This summer, a group of Del Val students stepped through the lesson plans and experienced an educational trip to Greece and Sicily, Italy. It gave them the opportunity to experience Greek history and culture firsthand while creating memories that will last forever.
The group explored a variety of places in Greece and Italy, including Athens, Delphi, Nafplio, Ancient Corinth and Taormina.
They began in Athens, where they explored some of Greece’s most famous historical landmarks. One of the main highlights was the Acropolis. The Acropolis is a historic hill overlooking Athens, most famously home to the Parthenon. Standing there, the group was able to see a major part of history they had only learned about in textbooks.
“It was so cool to see everything we learned in real life, especially with it being thousands of years old,” Haley Feldman, a participant on the trip, said. “It made everything so much more interesting while standing in front of it.”
They also had the opportunity to explore Olympia, where the first ever Olympic games were held. They learned about the history of the games and got to stand in the arenas themselves.
Beyond the history, the students also learned about modern Greek life and culture by exploring the city. They visited local stores, tried Greek food, experienced olive oil tastings and walked through the lively streets. This was as memorable as the historic sites themselves.
They also got to experience the changing of the Greek guards which was another large part of the culture.
While the trip was designed to be educational, the students also had down time to relax and swim in the clear waters of the Aegean Sea. The change of scenery offered many scenic pictures and gave the group a chance to see more of the landscape and communities.
Spending time in a new country gave the group time to strengthen friendships and create stories they could share once they returned home.
To continue their trip, they visited Sicily, Italy and explored the streets of the small city of Taormina. There, they learned about the history of the Ancient Theatre of Taormina, a historic theater originally built by the Greeks and later expanded by the Romans. While inside the theater, the group was able to see the influence that ancient Greek culture has beyond Greece itself. The theater also provided beautiful views of Mount Etna, the largest active volcano in Europe, which proved to be active as it erupted while the group was in Europe.
As they explored Taormina, students experienced more of the local Sicilian culture. They walked through narrow streets and tried traditional Italian gelato and foods.
Along with shopping and exploring, the group took a boat cruise to a small island in Italy and navigated their way to the beach.
Getting to experience everyday life in Sicily game the student a different perspective from the ancient sites they visited throughout the trip.
As the trip came to an end, the students returned home with long lasting memories. From exploring ancient ruins in Greece to swimming in the clear waters of Italy, the trip allowed them to take what they learned in the classroom and experience it firsthand.
“I hope our students carry the memories they made together for a lifetime,” James Kluska, Del Val history teacher, said. “I could not have asked for a better group of young people to go on this adventure with me.”
