Rather than miss another year of travel due to the COVID-19 pandemic (you will notice that there were no trips in 2020), TVS teamed up with students and staff from the Young Women’s Leadership Academy in Fort Worth to EXPLORE OUR OWN BACKYARD!
“Experience Fort Worth” was a 2-week, all-day, Mon-Fri glocal experience that focused on learning about Fort Worth, ourselves, and where we fit within our communities. We had discussions about diversity, equity, belonging, and empathy and what causes the poverty cycle and possible solutions, we interviewed 5 diverse and dynamic local leaders, and we visited a number of spots–both new and old to us–to make our travel WITHIN a meaningful and purposeful experience. Students had to learn about Fort Worth not just for the program, but because THEY DESIGNED most of our activities, where we ate, and who we interviewed in Week II. Interspersed in all this experiential learning were REFLECTIONS and DISCUSSIONS, including a careful look at what skills we learned during the program.
“Experience Fort Worth” was two weeks of important and powerful learning about ourselves and our community to develop more informed and better prepared students and citizens!
This program was made possible by the very generous financial support of the Once Upon a Time Foundation, the Fort Worth Rotary Club, the Young Women’s Leadership Academy Fort Worth Foundation, and Andre McEwing (TVS ’79), and Fort Worth Councilwoman Ann Zadeh (for donating “Molly pins”), Fort Worth Sister Cities International and the Fort Worth Blue Zones Project (for donating water bottles), and Visit Fort Worth (for maps). The financial support and gifts-in-kind made the program extremely affordable for all the students and enabled us to design a tremendously meaningful program.
We are also grateful to the time and sharing of personal and professional experiences from K. Farmer (BNSF), A. Landeros (Fort Worth Hispanic Chamber of Commerce), S. Herrera (LGBT Saves), R. Martinez (FWISD Board Trustee), & L. King (Tarrant County Homeless Coalition). We also appreciate the tour guide at the Vintage Flying Museum and Mr. Austin, Jr. of the Western Multicultural Heritage Museum for giving us such personalized tours. Thanks, too, to Kate Roemer (TVS ’23) for designing our logo.
Finally, this program would not have succeeded without the support of Principal Albury (YWLA), Head of School Lowry (TVS), Mrs. Oliver (YWLA staff and PERFECT Kayaking partner), Ms. Bellizan (YWLA CET teacher and Chaperone Partner Extraordinaire), Mrs. Ellis and Mrs. Duncan for leading us up challenge courses and down river, Dr. Jones (TVS Diversity, Equity, & Community Dir), and Mrs. Channell (TVS Upper School Assist Head).
Day 1: Breakout Box Challenge 
Teamwork = Success! 
Thank you, Mr. McEwing, for lunch! 
Day 1: Downtown walking tour 
Reflection @ the Quiet Pool 
THE SUPER SEVEN
Day 2: learning about ourselves & Fort Worth, lunch @ local foods kitchen, & challenge & ropes course activities
(Click on an image to enlarge)
Day 3: train ride (tre) from FW to Dallas for the holocaust & human rights museum
JFK Memorial
Day 4: Interview w/ K. Farmer (BNSF, Pres/CEO) & Stockyards scavenger hunt
day 5: Interview w/ A. Landeros (FW hispanic chamber of commerce, Pres/ceo), lunch from carpenter’s, & volunteering @ tarrant area food bank
Week ii — Day 6: Kayaking along the trinity river, lunch @ picchi pacchi, & discussions about poverty and life economics
day 7 (student choice): interview w/ S. herrera (LGBT Saves, exec dir/founder), lunch @ pho district, & tours of the b.r.i.t, japanese & botanic gardens
day 8 (student choice): interview w/ R. martinez (fwisd board, trustee; roxstar marketing, pres), Diversity/equity/ belonging discussions, lunch @ taste project, trinity park playground, & Melt
day 9 (student choice): hiking @ FW Nature center & refuge (incl. bison sighting) & escape room (they escaped!)
day 10 (student choice): interview w/ l. king (tarrant county homeless coalition, exec dir), vintage flying museum, lunch @ los paisanos, national multicultural western heritage museum & hall of fame, & closing party with families
These pictures may say a thousand words, but they can’t truly express the AWESOMENESS of the students–their ability to be humble, grateful, and reflective, their open-mindedness and willingness to move beyond their comfort zones physically, cognitively, and emotionally, and their overall sense of positivity and friendship.
Thank you, SUPER SEVEN, for making
EXPERIENCE FORT WORTH
an incredible program for EVERYONE involved!
Experience Fort Worth was the brain-child of leaders in the Fort Worth Rotary Club, the Young Women's Leadership Academy of Fort Worth, and Trinity Valley School. For more information or to learn about Experience Fort Worth 2022 contact Dr. Michael Roemer, Trinity Valley School Director of Global Education and EFW Program Coordinator.
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