Students from the high school recently returned from a 12-day whirlwind tour of England, France, and the Alps. The tour, arranged through Education First (EF), was open to PLS juniors and seniors, many of whom worked summers and weekends to contribute to the cost of the trip. However, being able to see the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace, the Mona Lisa at the Louvre, and Mad King Ludwig?s inspiration for Sleeping Beauty?s castle, all made it more than worth the effort in fundraising and preparation.

Koty Zelinka, English teacher at Portland Lutheran, arranged the tour primarily to share her inherent love of travel. She also notes how it serves as a unique way to extend the classroom beyond its four walls and make learning memorable for a lifetime. Travel is also imperative to reach a more global understanding. ?While a large number of students from other countries travel abroad to better understand the world, far fewer American students do the same. International educational tours not only introduce students to the world, but serve as stepping stones for many students who study abroad for longer periods, and even live and work abroad.? Many students on the trip vowed to do exactly this, such as senior Kirsten Maier: ?One of the reasons I chose my college [St. Olaf] was for the strength of its study abroad programs.?

Younger college-bound students also benefit greatly from such experiences, particularly as they look for ways to make their college applications stand out from the crowd. Those with international experiences are catching the attention of college admissions boards across the country. In fact, when Harvard University announced a curriculum revision with internationalism as a new focus, Dean William Kirby said, ?If you want to study at Harvard, you should have a passport.? International educational travel not only opens students? eyes to the world, it adds weight and life to their college applications.

Educators interested in learning more about international travel with students can go to EF?s website: http://www.eftours.com/.