ongoing coaching and support.
• Operations: This is a crucial job in executing Expeditions because they are run very differently from typical school days.

Teachers—especially those with less experience—may require professional development on top of individualized coaching to execute Expeditions at a high level. Teacher Training Scope & Sequence

Expeditions require schools to allocate ~2.5 hours in the daily schedule for two full weeks, three times per year, in addition to time for planning.

Expeditions happen three times a year, although schools could choose to run them once or twice instead. Because they require ample planning time, the first usually does not occur until 6–7 weeks into the school year. 

During Expeditions, core academics are shifted so they take place in the morning and full afternoons are dedicated to the Expedition project for the full two weeks. At Achievement First schools, the teachers leading career Expeditions are generally given the morning of Expedition days to prepare.

Showcases, which are held on the final day of the two-week mini-course, can be held during the school day or during the evening in order to allow more parents and family members to attend.

Family and community partnerships are critical to strong execution of Expeditions.

The purpose of Expeditions is to immerse students in authentic, real-world experiences that connect them to the professional world and to their greater school community. As such, family and community partnerships are foundational to strong execution of this practice in the following ways:

• Field Visits: These allow students to visit and interact with community partners working in specialized fields.
• Expert Speakers: Field experts visit classrooms to teach lessons and provide advice to students as they consolidate their learning and prepare showcase presentations.
• Trip Chaperones: Families can chaperone field lessons, connecting them both to the school community and to the broader community of professionals with whom their children are engaging.
• Showcases: Classrooms can invite guest speakers and the professionals they visited in the field to attend showcases, which deepens trust between the school and community partners. Additionally, showcases bring families into the school to witness what their students have been exploring.

Each Expedition requires a dedicated space for the duration of the experience.

Expeditions often require space to store projects that are in progress, which should be taken into consideration when assigning groups to the spaces they will use for the duration of the two-week experience. Space Selection Guidance

Additionally, Expeditions require space for culminating showcases, which may be structured in various ways, including the following:

• Whole-School Showcase: This structure is a 2-hour event with showcases occurring at staggered times, to allow families and students to sample a variety of Expeditions.
• Individual Expedition Showcase: In this structure, students and families remain in the room where their student is presenting. This is less of an operational lift and can be completed in 30–60 minutes.
• Student-Only Showcase: Some schools hold a dress rehearsal of the showcase during school hours for students only.

Most Expeditions require 1:1 computers and classrooms with stable Wi-Fi.

Students often spend time on the Internet accessing materials and videos related to their learning Expedition, especially when they are exploring fields like graphic design. Schools should plan to conduct a technology needs assessment when planning for each Expedition in order to allocate the necessary resources properly.

Expeditions have many moving pieces that require strong project management, preferably owned by a single person.

Project Planning: Given the many elements of Expeditions, the person running operations must be a strong project manager. We recommend that they design and maintain a shared project plan with all relevant stakeholders.

Student Selection: At Greenfield, students are able to apply for their Expedition of choice from a set of five options. If schools choose to take this approach, they must clarify the application and selection process. One option is to select students for each Expedition based on the persuasiveness of their application letter.

Budget: At Greenfield, schools budget $1,600 for each Expedition. This cost can be reduced by forging relationships with community partners who can serve as guest speakers or host field visits.

Materials: Expeditions all have consumable and reusable materials. The first round of Expeditions tends to cost more because schools must purchase new materials, but subsequent Expeditions tend to cost less because reusable materials have already been purchased. Schools typically create a centralized materials list and a set of materials ordering guidance to handle supply reorder requests. Ops Planning Tracker Material Ordering Guidance

Transportation & Permission: Field visits require the coordination of permission slips, health forms, student rosters, and transportation to multiple places during Expedition weeks. 

Expeditions benefit from having clear, regular communication systems with families to keep them up to speed on what’s coming and how things have been going.

Schools should consider methods for communicating with parents about upcoming Expedition requirements, chaperoning opportunities, showcase dates, and even student and family shoutouts for excellent work.

To support strong Expeditions, schools should observe facilitation of Expeditions and provide ongoing coaching and support.  

Teachers receive the following types of support and development:

• Before and during each round of Expeditions, schools should provide professional development to support teachers through each stage based on the experience level and specific needs of the group. 
• School leaders should plan to conduct walkthroughs to assess the strengths and needs of Expedition facilitators and provide ongoing coaching and support. At Greenfield, teachers are observed twice per week during Expeditions. Coaching Guide
• Teachers might be encouraged to rehearse certain Expedition lessons to ensure that they are executed at top quality.