Programs

Sophomore Western Immersion

As a sophomore, you’ll spend three days at our Mountain Campus immersed in the Western experience. Weaving together the disciplines of science, literature, history and art, you’ll see firsthand how the Western landscape has shaped the people, the history and culture of the region.
The majesty and inescapable presence of Pikes Peak will have inspired generations of FVS students. Our Western Immersion Program (WIP) provides sophomores with the opportunity to deepen their own relationship with the Rocky Mountain landscape so that they can truly understand the spirit of the American West.

The inspiration for WIP came from the writings of Wallace Stegner, who believed that a landscape could inspire humans to their highest calling through a process he referred to as “poetry of place.” WIP will inspire you to explore the natural environment and create your own poetry of place by becoming intimately acquainted with the Arkansas River Valley and Collegiate Peaks Wilderness which surround our mountain campus. 
You’ll participate in three all-day academic blocks using the outdoors as your classroom. One of the blocks is an all-day ecology and nature writing seminar that explores the relationship between Colorado’s life zones and descriptive writing. You will travel from forest to treeline and then venture into the rugged high-alpine tundra learning along the way how life adapts to survive in this unforgiving environment. You’ll separate to find quiet places where you can take in your surroundings, reflect upon what you’ve learned and record it in your field journal using drawings, prose and poetry.
The second block is an art program. You’ll observe, sketch and collect natural objects and turn them into art that reflects the connections you feel to the environment. The third block will take you to Leadville where you’ll explore the human history of the silver mining era of the late 1800s. After the sun sets, you’ll gather around the fire for presentations from faculty and special guests or visit the Mt. Princeton Hot Springs.
FVS is a private, college-preparatory, co-ed, day and boarding school for grades 9-12 in Colorado Springs.
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