Explore!

Spend your days kayaking, fishing, and exploring this rural Chesapeake tributary. Your group will visit an historic tidewater nature preserve and hike along shoreline trails. Evenings will include riverside campfires and moonlit paddle outings. This two-day and one-night tent camping trip along the lovely Sassafras River is perfect for outdoor enthusiasts. 

Stamina: Active
Location: Mostly Outdoors
Housing: Camping

Are you interested in birds, birding, bird-watching, bird behavior, or exploring the diversity of habitat types found on the Upper Eastern Shore? Come spend two days with us learning all about birds. We will explore mature woodland areas at Adkins Arboretum in search of late breeding birds, visit Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge to enjoy the spectacle of thousands of shorebirds staging before flying to South America, and spend a morning banding birds at Foreman's Branch Bird Observatory gaining an appreciation of birds up close. We will of course take a moment between looking for birds to appreciate all wildlife and biodiversity at these locations like colorful butterflies, predatory dragonflies along with interesting native plants. All interest levels are welcome and encouraged. No experience is required.

Stamina: Moderate
Location: Mostly Outdoors
Housing: Residence Hall

Did you know that we have a wildlife sanctuary on campus where we grow apples and pears, keep chickens and bees, and practice wildcrafting? In this outdoor intensive program you'll explore the connection between food, environment, and personal resilience by planting fall herbs, harvesting produce, making compost, inspecting bee hives, hiking at a nature preserve, swimming in the Chesapeake Bay, and kayaking by sunset on the Chester River. Along the way we'll visit local restaurants while discussing the relationship between food, health, and personal well-being. 

Stamina: Active
Housing: Residence Hall

Ready to discover your new home away from home? Grab your map and compass to explore the campus, Chestertown, and the Eastern Shore! You'll embark on a scavenger hunt around campus, check out the farmers market, and visit local attractions. It's a day full of adventure, camaraderie, and unforgettable fun—an exciting start to your journey at Washington College!

Stamina: Moderate
Housing: Residence Hall

Experience the fun of a laid-back Maryland summer day with outdoor activities like Cornhole, whiffleball, Paddle boarding, Can jam, and all the other summertime favorite games.  This explore will spend time at the boathouse enjoying the waterfront and experiencing a Maryland summer Barbecue.  Crab feast and Grilling competition for food! 

Stamina: Moderate
Housing: Residence Hall

Come join the Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience and the Sultana Education Foundation as we sail the Chester River in a replica eighteenth-century ship! The first day will be spent at the Sultana's Holt Center (downtown), where students will have hands-on learning experiences to gain a deeper understanding about the history of the region. On the second and third day, we sail! Be prepared to get acquainted with rigging! We camp overnight onshore and sail back on Day Three. There will be water-based activities, and some moderate activity will be required. Meals will be provided by the Sultana Education Foundation.

Stamina: Moderate
Location: Mostly Outdoors
Housing: Camping

Navigate the Chester River aboard the skipjack Elsworth and buy boat Annie D historic wooden workboats and living legacies of Maryland history. On day one you will meet your crew and bond with the team, staying overnight at Echo Hill Outdoor School's rustic lodge and campus. Day two will be spent on the river fishing, meeting local watermen, and exploring the ecology of rural coastlines along the Chester River.  "Chesapeake Scenes" a live riverside concert celebrating the beauty and heritage of the bay culminates the experience.

Stamina: Active
Housing: Rustic Lodge

Immerse yourself in an ecologically rich and adventurous bayside retreat. On Echo Hill Outdoor School's extensive challenge course participants have the opportunity to set goals, design individual challenges, and support one another. Climb the Giant's Ladder -  Soar down the Zip Line - Swoosh through the air on the Giant Swing - Boost your confidence and support your group in this great outdoor adventure - Make meaningful memories bonding with friends and exploring in nature. All activities are by choice - students reside at the air conditioned retreat lodge.

Stamina: Active
Location: Mostly Outdoors
Housing: Rustic Lodge

Are you a beach lover? Do you enjoy having fun and getting in some physical activity? Learn Beach tennis, one of the fastest growing sports in the world! Beach tennis is a combination of beach volleyball, tennis and badminton. The sport is fast moving, fun and easy to learn and play. Come make new friends while soaking up the sand and sun at Betterton Beach and getting a great workout too. No experience or equipment necessary. Choose this Explore! if you want to engage in high level fitness activity.

Stamina: Active
Location: Mostly Outdoors
Housing: Residence Hall

Sailboats, big and small, have long been a part of the working and recreational environment on Maryland's Eastern Shore. Come learn about the history of sailing on the bay and learn the basics for recreational sailing on the Chester River. No prior sailing experience needed to enjoy this adventure.

Stamina: Active
Location: Mostly Outdoors
Housing: Residence Hall

The Horseback Riding Explore Program is designed to introduce students to the fundamentals of riding in a supportive and hands-on environment. Participants learn basic horsemanship skills, riding techniques, and proper horse care while building confidence and teamwork. Whether you're new to riding or looking to gain more experience, this program offers a fun and educational opportunity to connect with horses and develop practical skills both in and out of the saddle.

Stamina: Active
Location: Mostly Outdoors
Housing: Residence Hall

Year One is a mid-energy program designed specifically for college freshmen ready to start strong. It”s built around strength, conditioning, and smart nutrition habits, this program helps you build confidence, boost performance, and create routines that last beyond your first year. It's not just about working out — it's about leveling up your mindset, discipline, and lifestyle from day one.

Stamina: Moderate
Location: Mostly Indoors
Housing: Residence Hall

Did you love high school gym class? Are intramural sports your favorite pastime? Let's get you ready for Washington College sports with two days of competition, and more. Enjoy a variety of WC intramural sports and talking ball while learning about your new school. All experience levels welcome.  

Stamina: Active
Housing: Residence Hall

Grab your clubs, it's time for an Urban Golf extravaganza! Students will get the chance to play Urban Golf - real clubs, but using tennis balls - all across their new campus in a truly college athletic experience.

Stamina: Active
Location:  Mostly Outdoors
Housing: Residence Hall

Relax, get creative, and make new friends as you cross-stitch your way into life at Washington College! All levels are welcome, experience to church will help beginners learn while everyone works on a small personal project and contributes to a shared creation Will explore cozy spots around town as we craft and connect before classes begin.

Stamina: Low Key
Location: Mostly Indoors
Housing: Residence Halls

Are you ready to shine under the spotlight? Step into the world of acting, creativity, and collaboration in this fast-paced, two-day performing arts experience designed for incoming freshmen. Whether you're a seasoned performer or just curious about the stage, this is your chance to explore your dramatic side and connect with the Washington College community. In just two days, you'll dive into character building, movement, and voice work, all while preparing to create and perform a short play. 

Stamina: Moderate Housing: Residence Hall

This Explore! Program examines quilting as a dynamic and evolving art form, where tradition meets innovation.  Students will experience quilting's transformation from a practical craft to a powerful medium of artistic expression, studying both traditional and contemporary quilt artists, cultural influences, experimental techniques, and the role of textiles in fine art.  Through hands-on projects and immersive experiences, students will engage with color theory, composition, mixed media, sustainable textile practices, and emerging technologies - including artificial intelligence in quilt design.  Emphasizing storytelling activism, sustainability, and creative risk-taking, this Explore! Program challenges students to push the boundaries of quilting beyond function into bold artistic expression.  

Stamina: Low-Key
Location: Mostly Indoors
Housing: Residence Hall

Gain an appreciation for the rich visual arts that abound in Kent County! Activities include art gallery tours, demonstrations, and hands-on projects with clay, photography, and paint. Sessions will be led by the professional artists of Chestertown RiverArts. RiverArts is a local nonprofit in the heart of Chestertown that offers Community Creativity and Connection through the Arts.

Stamina: Low-Key
Location: Mostly Indoors
Housing: Residence Hall

Stamina: Low-Key
Location: Mostly Indoors
Housing: Residence Hall

A fun, active exploration of the monuments and memorials of the National Mall and Capitol Hill, plus dinner and overnight in Washington, DC

Stamina: Active
Housing: Hotel

Stamina: Low-Key
Housing: Residence Halls

If you've ever thought “I want to make things better, but I have no idea where to start,” this is your adventure. Join program leaders from the Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience and the Office of Intercultural Affairs as you road-trip around the Eastern Shore to the actual spots where people met, spoke up, and changed the course of Maryland history. You'll stand in the rooms and on the streets where big decisions were made, hear real stories from today's organizers, and see that “making a difference” is something real people do, not just heroes in textbooks. Expect movement, music, good conversation, and chances to snap some great photos along the way. By the end, you'll have new friends, a better feel for your new home along the Chesapeake Bay, and at least one concrete idea for how you might start creating change here.

Stamina: Moderate
Housing: Residence Hall

Who gets to decide what makes it into a museum's collection? Whose stories are lifted up to be included on the panels, audio tours, and online displays that show us as learners what is important to know about history? Conversely, which parts of history are not on display, and why? Perhaps most importantly, what can you, as a Washington College student, do if you want to participate in how history is told in public spaces?

In this orientation program, we will consider how public spaces of history, like museums, walking tours and monuments tell their stories. We will explore the local history of Chestertown, and of Kent County, by visiting local historical sites and meeting with some of our community's great historians. We will speak with people doing behind-the-scenes work in some of our region's most interesting museums and cultural sites. Finally, we will partner with a local museum to help them begin the process of telling their story to the wider world by digitizing objects in their collection and building a virtual museum tour.

Stamina: Moderate
Location: Mostly Indoors
Housing: Residence Hall

This program uses a basic fundamental college student food, pizza, to dive deep into important food, diet and health issues connecting participants with what they eat on a powerful level! While spending 3 days making a pizza entirely from scratch we will learn about, discuss and address topics including food access, sourcing locally, ethically and sustainably, and cooking to maximize the taste, safety and nutritional quality of food. While participating in the program we will also use nutrition, biology, chemistry, math, anthropology, and physics. The class culminates in each student cooking and eating their own wood fired pizza using ingredients they made entirely from scratch themselves.

Stamina: Low-Key
Location: Mostly Indoors
Residence Hall

Begin your college journey by exploring the leader within you. Finding Your Leadership Voice is an interactive first-days experience designed to help new students reflect, connect, and discover their strengths. Through guided journaling, a reflective walk in the woods, and an introduction to CliftonStrengths, students will begin to understand their natural talents and how they can contribute to their community. This program encourages thoughtful self-discovery and helps students start their college experience with confidence, purpose, and a foundation for leadership.

Stamina: Moderate
Location: Mostly Indoors
Housing: Residence Hall