What is GOAL Ventures about?
Are you interested in an outdoor career? Do you enjoy hiking, camping, and visiting new places? GOAL Ventures is for you!
GOAL Ventures is a unique experiential education program that is part of the Applied and Advanced Learning department. GOAL Ventures provide class-specific core credits, contribute to life-skills development, and inspire lifelong memories.
If you're interested, please let your Academic Coach know. For additional information, feel free to reach out to any member of the GOAL Ventures staff.
Alex Bajorek – aj.bajorek@goalac.org
Cara Wicks – cm.wicks@goalac.org
Karlotta Artzt – ks.artzt@goalac.org
If you are preparing to go on a GOAL Venture:
- You must be passing your classes to sign up and attend all scheduled trips.
- Trip-specific requirements must be met.
- Complete the Paperwork packet, with parent signatures – all lines/pages must be completed!
- Attend all pre-trip meetings.
Upcoming Trips and Classes
Introduction to Outdoor Recreation
Online Schoology Class
The Introduction to Outdoor Recreation class will prepare you to attend one of our GOAL Ventures in person courses. The class will cover topics including Leave No Trace, Outdoor Recreation, Planning and Preparing and Careers in Outdoor Leadership. Students must have completed or be enrolled in the course in order to attend “GOAL Ventures – Discovery”.
Class is offered each quarter
The following classes are in-person classes with required pre-trip and/or post-trip Schoology assignments
Goal Ventures Discovery
The GOAL Ventures – Discovery courses introduce GOAL High Schools experiential learning courses. It has a focus on soft skills such as teamwork, communication, group living, and self-discovery. The capstone trip will focus on life skills such as teamwork, preparation, cooking, and social skills. Activities on the trip vary depending on class but can include icebreakers, team-building games, hiking, meal preparation, rock climbing, archery, swimming, skiing, snowshoeing and others. The 26/27 courses will travel to Granby, CO (for students in the Colorado Springs, Denver, and Northeast regions), Mancos, CO (for students in the Central, Northwest, and Southern regions), and Leadville, CO (Winter) and will have indoor accommodations. Enrollment or completion of “Introduction to Outdoor Recreation” is a pre-requisite for all “GOAL Ventures Discovery” classes.
Fall Discovery
Granby, CO
September 9-11, 2026
For students in the Colorado Springs, Denver and Northeast Regions, this course will occur during Quarter 1 and have indoor accommodations at the YMCA of the Rockies Snow Mountain Ranch. Situated alongside Rocky Mountain National Park, students will have the chance to explore the Rocky Mountains through various excursions. Activities on the 26/27 class trip may include hiking, enjoying camp activities, as well as visits to a waterfall.
Fall Discovery
Mancos, CO
September 23-25, 2026
For students in the Central, Northwest and Southern Regions, this course will occur during Quarter 1 and have indoor accommodations at Deer Hill Expeditions. Students will have the opportunity to enjoy the color-changing Rocky Mountains in all of their fall beauty. Activities on the 26/27 class trip may include hiking, enjoying camp activities, as well as exploring Mesa Verda National Park.
Winter Discovery
Leadville, CO
January 26-29, 2027
For all students across the state of Colorado, this course will occur during Quarter 3 and have indoor accommodations at the Leadville Hostel. Students can expect to spend time outdoors in the winter wonderland, while exploring the highest incorporated town in the U.S.! Throughout the week, students will have the chance to visit Ski Cooper for skiing or snowboarding lessons, snowshoe at Colorado Mountain College and discover more about other winter activities across the Rocky Mountains.
GOAL Ventures – Outdoor Leadership and Stewardship
Invitation only
October 19-24, 2026
The GOAL Ventures – Outdoor Leadership and stewardship class is an introduction to outdoor leadership. We will cover topics such as Leave No Trace, Leadership Styles, Wilderness First Aid, and Trip Planning. The class will be capped off with an overnight backpacking trip where we put these skills into practice. Upon successful completion, participants will earn a CPR/Wilderness first aid certificate. The 26/27 course will travel to Eastern Utah and will be a hybrid backpacking/camping/indoor venture. Students wanting to enroll in this class need a GOAL Ventures staff recommendation and must have attended “GOAL Ventures – Discovery” + one additional trip.
GOAL Ventures – Political Geography
Moab, UT
November 16-21, 2026
The GOAL Ventures – Political Geography course will focus on how our maps came to be. We will explore the conflict between the native populations, the western expansion of the United States and how natural resources spurred the formation of the maps you see today. The capstone trip explores the local area and how various interested parties have divided the limited lands. Activities include hiking, museum tours, and guest speakers. The 26/27 course will travel to the Moab, Utah region and will have indoor accommodation. Completion of “GOAL Ventures– Discovery” is a pre-requisite for this course.
GOAL Ventures - Outdoor Environmental Science
Green River, Utah
March 29-April 3, 2027
GOAL Ventures – Environmental Science in the Outdoors course focuses on how humans interact with the natural world. We will view these interactions through the lenses of our impact on Geology, Hydrology, and the Flora and Fauna of the region. Students will apply their skills in an outdoor environment and earn a Leave No Trace certificate. Activities include hiking, camping, meal preparation, rafting, and scrambling. The 26/27 course will travel to Green River, UT and will be a camping-based venture. Completion of Introduction to Outdoor Recreation and GOAL Ventures – Discovery is a pre-requisite for this course.
Land Use and Government Organizations
Carlsbad, New Mexico & Guadalupe Mountain National Park, Texas
May 6-14, 2027
The GOAL Ventures – Land Use and Government Organizations course will focus on the various state, federal and native organizations, and how they work together to manage our public and private lands. We will explore various organizations such as the National Park Service, Local State Parks services, Bureau of Land Management, and many more. On trip activities include camping, meal preparation, hiking, service learning, federal and local organization tours, and guest speakers. The 26/27 course will travel to Southern New Mexico as well as SW Texas and will be a camping-based venture. Completion of Introduction to Outdoor Recreation and GOAL Ventures – Discovery is a pre-requisite for this course.
“In its simplest form, experiential learning means learning from experience or learning by doing. experiential education first immerses learners in an experience and then encourages reflection about the experience to develop new skills, new attitudes, or new ways of thinking.”