Jasper Junior/Senior High School students are gearing up for a European adventure, as they prepare to set off on a major school trip across the pond March 21.
They’ll start off in Berlin, and over the course of three weeks visit Dresden, Prague, Krakow, Paris and a host of other European cities, hitting more than 30 attractions along the way.
“The countdown’s on—it’s less than 40 days now,” said J.J. Keogan, one of the students taking the trip.
Feb. 13, he and a handful of the 36 students taking the trip sat in a classroom during their lunch break.
Talking amongst themselves, and over one another, they gushed about the attractions they will get to visit and the places they will get to stay.
“Oh, we’re staying at a bunch of hostels that look five star,” said Desiree Alton, over the din of her classmates, “they look so amazing—there’s a psychedelic shower in one of them.”
Many of them were excited to visit historic landmarks like Auschwitz, The Jewish Museum and Europe’s many cathedrals and churches.
“I’m actually really excited to see Auschwitz—it’s probably going to be the highlight of my trip,” said Ayoumi Nayak.
The trip is primarily a cultural experience, however teacher Barb Schmidt explained that every student taking the trip completed an eight-hour tourism module in preparation.
Students split into groups, with each researching one of their destinations, and giving a presentation to their classmates on some history and notable tourist attractions of that place. They also learned how to be good travellers.
“It’s an Alberta curriculum course. It’s basically comparing Jasper’s tourism to [the tourism industry] of where we’re going,” Schmidt said. “It’s a good way to give them one more credit on their high school transcript.”
“It’s kind of given us some insight into where we’re going,” added student Jaymes Schmidt.
According to teacher Geoff Fraser, the school tries to host a trip every two years, to give every high school student the opportunity to go.
About half of the students in the room said they had never before been to Europe, so for many the trip is a big deal. Not only is it a chance to get to know some of their peers better, but for some it’s even a chance to connect with their roots.
“I think it’s very important for a lot of people to go. For example, on my grandfather’s side I’m Polish, and I’m going to be visiting Poland. That’s going to be really cool, to see where my ancestors are from,” said Michael Peleshaty.
Trevor Nichols
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