Words by Colleen McCormick, Middle Division Director
Travel, whether it is to Disney, the Grand Canyon, or to another country brings with it experiences that not only create cherished memories but provide opportunities to learn about a new culture and potentially about oneself. Academy at the Lakes understands the importance of experiences and learning that extend beyond the classroom walls when students travel.
Academy at the Lakes Signature Program: World Travel
Recognizing that learning extends beyond the classroom and that travel creates lifelong learning and meaningful memories, Academy at the Lakes offers signature travel experiences. The Galápagos, the Peruvian Amazon, Tanzania, South Africa, and Botswana are some of the international trips offered to Academy families. Trips to New York, Boston, San Francisco, Chicago and New Orleans are travel opportunities for our Upper Division students, while Middle Division students participate in trips to the Florida Keys and Virginia.
Amazon Adventure
Yearly, Academy students have the opportunity to visit the Peruvian Amazon. One of the many experiences for students is visiting a local village to immerse themselves in the culture and traditions of the community.
On one such visit, the village school children prepared a performance for our Academy families. Kindergarten to high school students piled into one room to perform a variety of songs and dances. When their teacher instructed, the younger children began singing and dancing to the drum beat. The older children, in contrast, stood in the back of the classroom with their arms crossed feigning the words.
A Universal Connection
What struck me at that moment was that, three hours up the Amazon River in a village with thatched-roof homes and no running water, the students before me were not so different from those who had traveled with me from Academy at the Lakes.
The humanizing nature of traveling, especially to foreign countries with students, opens their eyes to how similar people are and how small the world really is – even students in the Amazon jungle are similar to our typical middle school and high school students asked to perform in front of strangers – resistant.
This realization provides a different lens for young adults to view the world around them. When Academy students travel to Africa and interact with the Masai people and are immersed in the culture, they come to appreciate and respect the unique styles of homes, dress, dance, and language that might initially feel unfamiliar. Students become curious about this different way of life and are more open to the idea that a happy life can look many different ways.
The Power of Perspective
Travel is an opportunity that provides our students with exposure not only to diverse wildlife and ecosystems but also to the people who make these places their home. These experiences help students realize how small the world is and how similar we all are.
