“Life-changing. Eye-opening. Uplifting. Positive.”
These are just some of the words that participants used to describe their recent trip to Europe, brought to students in Caribou County by Education First Tours and local tour leader Courtney Stanley.
Taking a group on such a tour has been on Stanley’s radar for quite some time: Having taken this same trip as a senior in high school, she recognized the value of such an experience and has always wanted to provide the opportunity to others.
“I grew up in a small town like Soda Springs,” Stanley said. “For some kids, high school is a hard time of life. You’re trying to figure out who you are, and where you’re going next and what you’re supposed to be doing and what other people think of you. Being able to go see just how big the world is and not have to worry so much about what people are thinking in your small town… going on that trip told me, oh I can go anywhere I want, I can go do anything…. Now I’ve been able to do so many things, with travel and living abroad. And that trip was the catalyst for it.”
So after more than a year of planning and fundraising, and with the support of the Soda Springs High School administration, Stanley was joined by 12 excited students and a few willing chaperones as the group embarked on a whirlwind trip of epic proportions.
They paired up with two similar student groups: One from British Columbia in Canada and the other from Florida.
From the outset of the trip, there were noticeable cultural differences between the groups, even between the American students. But in spite of their differences, deep friendships were forged as the young travelers visited the Colosseum, Sistine Chapel as well as several other historic and religious sites while touring through Italy and Greece.
One chaperone was Soda Springs High School art teacher Andrew Berg, who enjoyed the fun vibe of their tour group while also appreciating all he learned from the European locals. He said, “People are so interesting and beautiful in ways that are different from the way things are back home…. I think when you’re in a small town, your perspective is just really limited… but then you go outside and you realize there are so many more ways to live that are really valuable to people.”
Berg also noted that having these real-life experiences will make him a better art teacher, saying “I was able to connect with the history that I’d always been told about but that never had seemed real. We were able to dive into these things and walk in places where Socrates and the Apostle Paul had walked…. Being in those places, it made all the stories I’d heard about those characters come to life.”
The local students on the trip were equally amazed to see history come alive. Soda Springs High School student Emily Thornock said she loved the Vatican, Sistine Chapel and the many cathedrals. Coming from snowy Soda Springs, she was also amazed at just how green and surreal everything seemed. She said, “The mountains were so big, it was like a green screen just popping out at you. It was awesome…. The sunsets were really pretty almost every single night and basically everywhere you looked there was just a really beautiful view.”
Thornock also stated that it was "pretty cool" to learn about a new culture, even though not all elements were all that pleasant.
She said, “This trip made me thankful for having really good plumbing… It really opened my eyes and made me grateful for a lot.”
Also taking part in the trip was Soda Springs High School student Quinten Hansen, who, while taking a stroll through Athens, Greece, noticed that he recognized many of the historic sites from years of playing the popular video game Assassin’s Creed.
And while Hansen loved seeing famous places in person for the first time, he also took mental notes on how this trip will impact his future.
He said, “The best thing about (the trip) was that it taught me how I want to travel in the future. It taught me some of the things I do like (and) some of the things I don’t like…. It was awesome to figure out some of the foods I like to eat, and to see that I liked to go out on my own, but I liked the guided tours too.”
For Stanley, the gratification of seeing eyes light up while students took photo upon photo of the very sights that changed her life years ago was hard to put into words. She did have high praise for all the local students and chaperones, commenting “This group was so adaptable and so willing to be uncomfortable. They were respectful, they were easy to manage…. They set the bar high for future groups.”
Plans are already in motion for the next Education First Tour to France, Germany and the Swiss Alps set for the spring of 2025.
Interested parents and students are invited to sign up or get more information by contacting Stanley at 208StudentTravels@gmail.com.
Local News
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