Program
Signature Programs

Trips & Experiences

 
 

Beyond the Classroom

Off campus adventures help students go further! Classroom learning is supported by opportunities for students to learn by going, doing and experiencing for themselves.

Overnight Trips

Overnight adventures begin in fifth grade. These trips allow for students to strengthen bonds with classmates and teachers all while encouraging independence and personal growth.

List of 4 items.

  • Developing Confidence at 7,231 Feet

    Fifth graders take their first overnight trip with Graland to the La Foret Conference and Retreat Center, located in the scenic Black Forest near Colorado Springs. Daily activities are designed to promote group interaction, cooperation and healthy relationships. Students are guided through the high and low rope courses to develop self-confidence and trust in their classmates.

  • Camping at Mesa Verde

    Of all Graland trips, many students would say their favorite is the spring Southwest Trip! Since 1971, sixth grade students have learned firsthand about ancient Puebloan culture in the Mesa Verde area. After archaeological digs, creating pottery, learning cultural dances, and exploring cliff dwellings, they spend time in nature reflecting on the lifestyle of early Coloradans.

  • Studying Democracy in D.C.

    The seventh grade trip to Washington, D.C., provides an opportunity to see American democracy and learn how it was established, how it works and how it has been tested. Through historic sites, monuments, museums and memorials, students gain a better understanding of our country’s unique experiences and key moments in its history, laying the foundation for the eighth grade focus on civil rights.

  • Experiencing Civil Rights in the American South

    To actualize their learning about the Civil Rights Movement, eighth grade students travel to historical locations in the South and experience the people, places and events of this unique period of American history. Journaling throughout the trip, they return to Graland and express their understanding with a meaningful project such as art, a podcast, or a poem. 

Showcasing Trip Learnings

Trip learning encompasses much more than the time away. Classroom lessons prepare students for more in-depth teaching on location; after their trip experiences, students are given time to process and express their reflections in meaningful, personal ways through creative projects.
The Southwest trip is one of my top five favorite experiences. Mrs. Priest inspired my lifelong love of history and archaeology. So happy to see the legacy continue.

Mark McIntyre
Alumnus

Enriched Experiences

Students in all grades benefit from enriched curricular lessons through on-campus visitors and off-campus day trips. Teachers carefully design these programs to expand their classroom walls and to take advantage of specialized programming available near our central location in Denver. 

Examples of Experiences

  • Grade 3: Mi Pueblo Market Scavenger Hunt

    Third grade Spanish learners visit a supermarket with Latin American specialties to practice their language skills in an authentic environment while completing a scavenger hunt!

  • Grade 7: Nation's Capital Prep

    Before their trip to Washington D.C. in the spring, Grade 7 students enhance their studies of the U.S. Government by taking a trip downtown to tour the State Capitol Building, the Colorado Supreme Court, and Civic Center Park.

  • Grade 2: Visiting the Denver Botanic Gardens

    Before planting their own pollinator garden on campus, second graders took a class trip to the Denver Botanic Gardens to get inspired by different garden designs and to see pollination in action!

  • Grade 6: Keystone Wilderness Adventure

    Rather than just learning about Colorado mountain ecosystems, life zones, and wilderness in the classroom, sixth graders head to Keystone to investigate for themselves! Over the course of several days, students spend time in the forest observing animals and plants, sampling aquatic macroorganisms in streams, and testing water quality. 

  • Grade 7: Denver Art Museum

    Students in all grades benefit from enriched lessons taught during off-campus day trips. Teachers carefully design these programs to expand their classroom walls and to take advantage of programming available near Graland, such as the Grade 7 trip to the Denver Art Museum.

  • Grade 3: Chief Mountain Hike

    To kick off their unit on Life Zones, Grade 3 students embark on the Chief Mountain Hike at the start of every school year. Before the trip, students learn about the six Life Zones of Colorado and discuss hiking etiquette. Afterward, third graders research a particular life zone, create a Google Slide Show presentation, and make a diorama with plants, animals, and scenery from their life zone.


  • Kindergarten: National Western Stockshow

    A trip to the National Western Stock Show kicks off the Kindergarten unit on life in the West. In their first public speaking opportunity, kindergartners prepare and present an Old West show for the entire school, ending with the famous Coyote Song.

  • Grade 1: Barr Lake Trip

    As part of their year-long interdisciplinary unit on birds, first graders visit a bird sanctuary, participate in conservation efforts, and learn how similar techniques can be used at school during their field trip to Barr Lake.

  • Grade 4: Downtown Denver Bike Hike

    Each year, Grade 4 students and educators complete a 13-mile round trip ride from the Four Mile House to Confluence Park in Downtown Denver using the Cherry Creek Trail. While participating in the longtime tradition, students stop along the way for team building and to learn about Denver history. 
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Guest Speakers

Each year Graland features a variety of musicians, artists, authors and guest speakers who broaden minds and expose students to local and global issues.

Graland Country Day School

55 Clermont Street    |    Denver, CO 80220    |    303-399-0390
Graland Country Day School is a private school in Denver, Colorado, serving students in preschool, kindergarten, elementary, and middle school. Founded in Denver in 1927, Graland incorporates a rich, experiential learning approach in a traditional classroom setting, emphasizing the development of globally and socially conscious leaders who excel academically.