Standing in the Sistine Chapel in Italy, Niles New Tech students Marcella Rios and Lindsay Eichenberg felt a connection to history that a textbook description could never quite initiate.

Inspiring this kind of awe was the goal for Niles New Tech world studies and civic literature teachers Maria Culbertson and Kristin Adams-Bondy when they established the learning extension program four years ago, as a study abroad experience for their students.

“We really wanted learners to see that there is so much more out there than Niles,” Culbertson said. “A lot of our learners have never traveled outside the Michiana area.”

This year, the teachers partnered with student tour group EF Tours and planned a trip to Europe. Students spent 10 days exploring history by visiting Florence and Rome, in Italy; Paris, France and London, England.

On June 17, students boarded a plane from Detroit to London. Eleven Niles New Tech learners participated, including Hannah Davis, Maddie Pfifer, Amber Celie, Jacob Gaines, Mackenzie Wideman, Blake Sarratore, Kris Sarratore, Calee Blaske, Zach Amos and Trystin Liebetrau-Schlutt, Rios and Eichenberg. Culbertson, Adams-Bondy and a parent accompanied students on the trip.

Students spent about two days in each of the four cities and visited The Colosseum, and The Eiffel Tower and The Louvre, where they got to see the Mona Lisa.

For Eichenberg, leaving the safety and comfort of home initially caused her to have some reservations about flying across the world. But having never left the country, Eichenberg said she decided she did not want to miss out on a once in a lifetime opportunity.

After navigating through big cities on foot, riding a night train and having the opportunity to stand on the shore of the Tyrrhenianc Sea, she felt a confidence and sense of adventure she said she would never have gained had she stayed home.

“I felt like I could sum up the trip as: ‘I came. I saw. I conquered.’” Eichenberg said.

Among the highlights, Eichenberg enjoyed learning about the rich history of London the most, as well as the opportunity to ride a double decker bus and look down on the city through the London Eye, a giant Ferris wheel.

Of all the places students visited, London was her favorite.

For Rios, the experience was educational and exciting.

“Now that we were there and able to see the history,” Rios said, “it was life changing, honestly.”

In addition to learning outside the classroom, Rios said she liked tossing coins into the Trevi Fountain, where people from all over the world gathered to do the same.

“So many people go and do that and it made me feel part,” Rios said. “It was just something you would not be able to do here.”

Culbertson liked watching students’ engagement throughout the trip and seeing “the lightbulbs come on” as they learned about things they had only been able to read about in the classroom.

Another big benefit Culbertson said was bringing the group of students and teachers closer together.

When not touring historical sites, students spent the time playing cards at the hotel, exploring nearby shops, trying new foods together or talking with locals. And like any trip, when plans failed, students found ways to problem solve or learn new lessons.

One example is when Eichenberg got stung by a bee and had an allergic reaction that needed medical attention. At a hospital in Italy, Culbertson and Eichenberg navigated the tricky communication that is involved when all words are exchanged through a translator.

“It was the craziest experience,” Eichenberg said. “We were just sitting there, like, ‘what is going on?’”

Eichenberg got the help she needed and made a full recovery in time to enjoy the rest of the trip. Through it all, she said this experience in particular brought them closer together.

“We all had each other’s back,” Eichenberg said. “We really banded together.”

The trip also helped to conceptualize current issues bound for future history books. 

While Culbertson said students’ safety was never threatened while traveling, trip leaders did initially have to address some concerns from parents stemming from recent terrorist attacks in France that occurred between January 2015 and July 2016, claiming the lives of 230 people, according to the New York Times.

Before the trip, Culbertson said they met with parents to talk about safety protocol and air any worries.

While in Paris, Rios and Eichenberg talked with a locals about how it felt to live with the threat of another possible attack. The students had been sitting in a park and they struck up the conversation.

“[A man] talked about how the security is so much tighter since those things have happened, but he doesn’t let that keep him from living his life,” Eichenberg said. “He really talked to us about how cool and courageous it was of us to come. We really got to see his perspective.”

Now having been all over Europe, Eichenberg said current events feel more relevant, as do the things she will learn about this year in the classroom.

Through it all, both Rios and Eichenberg are looking forward to the next adventure.

“Someone will post a picture [of the trip] and 10 of us will comment, ‘let’s go back.’” Eichenberg said.