Travel opportunities break down cultural barriers as students evolve into global citizens
All aboard! The West travel train left its summer station and brought Wildcat nation to all sorts of adventures. Many students reaped the benefits of study abroad programs, such as the Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE), and the biennial England trip coordinated through the English department.
Global Academy English teacher William Brydon has led an England trip with Education First “EF” for the past four years. This trip dives into some of the content included in the global curriculum. Students learn more than curriculum, but important life lessons, according to Brydon.
“The England trip is through the English departments where we are trying to get students out of the building, out of the community, and really out of the country, to try and connect deeply with some of the text that we are covering,” he said. “We also try to connect with empathy because it’s our department’s belief that literature opens up worlds and so does travel.”
Brydon doesn't go about this adventure alone, as other teachers tag along to help out.
“Mrs. [Tyler] Van Sistine and Mr. [Justin] Hable have done three of the four that I've led, just because it's really helpful to have people that you trust and rely on and that have been through the experience before so they’re co-heads,” he said. “They are really good at stepping up when I need them to.”
Junior Hailey Knutson, who went on the trip this past June, decided to grab the opportunity because of Brydon’s leadership. She also felt it would be an unconventional learning experience.
“I decided to go on the England trip because Mr. Brydon is one of my favorite teachers and I knew that it would be a good experience for me,” she said. “It’s more than just a travel experience, it could be a learning experience of things you wouldn't normally learn if you were just sitting in a classroom.”
This was definitely true, as senior Emma Anderson gained unique knowledge about things she would not have learned otherwise.
“I think I gained a lot of historical knowledge about England that I didn't know, like architectural knowledge, which I thought was really cool because I’ve always been interested in buildings and architecture,” she said. “We saw a lot of really cool old churches and a lot of them had connections to old English kings and queens, so that was cool to learn about.”
Junior Annabelle Schmitz appreciates the life skills gained from traveling without depending on parents.
“I definitely would say I gained independence because it’s a lot to go to the other side of the world on your own without your parents,” she said. “I think it’s important to understand different countries other than the one you were born into so I think just the experience is important.”
Although these trips may be expensive, there are certainly ways around that, as EF hands out scholarships to lucky students.
“EF usually selects a golden ticket traveler and they get a 500 dollar scholarship to travel with us,” Brydon said.
Not only is it possible to get a scholarship with EF, but CIEE also has the opportunity to earn money to travel. Spanish teacher Marisa Karll, the West representative, encourages students to travel.
“CIEE is a non-profit organization that West has been partnered with for over 10 years,” she said. “It’s an organization where they give scholarship funds to students who are interested in studying abroad. They have summer abroad programs, semester abroad, gap year or even a full year abroad.”
Some students may not have the opportunity to travel abroad, and these scholarships help to give them that once in a lifetime opportunity.
“Every student should at least have the opportunity to study abroad if they want to and this is an organization that does administer scholarship money,” Karll said. “Going abroad is very expensive and this hopefully helps those students who want to take this chance and opportunity to learn a new culture, to learn a new language, get out in the world and explore and get outside the city of Oshkosh.”
There are endless destination possibilities for students to choose from, as well as many different study topics and programs.
“There are over 35 destinations that students can study abroad in with over 40 programs,” Karll said. “The programs range from language and culture, so if you want to learn a new language, be truly immersed in the language and culture of the country. There's also topic programs where students can look into programs that focus on STEM, arts and culture, and social justice.”
There are many different opportunities with CIEE, with one being the chance to get involved in a foreign community. Students also have the ability to earn awards for completing certain programs.
“Some of the programs do have a focus on service learning, so you can get up to 50 hours of community service,” Karll said. “You also have a chance depending on the program, especially the language programs, to get college credits for completing a four week program. If they increase their fluency in that language they can earn the Global Seal of Biliteracy so it’s just something that they can add to their transcript saying that they are bilingual.”
Junior Maria Wilson traveled with CIEE last July and August to Rome, Italy, where she studied language and culture. Her days there were more exciting than regular school days, featuring classes as well as fun.
“We had weekends off and during the weekdays we would go to a tourist site or explore the neighborhood in the morning, then we would have an hour or two for lunch and then we would have to go to our classes which was around three hours of language class,” she said. “It wasn't overwhelming at all, and I do feel like I grew a lot by the end of it.”
Wilson feels her trip opened her eyes to other opportunities for exploring the world.
“I’d never been to other countries or lived somewhere where English isn't the main language so I think it really showed me that it is real, it kind of expanded my view of the world,” she said. “It also made me aware of the fact that this could be an option for me again in the future. I'm already looking into different study abroad opportunities for the future.”
Brydon sees the effects these programs have on the people who take advantage of them.
“Getting out and interacting with other people outside of your community, outside of your comfort zone, kind of forces you to grow in ways you didn't know,” he said. “I think travel is also really good for learning self reliance and learning to be resourceful, and confident. That growth is key to developing you as a whole person.”
by Tenna Ruetten
Published November 4th, 2024
Oshkosh West Index Volume 121 Issue II