H-ton Students Enjoy Vacation Travel to Europe
April 14, 2023
The recent spring break provided 42 Huntington High School students with an irresistible opportunity to travel to Europe and spend time exploring Amsterdam, Brussels and Paris.
The excursion was a completely private journey booked through EF Tours and not approved or subsidized by the Huntington School District in any way. Seven adult chaperones went along to help keep everything running smoothly and according to plan.
“Travel is the best way to learn through experience and students can enhance their lives by traveling abroad,” said Camille Tedeschi, a Huntington High School social studies teacher who led the trip for EF Tours. Ms. Tedeschi has traveled the world, visiting every continent except Antarctica.
“Traveling brings subjects to life, broadens students horizons and provides opportunities for students to gain real- world experiences that cannot always be taught inside of a classroom,” Ms. Tedeschi said. “Some of the highlights of this past tour during spring break include river cruises, museums, historic landmarks, and other activities that allowed travelers to develop a greater sense of history and the world around them.”
The travelers explored the heart of the Dutch countryside when they visited the picturesque fishing village of Volendam and the living and working neighborhood of Zaanse Schans, which was re-created to look like an old Dutch village.
“We made our way down the winding, cobblestone streets past charming shops and crooked houses and got to enjoy cheese and clog-making demonstrations as well as a visit to a windmill,” Ms. Tedeschi. “We also got to enjoy an excursion to the grand palace of Versailles, where Louis XIV held court in the most lavish style imaginable. On our tour we got to stroll through the elegantly landscaped gardens, the historic Hall of Mirrors, and the ornately decorated State Apartments. We also really loved inspiring our inner artist with a painting activity in the ‘City of Art,’ also known as Paris.
After a lesson on perspective, composition, measuring and drawing, “we created our own Parisian masterpiece that we brought home as a personalized souvenir,” Ms. Tedeschi said. “Traveling provides many benefits to students that they gain when they travel. Being away from home, traveling with others and being exposed to unique environments, people and situations provides opportunities for the students to learn what they can accomplish for themselves while heightening students’ awareness of the world.”
The large group had a great time on the trip. The list of chaperones included many faces familiar to the students. The teenagers learned many lessons and expanded their horizons tenfold.
“It is important for people to be compassionate and appreciate who they are, but more importantly, value others,” Ms. Tedeschi said. “Through interactions with group members, tour guides, chaperones and those they meet on tour, students learn that instead of relying on their own opinions, they gain perspective and conviction from others. These new relationships develop as a result of traveling together and having shared experiences.”
