Summer Opportunity Arises for Students to Explore Europe

“The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page”- Saint Augustine

Throughout the multitude of foreign language classes offered at Central, the number of cultural learning experiences seem endless. Along with the diversification that Central proudly showcases, students are able to explore different cultures and ways of life on a daily basis.

One surefire way that this diversity is consistently exemplified is with an international trip that is offered every one to two years. The locations vary from year to year, but each trip provides students and chaperones with the benefit of international travel and memories that will last a lifetime.

The summer of 2018, students have the opportunity to visit Europe for two weeks. “Students will see things they have learned about in language, art, history and literature classes,” German teacher and World Language Department head Erica Meyer said.

During this trip, students will have the chance to visit various cities in Spain, France and Germany. “They will get to try their language skills and sample the local cuisine.”  They will also learn firsthand about historic landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower and the Berlin Wall.

“There is so much more out there than just what one can experience in Omaha,” Meyer said. Travelling to three countries will put a perspective on how different cities all around the world compare to Omaha. In total, travelers will visit nine cities during their time in Europe.

The trip will offer visits to select attractions, a professional tour director, a tour diary and so much more.  Travelers will stay overnight for 12 days with breakfast and dinner provided for each of those days. For students, the total payment is expected to be $4,309. For adults, it rises slightly to $4974. Fortunately, there are multiple plans that help students pay for the expenses regardless of their economic status.

Although the travel expenses may be high, the experience students will gain from being immersed in other cultures will be unparalleled. “I believe it is important to travel in order to continue widening your scope of what you think you know and don’t know,” French teacher Micah Ringlein said. “There is such an overwhelming amount of information in the world; the most interesting and challenging method is to interact with it inside of its community.”

Besides gaining real-life skills in using the language they are learning, students are able to experience the art, the cuisine, and the overall culture of each city they visit. “Hopefully, they gain more appreciation for these places,” Meyer said.

Usually, the perception of cities that are not in the United States are created based on what people see in the news, and visiting the cities in person will help students gain a perspective that people normally would not have. This, in turn, can have the ability to change the way people view worldwide issues, allow them to become more open-minded and help them grow as individuals.