Discover America is a unique program available to St. Marcus scholars made possible by your support! Scholars will be taking off in June for experiential learning opportunities around the country to visit colleges, stand in awe of God’s creation, learn at museums, and take in history!
Scholars experience learning beyond the borders of the campus. 5th grade scholars learn about Midwestern industries and environments as they explore Wisconsin. 6th grade travels west to South Dakota and will discover the Badlands and Mount Rushmore. 7th grade engages with culture and climate as they learn about the Southwest and Arizona’s indigenous populations. 8th grade dives into the past in a southeastern Civil Rights experience, witnessing the work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and other great Americans and activists.
Students commit to these journeys and earn a place as a traveler by demonstrating strong character and responsibility in and out of the classroom. Once invited on the trip, they spread the love of Jesus, embrace opportunities to experience history and nature, tour colleges, challenge themselves physically and mentally, and return from their travels with a renewed sense of self and purpose. The Discover America experience instills in students a cultural awareness and spiritual urgency beyond the reach of classroom learning, both of which motivate students to see learning and service as lifelong endeavors.
In order to develop a sense of ownership and investment in the trips, 5th and 6th grade students fundraise $275, and 7th and 8th graders raise nearly $350 for the longer, more extensive trips.
The amount individual students fundraise only covers a small portion of the cost of the trips. To cover the remainder of the cost, students seek out friends who would be willing to contribute towards the remaining cost. Students write letters requesting support.
Simply put, donors make it possible for St. Marcus students to receive the incredible benefits – educational, social, emotional, and spiritual – that come from traveling around this great nation. The Discover America Program would not be possible without the generous support of these individuals.
When donors make a gift to support trips, the funds do not go into individual student accounts or count towards individual student fundraising. In this way, a student who receives a significant gift from a donor (over $1,000 for example) benefits as much as a student who receives a smaller gift.
