Urban Odyssey

New York

Twenty teachers hefted 40-pound packs onto their backs and stepped uncertainly into a summer night’s drizzle.

Walking single file under a rusty railway trestle, past honking cars, these explorers were embarking on what would be an exhausting and exhilarating weeklong foray into urban America, but more importantly, into their own hearts and minds. They came here from city, suburb, and small town, from the coasts and the heartland, to be part of an expedition designed to make them better teachers by examining their beliefs and biases.

Trekking through four of New York City’s five boroughs, they were immersed often 15 hours a day in activities as diverse as visiting a Sikh temple, talking with students, learning salsa dancing, climbing a ropes course, and handing out sandwiches to homeless people in a park. They slept communally on the floors of community centers, an...