The world is part
of the curriculum.
Woodlawn opens the door. What ‘Blazers find on the other side has taken them to Costa Rica’s rainforests, Peru’s salt ponds, Nicaragua’s volcanoes, and classrooms in Guatemala. The world is not a field trip destination. It is where the Awareness outcome is built.
Students do not just
see the world.
They participate in it.
Through Woodlawn’s international travel program, students are immersed in cultures far from their own while exploring the art, architecture, history, language, food, and traditions of a region. Students become active participants in their experience, serving as tour guides, researching sites in advance, and sharing what they learn with the group.
On these trips, ‘Blazers shop at local markets, navigate public transportation, and make decisions as a group. They try new foods, make new friends, and return home with a perspective on the world that no classroom alone can provide. They also develop real skills: problem-solving, independence, accountability, and the ability to adapt when plans change.
Where ‘Blazers have been.
Japan
‘Blazers traveled through one of the world’s most distinct cultures, exploring the intersection of ancient tradition and modern innovation. From Kyoto’s temples to Tokyo’s neighborhoods, students experienced a country that challenges every assumption about how people organize their lives, their cities, and their relationships to one another.
Costa Rica
One of the most biologically rich places on earth. Students hiked through cloud forest, studied marine ecosystems, and worked alongside local conservation researchers. The trip connected directly to Woodlawn’s sustainability curriculum and gave students a new understanding of what it means to be a steward of the natural world, not just in theory, but in practice.
France + Germany
Two countries, two languages, and centuries of shared and contested history. Students moved through Paris and Berlin with a historian’s curiosity, visiting sites that appear in their coursework and meeting the real places where the events they study actually happened. Art, architecture, food, and the texture of daily European life gave the curriculum a new dimension.
Each destination links to a trip journal on the Woodlawn blog.
“They learn to try new things, gain a better understanding of a culture different from their own, and respect those differences. They return with a new perspective on the world and unforgettable stories to share with others.”Woodlawn School · Hahna Hayden, World Languages + Travel Abroad Program
Where the world
comes to ‘Blazers.
Through Woodlawn’s membership in the Global Online Academy, Upper School students access rigorous online courses taught by faculty from the world’s leading independent schools, working alongside peers from institutions across the globe. The world does not have to wait for the next trip.
GOA courses count toward graduation requirements, appear on the ‘Blazer transcript, and can replace a Discovery Course in grades 9 through 12. For students pursuing the Global Online Academy Pathway of Purpose, GOA courses are the heart of that designation.
Bring the world
into the conversation.
Tour Woodlawn’s campus in Mooresville, NC and meet the students and families who make this one of the most globally-minded independent schools in the Lake Norman region. Serving Davidson, Cornelius, Huntersville, and North Mecklenburg.