My ACIS trip to Italy gave me a new sense of myself. It showed me I’m worth something, and that brings a smile to my face every day.
The trip opened me up to a place I absolutely fell in love with. I fully intend to return to Italy and may even decide to relocate there in the future. The trips to the old temples and just the sheer history of the Romans has made it one of the best memories I have in my life. I learned to stop being so dependent on others and I really became my own person.
Tyra Snow
Illinois Central College
East Peoria, IL
 |
We travel to experience the world through our individual lenses. But we discover a focus that draws us closer. My photography students snap up being immersed in art and culture. But from my angle, I see another cultural transformation: Not unlike in sports, there’s a team-building aspect to travel that art students often don’t get to experience. You see a group of students who wouldn’t necessarily bond, but by the end of the trip they’ve connected. It’s wonderful. |
Samantha Lowe
Photography teacher, Lexington High School
Lexington, MA
Traveling in Peru made me realize the opportunities that are available to some, and what we take for granted.
In Cusco, we walked to a big market to buy some fresh produce because we knew we were going to an area that is impoverished and had no access to fruit. En route to Lake Titicaca, we made a restroom stop in a small village. I saw an elderly lady on the street and gave her two pineapples and honeydew melon. She immediately started crying, and hid them away. To think, spending a couple dollars on some fruit would have such an impact on somebody; it’s unimaginable.
Todd Perelli
Principal, West Point Middle School
West Point, VA
 |
I went to Italy almost 20 years ago. I fondly remember my ACIS trip with my Latin teacher, Mrs. Janene Mattingly and her husband as one of the highlights of my life. The breathtaking sites of Italy invigorated me. Shortly after returning home, I chose a course of study for college in ancient art history, Roman history and Latin. I even went on an archaeological excavation on the Palatine Hill in Rome, hungry to see more after visiting Rome with ACIS in 1990. |
Heather Skale
Italy, 1990
Poway, California
 |
We teach globalization, but they engage it. I teach with a multicultural approach and emphasize that there’s more than just one way or idea. Often we’ll be visiting small communities, where residents never get to do what these students are doing, and these 17-year-olds realize that they are privileged to see and experience the world. I ask my students: What are you going to do with this opportunity? Adults talk about complex approaches to global challenges, but the students are the ones who notice water-saving toilets. . .and so many things adults take for granted or wouldn’t even see. |
Eveline Johnson
Oliver Ames High School
Easton, MA
I learned to adore France even more then I did before, and I learned that sometimes, we just need to slow down and relax.
In the big cities, life is fast. Everyone has somewhere to be, something to do, but in the little cities, people are more relaxed. They take life as it comes. This was especially apparent in Avignon, where we were on a Sunday. On Sundays, as we found out, everything in smaller cities is closed. The only things open were three souvenir shops, one restaurant, and a pastries shop. Here in America, people don’t close shop if they know they can make more money.
Through this trip, I learned that life is too short to spend the whole time working. We need to take the time to enjoy family, good food, and amazing historical sites, just like the French. Oh, and I learned a few random facts along the way. For instance, if you stand in front of every piece of artwork in the Louvre for 30 seconds, it’d take you 8 months—24 hours a day, 7 days a week to see every piece of artwork in the whole place.
Michelle Sweeten
 |
As a middle school teacher, I accompanied my first group on the Making of Modern Europe trip. I was so moved by my entire experience that I decided to move overseas to work. Here I am at my first post and I’m so blessed for that trip in the summer of 2004. It was my first trip abroad and I felt like I was having the same exact experience as the kids. We all had that first “trip high” of seeing magnificent places we had studied from books at home. Our tour manager was incredible. He brought the experience alive for kids even more by dressing in "costume" at Montmarte and showing movies on the long bus rides from countries we were traveling too. He had lived in some of the cities and was able to give "behind the scenes" experiences like a great place to grab lunch in Berlin. |
Jennifer Melton
Middle School Teacher, Europe in 2004
 |
Remembering the impact of my first trip, I always wanted to travel with a group of students. As soon as I became a teacher, I started organizing one. I went on an ACIS trip with my mom, who was a teacher. I turned 14 in Scotland, and our tour consultant got me a birthday cake, probably the best birthday cake I ever had. I can taste it now. It was different, with lots of berries. Edinburgh is still my favorite city. I went there last year on my honeymoon because I loved it so much. |
Lindsey Bragg
7th grade English teacher, France in 2008
Independence, Mississippi
 |
My favorite picture from Greece: High above the water in Santorini. The sunset from an outdoor café with a ship you can see far and wide. I wasn’t into photography then; I didn’t even bring digital camera. When we got back, I looked at everyone’s shots and realized mine could be better. I lucked out and got into the popular photography class senior year. In college, I realized I liked photography more than any other class, so added a minor in documentary studies to my public policy major. |
Jennifer Kozin
Greece, 2005
Sophomore at Duke University
