Quest is a program of the Crossing, a campus ministry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison committed to service, peace, social justice, the celebration of diversity, and environmental consciousness.

The first Quest student group, inspired by the tragedy of September 11, traveled to Israel/Palestine in 2003 to learn about the peace-making process in the Middle East. They spoke with to Jewish, Muslim, and Christian leaders all working for peace in the region and discussed the possibilities for reconciliation.

Along with additional trips back to the Middle East, later Quests have also traveled to Costa Rica, Northern Ireland, Mexico, Kenya, Nepal, the Badlands of South Dakota and the Florida Everglades. Each Quest has a theme — such as forgiveness, social justice, environmental stewardship, or sense of place — that helps each student connect deeply with the destination and with their fellow travelers and to grow as a spiritual being and knowledgeable citizen of the earth.

We are always interested in sending a Quest group to a new place or embracing a new theme to link with a destination, so contact us if you have an idea you’d like to share.

Here's what we look for in a Quest destination:

Cultural Diversity: We seek places that offer an opportunity for students to interact with people who have different experiences and assumptions about life, religion, politics, race relations, etc. Few Quests are “cultural immersion” experiences, but it’s important for students to be nudged a bit out of their comfort zones.

Poignant Problems: While most places on Earth have a share of political and cultural strife or looming environmental threats, we seek Quest destinations that particularly highlight some of the most pressing problems of our time. Sometimes this means going to risky places, and sometimes to places that make you sad or angry. We try to find places that make you think, and encourage you to care.

Off the Beaten Tourist Path: We don’t key in on major tourist destinations, or try to hit all the highlights a place has to offer. We try to emphasize quality over quantity of experiences, seeking out special places and people with rare knowledge, experience, and talents to share. We don’t want anyone’s Quest to feel like just the same trip that thousands of other people have taken.

Fun: Simple and obvious, but hugely important. We look for places that students will find beautiful, energizing, and inspiring. If the locale is a tourist hub, we try to find a way into unexplored corners so we can see the place from an angle that few others have. Quests are always playful, so we seek places that offer adventure and opportunities to kick back when the time is right.

When we're exploring themes for our trips, we consider:

Who Cares?: Good Quest themes touch the heart of today’s pressing social, spiritual  and environmental issues. For a Quest to capture attention on campus, students need to know enough about an issue to know that they’d like to learn more.

A Spiritual Side: While a theme does not have to be “religious” in any sense, it’s best if the theme inspires participants to involve and engage their whole self- moral, spiritual, emotional, intellectual- in dialogue.

A Bridge: Successful themes encourage cross-fertilization between different spiritual, intellectual, and cultural traditions. It’s best for a theme to open up questions, not to draw boundaries.