The 8th Grade Expedition is a unique travel opportunity offered each June exclusively to 8th grade students in Hingham through our dear friends at Grand Classroom.  The 24-25 Expedition marks our 18th National Parks adventure.


Over the history of the 8th Grade Expedition, over 900 Hingham students have spent a week exploring the beautiful U.S. National Parks.

Past Expeditions have included Grand Canyon, Zion, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, Arches, Monument Valley, Craters of the Moon, Grand Teton, Yellowstone, Kenai Fjords and Denali National Parks in Alaska, Death Valley and Yosemite, the Pacific Northwest parks of Mt. Rainier and Olympic, Mesa Verde, Black Canyon of the Gunnison, Rocky Mountain, Hawaii Volcanoes, Glacier, and Puerto Rico.  Trip activities have included active adventures such as hiking, zipline, mountain biking, rafting, kayaking, rock climbing, off-road touring, camping and horseback riding in some of the most beautiful places on the planet. 

8th Grade Expedition

About Us...

The 8th Grade Expedition is a true “Expedition” travel experience. 


Travelers participate in events throughout the school year to prepare for the physical, social, emotional, and mental challenges that the Expedition presents to them.  The events and activities leading up to the trip (including teambuilding and outdoor training sessions) enable all travelers to access the natural world with confidence, maturity, and appreciation as part of a cohesive traveling community.


Trip chaperones, in coordination with our Grand Classroom guides and local resources, create a rich and authentic set of social, physical, and academic experiences before our adventure through pre-trip events including our “Campfire Classroom” evening, "Trek Team Sessions" after school, and our “Expedition Boot Camp” weekend.  These elements prepare the travelers to take all they can from our community and destinations.  It grants them ownership of their trip and allows for a better understanding of all that the travel experience has to offer.


The 8th Grade Expedition is unmatched in its ability to teach students how to be competent and confident travelers.  It creates new friendships, and builds self-confidence at a critical developmental stage in a student’s life.  Its an exciting and unique learning experience that instills of a sense of adventure, love of travel, and appreciation for the natural world. 


The 8th Grade Expedition is a community-based program run by Expedition Directors Gregg Wachtelhausen and Mark McCulloch (of Hingham Middle School), and is chaperoned by an outstanding set of beloved, veteran educators with experience in student travel, outdoor adventure-based programming, and a passion for helping young people explore the beautiful places of our country.


as we approach our 20th year of Expedition travel, we reinforce that this experience has never been intended to be the "class trip” - it is truly enrichment travel.  The Expedition is not sponsored by the Hingham Public Schools and is run in the summer between middle and high school and exists as its own independent program.


The 8th Grade Expedition is deeply valued by travelers, families, and teachers alike. It stands as a defining experience in the educational lives of Hingham students who have traveled with the program in the past and a springboard for future travelers.  We are proud to say that the 8th Grade Expedition of Hingham rates as the “best student-travel experience” out of hundreds of programs nationwide coordinated by Grand Classroom.


Please visit our Expedition Philosophies page to learn about the inspirations for our travels.