Students will embark on a trip to Italy and Greece during the summer of 2024. There will be a multitude of events where students will get to see and learn about the history and culture of these countries.

Students who already signed up and made a deposit are in line to attend the trip. Students can acquire a college credit for attending this trip and doing what is required.

Jamie Smith, a teacher here at Rogers High School, is attending and chaperoning. She also has led other trips like this with EF Tours to Spain, Portugal, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand.

“People who travel more, they just have a different outlook on life,” Smith said. “They tend to be more positive, they tend to be happier, they tend to like people more, and it just really lets you realize that there’s so much more outside of our own little Puyallup, so much better and so much worse all in one but that makes the world what it is.”

With all the students attending, it’s safe to say the excitement is high.

One of the students going, Xavier Morones, said he wanted to go, “to have fun and experience Greece.”

But, as always there are a few requirements. There are currently 19 attendees for this trip; about 35 people can go at one time. Parents and family members are welcome to join on this journey as well as chaperones or to just come along.

Of course, as any trip has there is a payment that everyone must make before they are able to attend. There is a GoFundMe for every student to send out to anyone that wants to help pay.

EF Tours is what Smith used to make this trip a reality, working with them for about a month to figure out how to plan the trip to Europe. EF Tours takes care of everything after that, providing buses, creating itineraries, and booking hotels and flights.

The group will be seeing many places in Italy, such as Rome, Florence, and Ancona, and also in Greece, such as Igoumenitsa, Meteora Region, Delphi, and Athens. Many chapels, museums, and cultural food places are to be explored, as well, with help from a guided tour.

“The big thing is to show students the world and their parents and families the world so that they can experience other cultures,” Smith said. “We see things on TV but to really be lifelong learners and to want to learn about other people I find travelling is the best way. There is no better way to learn about history than to actually go and be hands on with history.”