Catalog

 Educational Adventures Spring 2009

Adventure Golf:  Golden Gate Park in San Francisco

Ryan Devine

Cost per student: $150, plus the student should either bring a bagged lunch or money to purchase lunch daily.

The value of golfing for a week goes beyond the self-monitoring of the required Zen-like patience and discipline.  Golf is a great sport for people of various skill levels to enjoy together.  During this week we will each work on our individual skills and enjoy focusing and correcting all of the precise movements required in a swing. There will be many educational moments for all of us as we focus on our skill development, our appreciation for the game and good sportsmanship.  We will each work together and enjoy being outdoors.

Proposed Schedule:

• Monday – We will leave from school at 8:30 am by van.  At the S.F. Golden Gate Park Golf Course we will be given instruction on the basics of golf and golf etiquette.  I hope to be there by 10-10:30 am.  We will leave the golf course at 1:30-2 pm and get back to school by 3 pm. 
• Tuesday through Friday – We will leave from school at 9 am by van or by BART.  We will go to the S.F. Golden Gate Park Golf Course for practice at the driving range and playing 9 holes of golf.  Depending on the weather we will choose an activity around the park:  museums, the beach, the park, tea gardens, etc.  We will leave S.F. Golden Gate Park by 1:30-2 pm and get back to school by 2:30-3 pm.

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Balinese Music & Dance

Molly Smart

Cost per student: $100

Under the instruction of two of Bali's most accomplished performers, Pak Dewa Putu Berata and Emiko Susilo, students will learn the basics of playing the Balinese gamelan and Balinese dance.  The Balinese gamelan is a beautiful set of bronze instruments played with tight interlocking rhythmic patterns, and we will be borrowing a full set from the Oakland-based gamelan group Sekar Jaya on which to learn a few pieces.  Music and dance are always intertwined in the Balinese performing arts, and students will learn to perform both male and female dance forms.  We will perform our pieces at the end of the week. 

The afternoons will be dedicated to world music centered projects such as instrument-making, composing in a 'non-Western' style, and producing a short 'shadow puppet' play.  We will also visit the Asian Art Museum and the De Young, as both museums have substantial South-east Asian collections which will help in our understanding of Balinese culture.

Anyone who has an interest in percussion, dance, or world music will enjoy this week-long performance workshop! 

Schedule:

• Monday, Tuesday – Music instruction on instruments
• Wednesday, Thursday – Dance instruction
• Friday – Review and performance

Minimum amount of students necessary: 8 

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Bay Area College Tour

Irene Brates

Cost per student: $85.00

What is college really like? Are the stories about the "freshman 15", haunted dorms and partying really true? Let's find out! We will visit colleges in the Bay Area, talk to officials, students, visit dorms, have an opportunity to spend some time on-campus and get a feel of what life would be at some of the local schools.

Which schools we visit will be decided by students’ interest. Some options are UC Berkeley, UC Davis, Dominican College, San Francisco State, University of San Francisco, Stanford University, Saint Mary’s College, Sonoma State, and Golden Gate University.

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Bay Area Museum Exploration

Bob Shayler & Loyes Wilkinson

Cost per student: Approx. $20 for lunches, souvenirs, etc.

Bob and I are planning to take a group of students to the new California Academy of Sciences museum in Golden Gate Park.  We plan to spend a day there and then visit several other bay area science museums such as Chabot Space and Science Center, the Exploratorium, the Tech Museum of San Jose and Muir Woods. We will travel by rented van and vehicles belonging to Bob and me and to parents who volunteer to drive.Transportation will dictate the number of students we can accomodate.

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Grand Canyon Adventure

Starfire & Elaine Hester

Cost per student: $1567 all inclusive
Parents can go for $1767 double occupancy. 

All transportation, hotels, meals, sightseeing and activities as well as medical insurance are included in the above price.

Dates:  March 21 to 25, 5 days.  Arrive home on morning of the 26th.

The company is Grand Classroom and they specialize in Grand Canyon tours. 

Itinerary:

• Day 1:  Fly to Las Vegas, tour Lake Mead and Hoover dam.  Travel to Flagstaff and stargazing at Lowell Observatory.
• Day 2:  Visit Grand Canyon East entrance, visit Navajo reservation, Little Colorado overlook, Desert View Watchtower, Canyon view Information Plaza, and hike South Kaibab trail (based) on ability.
• Day 3:  Museum of Northern Arizona, travel to Sedona, Oak creek canyon, Vortex hike, visit Jerome ghost town, swimming at Slide Rock State park.
• Day 4: Float trip on the Colorado river, visit Sunset crater volcanic National Monument, Rock climbing at indoor gym.
• Day 5:  Travel to Las Vegas, activities at Circus Circus Adventuredome, tour of Las Vegas, fly home and arrive on the morning of the sixth day.

We need a minimum of 6 students to cover 1 teacher and 12 students to cover 2 teachers.  There is no maximum.  Parents are welcome to join the group too.  The company provides additional security at the hotel at night.

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London Curtain Time Tour

Leigh Lightfoot

Cost per student:  approx. $3,000

We will be going to London during next year's Educational Adventures Week through EF Tours, the company that O.A. used for their trip to Italy in spring ‘08. EF Tours is the largest student package-tour company in the United States. The actual travel dates are to be determined but there is a chance our trip would run into Spring Vacation week (3/30 - 4/3) by a couple of days, depending on EF's schedule of departure.

We will join EF’s LONDON CURTAIN TIME tour, which includes tickets to performances in London, and a Globe Theater tour and workshop.  We will add day trips to Stratford-upon-Avon, Bath, Stonehenge & Oxford.  We will stay for 8 days, 7 nights in London, and the trip will cost in the range of $3,000.  We will have time to visit museums and other tourist attractions, such as the Tower of London. Parents may also participate in this tour.

You can also get more introductory information on EF Tours and their LONDON CURTAIN TIME TOUR at their website: eftours.com. 

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Oregon Shakespeare Festival at Ashland

 Jeff Quittman & Mitch Goldman

Cost per student:  $200 - 300 (dependent on the number of students)

A wonderful and exciting trip to Ashland’s world renowned Shakespeare Festival is     being offered as part of this year’s 2009 Educational Adventures Week. The exact cost of this trip cannot as yet be known, but will be made available as soon as possible (please see # 4 below).

 Those already familiar with the Oregon Shakespeare festival will appreciate both the outstanding opportunity this trip offers as well as the very affordable price. For those less familiar, I can assure you your student will have a very enjoyable and enriching experience. The following should provide you with all the information you need in order to make your decision.

    1. This will be a four day, three night trip. We will leave OA Monday morning, March 23rd and return to OA Thursday evening, March 26th. We will travel by school vans. ( Exact departure and approximate return times will be announced later. )

    2. We will see four of the five plays being offered at that time ( Macbeth, Death and the King’s Horseman, The Music Man, and The Servant of Two Masters. I encourage you to read descriptions of those plays by visiting OSF on line at www.osfashland.org and looking at their 2009 season.

    3. We will stay at the Stratford Inn just a few blocks from the Theaters. The hotel  provides a nice expanded continental breakfast and has an indoor pool. Three to five students would share each room ( two queen beds ) in order to keep costs down.

    4. 18 students is our target number. The closer to 18, the lower the costs as rooms, gas, etc. are divided among the number of students attending. I would estimate the costs ( excluding all food other than breakfasts, snacks, souvenirs ) at somewhere between $ 200.00 - $ 300.00 per person.

    5. Jeff Quittman and Mitch Goldman will chaperone this trip. Should you have any questions feel encouraged to contact them. Anyone wishing to secure a guaranteed spot for their student should send in a $50.00 deposit ASAP. Once we know the exact number of students ( limit of 18 ), I can determine the final costs.

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Photography & Film

Noel Williams & Elaine Chu

Cost per student:  $45

We'll take a trip to the San Francisco Chinatown and the Oakland Zoo the first two days to do some on-site shooting and filming. The school will provide digital photo and film cameras for students to utilize. For the photography students, the last three days of the week will be devoted to the processing of student pictures into finished photo compositions.  A show of student work will be presented on the study hall gallery wall of the following week.

Students focusing on the film portion of the program will spend the week storyboarding, screenwriting, directing, acting, and editing.  Actors will utilize improv acting to create scenes.  Once filming is complete, students will be able to edit in the computer lab using iMovie and Final Cut Pro.  Afterwards, we'll have a screening to showcase the completed short films (time and location TBA).

Transportation: BART or Orinda Academy vans
Limit: 18 students

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Sea Turtle Conservation in Costa Rica

Ben Lavender

Cost per student:  approx. $2,500 (all-inclusive)

You will collaborate with sea turtle biologists and local Costa Rican communities to monitor a population of critically endangered leatherback sea turtles on the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica. This course is an amazing opportunity to assist with authentic research and be active in international conservation efforts.

The 9-day course includes over 35 hours of coursework and instruction with 15 hours of field research. Coursework includes sea turtle ecology, journal writing, rainforest ecology, scientific method, Spanish, and art.

Students may earn college credit for their work! Contact EPI for details.

Itinerary

• Day 1: Arrival in San Jose, Costa Rica.  You are met at the airport wtih a warm welcome from your Ecology Project International instructors.
• Days 2-5: Sea Turtles and Tropical Ecology. Pacuare Nature Reserve, with four miles of beach and a 2,000-acre forest, will be our home for nearly a week. At the Reserve, students design a research project and head onto the beach each night to patrol for sea turtles. Each day, you'll review the data you've helped collect at night, and explore the forest in search of leaf cutter ants, toucans, tree frogs and monkeys. You'll also work on the beach to restore nesting habitat and other projects to assist with the Reserve's research and protection efforts.
• Day 6: From the Coast to the Cloud Forest. We head inland today to a sustainable coffee plantation and cloud forest reserve. Tonight we'll enjoy cool mountain air as we discuss the differences in the ecosystems we've visited.
• Day 7: Rafting the Pacuare River. Today is always a highlight: we're rafting the spectacular class III-IV rapids of the Pacuare River. The river cuts through vibrant jungle canyons and past spectacular waterfalls. We'll learn about the watershed and impacts to the sea turtles that nest adjacent to the river mouth while enjoying rapids, waterfalls and wildlife.
• Day 8: Costa Rican High School Visit. Several Costa Rican schools are working with us at the Pacuare Reserve, and today we'll meet with students at one of these high schools. This is a wonderful opportunity to practice Spanish and get to know the locals who are collaborating with you to protect the turtles.
• Day 9: Morning Departure. After an evening in the mountains surrounding San Jose reflecting on our journey, we depart for the airport and look forward to the next adventure!

Minimum of 10 students; maximum of 20. Each of the destinations you will be visiting was chosen for its quiet simplicity and sustainable design. At these private reserves, EPI participants and reserve staff are often the only visitors during your stay. You will sleep in dormitory style cabins and share a room with 2-3 other students. The lodges and hotels supply sheets, pillows, and other bedding. There is running water at each of the places we stay, but no electricity at the sea turtle reserve, where you'll enjoy candlelit dinners and spectacular starry nights.

Please visit EPI’s website for additional information or to download an application: http://www.ecologyproject.org/english/courses/cr_hs_stsc.html

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Sound Body & Mind

Robyn Lindner & Nicole Schwing

Cost per student:  Approx. $100

Course Description: Each day, students will partake in a workshop that promotes a healthy body and a healthy mind.  Some of the workshops will include: pilates, yoga, nia and bar method.  Each workshop will be with a professional instructor within his/her field.  Locations of workshops will take place both at Orinda Academy in the dance studio and at the various places of instruction. Other possible workshops could be: meditation, nutrition, Alexander technique, a personal training session.  Participants will be required to keep a daily journal throughout the week to take notes on what they learn as well as to write on various topics that come up during the week.   

Min. # of students:  6

Max # of students:  12

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West Coast French

Katherine Saxby

Cost per student:  approx. $75 (covering BART, museum entrances, and food)

Course Description:  A week of music, film, food, and discussion of French culture (preferably in French).    We would listen to music, watch films, cook, eat out in restaurants, and visit museums and galleries as well as the old French Quarter of San Francisco to learn about French history and culture.  

Minimum # of students:  5

Maximum # of students:  8

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