A REI Prep Academic Initiative
Fieldwork
Real-World Learning. Real Industry Experience. No Shortcuts.
FIELDWORK takes REI Prep students beyond the classroom and into the sports industry itself — combining credit-bearing coursework, optional real-world travel and student-built projects that turn observation into industry work.
REI Prep is not currently an official partner of Banana Ball, Sixthman, Bananaland at Sea, or Norwegian Cruise Line.
The Initiative
Learning that leaves the classroom.
FIELDWORK is REI Prep's permanent experiential-learning initiative. It connects what students study in class — academics, sports, business and culture — to real experiences inside the sports industry, while opening a direct window into professional career exploration.
Bananaland at Sea is FIELDWORK's inaugural featured experience — the first of many planned experiential-learning opportunities, not the entire program. And students who don't travel aren't left behind: every experience pairs with meaningful non-travel project tracks that deliver the same learning.
Representational imagery. Student media is a core FIELDWORK track.
Academics
Credit-bearing coursework built around real industry events, with projects that count toward graduation.
Sports
Behind-the-scenes exposure to modern sports and sports-entertainment — how the game is staged, sold and broadcast.
Business
Revenue models, marketing, event production and analytics taught through a live, traveling sports property.
Culture
Exploring the communities, places and people that shape the sports-entertainment experience.
Career Exploration
Direct contact with the professionals and career paths that power the sports industry.
The Result
Every FIELDWORK cycle ends with a public showcase of student documentaries, campaigns and research — a portfolio students keep.
Built for every REI Prep pathway.
Featured Course · Spring 2028
The Business of Banana Ball: Sports, Entertainment & Global Experiences
FIELDWORK's flagship proposed elective for Spring 2028 is a full-semester course built around the rise of Banana Ball and the traveling sports-entertainment economy — culminating in an optional, real-world travel experience for participating students.
Curriculum at a Glance
01
The Rise of Banana Ball
How a barnstorming idea became a national sports-entertainment movement — and what it teaches about innovation in sport.
02
Sports-Entertainment Business Models
Touring revenue, ticketing, merchandise and media — the economics behind a show that never stops moving.
03
Event Production & Game Operations
Staging a traveling production: venues, logistics, operations and fan experience at scale.
04
Marketing, Branding & Fan Engagement
Building a brand that turns casual fans into a movement — campaigns, content and community.
05
The Global Sports Economy
International expansion, sports tourism and how live experiences travel across markets.
06
Travel & Hospitality Logistics
Planning and evaluating large-scale sports travel experiences — the industry students experience firsthand.
Student Learning Outcomes
What students walk away able to do.
- Analyze the business models and revenue streams behind a modern sports-entertainment property
- Design a complete sports marketing campaign, from audience research to creative rollout
- Produce documentary and social content documenting a live sports-entertainment experience
- Apply business analytics to attendance, pricing and fan-engagement data
- Research and present industry career pathways to a real audience
Inaugural Featured Experience
Bananaland at Sea
January 14–21, 2028
A proposed educational travel experience for FIELDWORK students: a weeklong sports-entertainment cruise experience studied as a living case in event production, marketing, hospitality and fan culture. Travel is completely optional and booked directly by families — students who do not travel complete an equivalent alternate project track.
Fall 2027
Pre-Travel Coursework
Students complete the pre-travel units of The Business of Banana Ball, form project teams and build research plans, documentary storyboards and marketing briefs before departure.
January 14–21, 2028
The Experience · Bananaland at Sea
The proposed travel week. Students attend the Bananaland at Sea experience as a student-research cohort — observing event production, completing field assignments and documenting the journey for their projects.
Spring 2028
Capstone & Showcase
Students turn fieldwork into finished work: documentary edits, marketing campaigns, analytics reports and career research presented at a public FIELDWORK showcase.
Bookings are made directly with the travel provider.
January 14–21, 2028
Representational imagery.
Disclaimer
Bananaland at Sea is a proposed educational travel experience. REI Prep is not currently an official partner of Banana Ball, Sixthman, Bananaland at Sea, or Norwegian Cruise Line. REI Prep does not book travel, collect travel payments or serve as a travel agency for this experience. All travel arrangements are the responsibility of participating families.
Student Projects
The work is the point.
Every FIELDWORK experience produces real student work — researched, produced and presented like industry work, not homework. Each student selects a project track and builds it across the semester under faculty guidance, whether they travel or not.
Documentary Production
Students plan, shoot and edit a short documentary chronicling the FIELDWORK experience — from the first research call to the final showcase.
Sports Marketing
Build a real marketing campaign — audience research, creative concepts and a social rollout — for a sports-entertainment property.
Career Research
Map career pathways across the sports industry, research the roles that power live events and publish a career guide.
Business Analytics
Analyze attendance, pricing, engagement and revenue data to produce a business insights report.
Cultural Exploration
Study the communities, places and cultures connected to the traveling experience and what they teach about fan culture.
Digital Storytelling
Produce social content, photo essays and written features documenting the journey for real audiences.
Cultural exploration is a FIELDWORK project track.
The FIELDWORK Fund
Experience shouldn't depend on the zip code.
The FIELDWORK Fund is a proposed travel-assistance and sponsorship initiative designed to help make experiential learning more accessible for participating students. Through community sponsorships and industry partnerships, we are building support for students whose families want them in the room, on the deck and behind the camera.
The fund is in development. Student assistance is not guaranteed, and eligibility criteria will be shared with interest-list families as the program develops.
Become a Sponsor
How Sponsors Power FIELDWORK
Travel assistance
Contributions toward student travel experiences in development for future cohorts.
Program & project support
Backing course materials, production equipment and student showcases.
Industry partnership
Guest speakers, site visits and real-world input from industry professionals.
Family Interest List
Join the interest list.
Let us know your family is interested in FIELDWORK and we'll send updates as the program develops. This form is nonbinding — it simply keeps you informed.
Sponsor / Industry Partner
Back the next generation of sports industry talent.
Sponsor the FIELDWORK Fund, support a course or project, host a site visit or share your industry experience with students. Tell us how you'd like to get involved.
Questions