Fall Project Week

Fifth-graders enjoy Camp McDowell Environmental Camp where they have fun exploring the 900-acre outdoor classroom. The hands-on science program helps students understand the natural world with such classes as “Forest Critters,” “Pond and Stream,” “Down to Earth,” and “Rock Query.” Other activities include outdoor fun and games and a night hike. Students learn team-building and problem-solving skills while they get to know their new classmates.

Seventh grade students travel to Wahsega 4H Camp in Dahlonega, Georgia, where they raft on the Ocoee River, visit the Historical Gold Rush Museum, and participate in activities focused on forest and stream ecology, orienteering, team building, and outdoor and wilderness survival skills. 

Eighth grade students travel to the Great Smoky Mountains in Tennessee, where they will explore Gatlinburg and visit Great Smoky Mountain National Park. They will view wildlife, hike some of the park’s 800 trails, and learn area history ranging from ancient Native Americans to Roosevelt's New Deal. Students will also participate in leadership programming, team building activities, and a visit to Dollywood Theme Park.

Ninth grade students will travel to Disney World in Orlando, Florida, for leadership and team building programming. As ninth grade is a large entry point for new students and the first year students are a part of the Upper School, this trip provides a unique opportunity for students to bond as a class.

The focus of the 10th grade trip is teen mental health. Altamont has partnered with the organization Teen Mental Health First Aid, operated by the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, to give our students tools to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental illnesses and substance disorders. Students will divide their time between group fun at Disney World and Teen Mental Health training back at Altamont.

Juniors will take day trips to a variety of colleges and universities in the Southeast, including a large public university, a tier-1 research institution, a small liberal arts college, an HBCU, and a specialized school. Junior families have the option to opt out of the school-offered day trips in order to take their own independent college trips during FPW.

Seniors choose from multiple trip options, which vary year-to-year.