Pacific Discovery: Polynesian Journey Semester Program

Join us on an epic journey recreating the path our Polynesian ancestors traveled through the Pacific (Hawaii, Fiji and New Zealand)! Our 70 - day semester offers you an enriching and insightful fusion of environmental service projects, cultural immersion, personal development, and, of course, non-stop adventure!You will learn all about the varied Polynesian culture,from the origins of Hawaii’s Aloha spirit to the modern-day villages of Fiji and cities of New Zealand. You will absorb, explore, interact with, and understand the beautiful diversity and development of culture throughout the region. Your days will be as varied as the countries you visit, with a fusion of hands-on project work, connecting with locals during village stays, camping under the stars, and seriously healthy doses of mountains and beaches.The who, what, and why of the Polynesian journey is not entirely understood by historians, although there are some agreed-upon facts that have established a rough picture of the narrative. Polynesians are primarily from Asian descent, and despite there being conflicting reports as to why they embarked on their original journeys, we now recognize that they were most certainly intentional and not accidental. Explorers took enough mating pairs, plants, and animals needed to establish sustainable colonies. Considering the lack of maps and sailing routes, it was likely they used the stars as navigational devices, and the trade winds as natural support. Over the course of the next 800 years, they explored and settled every single habitable island in the Pacific, including Hawaii, and Fiji. Their final destination brought them to the shores of Polynesia’s largest land mass, New Zealand.