Triton students are seeing and experiencing places they never have before.

           In the depths of Europe, in places like Iceland and  possibly Spain, one will soon be able to find the students of Triton Regional High School.

“Once a person travels to Europe, they kind of get the travel bug to want to keep traveling,” said Mrs. Erin Dempsey,  English teacher and director of Travel Club.

Several school trips are in the works for the 2019-2020 school year, as well as for upcoming school years. The Triton Travel Club is planning a trip to Iceland for July 2020, led by Mrs.Dempsey. Eben Williams is planning to continue his Spanish immersion program, though the destination for the future trips are currently up for discussion. Middle school foreign language teacher Mrs. Rebecca Kelly is planning to take over the French exchange program next year for Mrs. Regina Symonds, who has been running the program for a number of years. All these trips present students with the opportunity to travel and expand their horizons.

“Spanish immersion programs are more fashionable and trendy now than they used to be, so it’s become more popular,” said Dr. Williams, Spanish teacher and director of Spanish immersion trips. Immersion trips are trips in which students’ language skills are tested inside a country that speaks the language they are studying.

Traveling abroad has become very appealing to students in recent years due to students wanting to practice their foreign language skills and the desire to see the world. Around 60-100 students participate in one of these adventures at least once in their high school careers.

“I would definitely encourage others to do it,” said junior Kyla Prussman, who took part in the French exchange program.

Though the trips remain popular, the future for many of them remain uncertain. William’s Spanish immersion program may possibly be switching its destination in the coming years or trying other changes. Also, it is currently unknown if any teachers will start doing trips similar to the ones Mrs. Janice Kovach has done to South America over the past several years after her retirement this year.

According to Prussman, the French exchange program cost almost $4,000 last year, so the price is also a big consideration with school trips going forward.

One thing that is certain is that the Travel Club, led by Dempsey, will be going to Iceland next summer.

“ We are accepting enrollments for the trip until early December, and the trip is in July,” said Dempsey.

Regardless of the destination, most teachers and students can agree that school trips are beneficial for everyone.

“Because they have to take care of themselves, manage their own funds, and make good choices it brings the tremendous benefits of maturity and responsibility to the students,” said Williams.

Students of the French exchange program in front of the Notre-Dame in 2018, photo taken by Mrs. Regina Symonds.