Following the Equator | EF's Educational Travel Blog

EF Group Leader Spotlight: Gail Ingram

High school history teacher Gail Ingram has made a career out of bringing the world to her small South Carolina town of Cheraw—and, more importantly, of showing her students the world on her educational tours.

Gail is a longtime EF Group Leader, a frequent mentor to new group leaders and a regular presenter on EF's Free International Training Tours. Gail also has won two national teaching award from National History Day, including the Patricia Behring Teacher of the Year Award this year.

Now, we are honored to have Gail join us here as a regular contributor to Following the Equator. Gail—pictured above with her daughter, Ruth, on tour this summer in Scotland—has a lot of wonderful stories and valuable advice to share, plus she's got a terrific sense of humor. So, in recognition of her joining our blog team, we'd like to introduce her in the Group Leader Spotlight.

Finding new favorites in Europe

By Christina Harsanyi | EF copywriter

One of the most enjoyable parts of my job has always been researching all of the interesting destinations students can travel on an EF educational tour, so when it came time to plan my own European tour, I had plenty of ideas. And finally, I had the time to do some exploring.

Six countries and three-and-a-half weeks later, I’ve returned home with a few new favorite places and a strong desire to pack my life’s possessions into a backpack and live a nomadic life for the next few years.

Split, Croatia

By the time we made it to the charming coastal city of Split, Croatia (above), we had a sightseeing system in place: read about our next destination while in transit and then hit the ground running. So I was a little surprised that despite looking in a couple of guidebooks, I couldn’t find any opening hours for Diocletian’s Palace. I also couldn’t quite figure out why the lady running our guesthouse gave me a funny look when I asked her what time the palace closed. When we did venture to Diocletian’s Palace (right), I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was not a palace in the traditional sense at all.

Emperor Diocletian built the palace in preparation for his retirement in the 3rd century. After his death, the palace remained empty for a few centuries, but since then the residents of Split have created an entire community out of its remains. Although the basement is preserved as a museum, other sections have been converted into apartments, restaurants, businesses and even a church. The dichotomy of old and new was ever present between the Roman artifacts scattered around the palace and the clothing stores selling the latest European fashions. For the first time ever, I checked my email at an Internet café housed in an old palace room.

Mostar, Bosnia

One of the benefits of traveling to Croatia (besides the historical sites, gorgeous beaches, delicious seafood and friendly people) is the ease of traveling to nearby countries. And as someone who aspires one day to be part of the Travelers’ Century Club, I took advantage of the opportunity to take a day-trip to Mostar, Bosnia. The main attraction of the town is the Old Bridge (Stari Most), which was built by the Ottoman Empire in the 16th century. The bridge (right) connected the two parts of the city, divided by the Neretva River, for more than 400 years before it was destroyed during the war in 1993. Restored by UNESCO, the Old Bridge is a symbol of the coexistence of religious, cultural and ethnic communities.

A Muslim Bosnian woman (married to a Catholic man) explained the significance of the bridge as such: Prior to the war, the Old City was a melting pot of different religious and ethnic groups. After the war, groups were divided by religious lines and depending on your religion, you were often forced to move to one side of the river or the other. The destruction of the bridge symbolized the destruction of the multicultural community. She described the sadness of being prevented from visiting family members practicing different religions and the slow process of reconciliation as the area tries to rebuild after the war. Listening to her experiences was one of the most poignant history lessons I have had in a long time, and a good reminder that one of the most educational aspects of traveling is simply interacting with and learning from the local people.

Stonehenge, England

You’ll find Stonehenge on many EF tours to the United Kingdom, which convinced me that I should check it out, too. Conveniently enough, I have a friend who lives nearby so a free place to stay certainly sealed the deal. The circle of stones, which evolved between 3,000 B.C. and 1,600 B.C., is shrouded in mystery. Stonehenge could have been a place for sun worship, a burial site, a healing center or even a large calendar. Even more mysterious is how the stones, the largest of which weighs 45 tons, were transported to their current location from Wales. Archaeologists agree that it would have been very difficult to transport such large stones more than 100 miles. As a result, some theorists believe it was constructed by the Wizard Merlin or even the devil.

Budapest, Hungary

Like our resident expert tour director, Paul Mattesini, who wrote about students traveling to Central Europe, I too recommend a visit, especially to Hungary. Given, I may be a bit biased because my family is from Budapest. My visit to Hungary, the final stop on my trip, was all too short, but I did manage to canvas the city in the few days that I was there.

I will leave you with a few recommendations: Make sure to visit the neoclassical St. Stephen’s Basilica. Besides being quite pretty, the church holds the right hand of King Stephen, the first Christian king of Hungary and patron saint of the basilica. Those who like classical music may enjoy a visit to the Béla Bartók house. The museum is the final Hungarian home of the composer and displays a variety of artifacts from his career. Ask your EF Tour Director to help you arrange a visit here during your free time. Finally, for great views of the city at night, visit the Fisherman’s Bastion. It’s free to climb to the top in the evening.

Back in Boston, as I am sifting through photos from my trip, I’m reminded of a sign I saw in Croatia. Posted near the house of Marco Polo, it read: "Old is nice" (perhaps, the European equivalent of America’s "Bigger is better"). Many of the "old" places I saw were indeed quite nice, and having been home for a few weeks, I’m ready to hit the road again. After all, if I’m going to make it to the Travelers' Century Club, I have many more countries to explore.

My tour experience: Spain, Italy and Greece

Cassandra Lund has traveled on more than 15 EF tours and has tours planned through 2013. Lund is a magazine journalism major at Temple University in Philadelphia, and she hopes to write for a travel magazine after her graduation in 2012. Here, she writes about her experiences on her EF tour to Greece, Italy and Spain.

By Cassandra Lund | EF student traveler

Europe and a mall have a lot in common. They both contain an array of items and people placed into a small area. Europe's small size, compared to other continents, helps make it a convenient area for getting around and a melting pot of different cultures. Europe's enduring cultures in each country make it a fascinating place, one that has entranced travelers for ages, myself included.

The long-lasting culture in each country really stands out from that of the relatively young United States. Europe's history is still on display today just as it was when it was in the making. For example, in Athens, there is the Acropolis from centuries past that can still be walked upon and viewed by visitors. Today's traveler can trace the footsteps of Leonardo da Vinci in Florence. We can cruise over the same waters that Achilles and Odysseus sailed as they headed for Troy. In Barcelona, La Sagrada Familia (or The Holy Family), one of the world’s greatest cathedrals, is still being constructed!

On our EF tour, we visited Spain, Italy and Greece. The changing of cultures from day to day is what really made it a beautiful and unique visit. We went from bull-fighting Barcelona to leather-enriched Florence to ancient Grecian Athens. From there, our group took a five-day cruise around the Mediterranean islands of Mykonos, Kusadasi, Patmos, Rhodes, Heraklion and Santorini.

EF Photo Contest: Submit A Photo – Win An iPad

Do you have a great, eye-catching photo? Submit it to the EF Tours photo contest! The winner will receive a new iPad, and the winning photo will become the new banner for Following the Equator.

1. Enter
Submit your photo by using our Facebook application now. The contest is open to all U.S. residents.

2. Vote
View entries and vote for your favorite. Our Facebook fans will determine the winner. You can vote for one photo every day, so tell your family and friends to check it out.

3. Win
The photo with the most votes by September 1 wins a new iPad and will have their photo featured on our blog. The winner will be announced by September 15, 2010.

Good luck!

The joys of studying abroad

By Paul Mattesini | EF Tour Director

I have what is politely called a chequered educational background. Dropped out of school at 15, ended up at night school a few years later (after a lot of travelling), fell into university in London, became an EF Tour Director, then went back to university to do a Master's programme for my own entertainment. My graduate studies were in a class that contained 15 other students from 14 different countries. I was the only Brit; it was superb. The range of ideas that people brought added so much to the general approach to learning.

There is not much better for the college student than the chance to study abroad. We at EF, rightly, bang on about the educational benefits of as little as eight days outside your own country. Imagine doing that for anything from a few weeks to a few years. Not only that, you would be doing it pretty much on your own terms. It can even be cheaper than college at home; a year in the UK can cost approximately $10,000. However, cost shouldn’t be a factor; there are all sorts of grants and exchange programmes available.

I am such an advocate of studying abroad that I even have statistics.

• More than 250,000 U.S. students studied abroad in 2009.
• The UK (33,300 students), Australia (11,000 students) and Ireland (6,900) are in the top 10 study abroad destinations. Other countries in the top 10 are Italy, Spain, France, China, Mexico, Germany and Costa Rica.
• Around 36% of study abroad participants go abroad during their junior year.
• More women study abroad than men. About 65% of participants each year are female.
• About 40% of those studying abroad do so for a semester or a quarter. Only 4% of those studying abroad go for a whole academic year, down from 14% over ten years ago.
• The majority (56%) of study abroad participants choose to study abroad for eight weeks or less, either sometime during the academic year, a January intersession or in the summer. An EF language course is a great way to study abroad for a shorter period of time and practice your language skills while exploring a new country.
• Only 6.2% of students studying abroad are foreign language majors. A greater number of students have majors in social sciences, business fields, humanities, the arts and physical or life sciences.

The variety of courses is amazing. International Student is a great resource for finding different types of courses as well as a lot of information on funding and loans. The UK Council for International Student Affairs offers a whole range of info on how to get to the UK, where to go and rules on working. Both sites have lots of very useful links and forums.

 

Think about it, studying for the love of studying and doing it overseas. Go on, search for a course; see where your imagination takes you.

Photo: Royal Holloway college at the University of London, where I studied history.

EF Group Leader Spotlight: Janet McKinney

High school Spanish teacher Janet McKinney first began traveling with students when she had the opportunity to fill in for a teacher who was unable to travel to Spain on EF's Adventure in Spain tour. Several years later, she continues to travel with EF because she believes that seeing the world firsthand is one of the best ways to get an education. Here, she shares her experiences.

Tell us about yourself. What is your teaching background?
I have been teaching Spanish for the past 10 years and high school for the past five. It is so great when you see a student “get it.”  I love working with teenagers because often they think they can’t get it and they don’t try.  However, when they realize they can and they do put in the effort, the rewards are so great. It is fun to see that transformation.

What sort of skills do you think traveling teaches your students?
Students who travel gain an ability to be more independent and to see a more global world. They develop a desire to go back to the places we visited or beyond. Several of our previous students who traveled on an educational tour with EF have gone on to complete study abroad programs in Europe. Traveling with EF has given them a sense of adventure and independence.

How do you promote your tour to your students?
I am lucky to teach at a school where the administration is very supportive of offering travel opportunities to our students. We have taken students on many trips both national and international. There are also many teachers who are willing to chaperone these trips, so we never have to wonder if we have the support. We have been able to promote these trips at the school by advertising and through word of mouth. We now have more students who want to travel than we can accommodate.

What advice would you give someone who has never left the country?
I have loved every trip I have taken with my students. It is amazing how much they love everything they see. They take thousands of pictures. Also, they develop closer and new friendships with the other students on tour. This past year on our Dublin, London and Paris tour, part of our group was delayed by a day due to a cancelled flight. However, the students had a really great attitude and made the best of a difficult situation. That is good advice for students, teachers and group leaders alike.

Do you have any good advice for new group leaders?
The best advice I can give to a new group leader is to start talking about the trip to get students excited about it and to utilize your tour consultant who will help you in any way you need.

Why students should tour Central Europe

By Paul Mattesini | EF Tour Director

I work with a lot of EF Group Leaders who ask my advice on which tour they should do next. I often suggest From Rome to Athens or Central European Quartet. "Why would I want to go to Central/Eastern Europe" is a common sort of reply. "There is no Colosseum or Eiffel Tower in Budapest, and what does Vienna do" is another sort of reply that I just made up.

So, here are some thoughts on why Central European Quartet is a great tour to take and also a chance for me to stop having to run through it each time I am asked in future — I can just direct the questioner to this blog.

Currency — Oh, the euro is fun, easy and all that. However, touring in Hungary and the Czech Republic gives you a chance to mix with old-school currency changes and exchange rates. Unfamiliar banknotes with pictures of unknown national heroes. Banks even want to tell you about the designers (I hope that moustache appears on a future banknote).

Statues — The Cold War, it all happened before Twitter, so it can sometimes be deemed as irrelevant to our lives as the Crimean War. However, one thing teachers and others of a certain age will always remember are those monumental statues to Soviet leaders. Just outside of Budapest is the fabulous Memento Park, featuring huge sculptures of the era. Your EF Tour Director can arrange a quick visit; trust me, it’s worth it.

Food — Stop for lunch at one of the service stations on the Austrian or German motorway, and you will be astonished at the range of things on offer. From sandwiches stuffed with smoked meats, cheeses and the like, meat dishes cooked to order as you watch and arrays of pastries, strudels and the famous Sacher Torte.

Prague — What a city. Seriously, what a city. Your EF guided sightseeing tour will take you through the castle grounds and down the hill across the Charles Bridge to the Old Town. From here, you have an afternoon to explore. Just wandering around this amazing place is a joy in itself. Stunning architecture, all sorts of shopping, boat rides on the river, etc. It is just one of those places that you might approach wondering, "What is there to see," and you leave thinking, "I need to come back and see more."

Berlin — A superbly modern European city that blends itself so well into its longer history (try the Reichstag Dome, Glockenturm or Potsdamer Platz). You will also get to visit the Checkpoint Charlie Museum as well as having time to see the Brandenburg Gate and the thoughtfully perceived Holocaust Memorial.

The other bits — While travelling between the cities, enjoy a chance to briefly visit Brno and Dresden (to go inside the Zwinger Museum), not forgetting the Hundertwasse House in Vienna and a walk along Budapest’s Andrássy útca.

Photo: pavelm via Flickr (CC license)

San Francisco and Barcelona join together as sister cities

By Christina Harsanyi | EF Copywriter

This morning I came across an interesting article about the city of San Francisco’s decision to become the sister city to Barcelona, Spain. With the help of the non-profit organization, Sister Cities International, mayors from the two cities signed an agreement designed to provide opportunities for cultural exchange and community partnerships.

Created as a result of Dwight D. Eisenhower’s citizen diplomacy initiative of 1956, the sister cities program aims to promote cultural understanding, stimulate economic development and foster global cooperation, goals similar to those of EF Educational Tours (to break down barriers of language, culture and geography through educational travel opportunities for students).

What will San Francisco and Barcelona do as sister cities? Sister Cities offers a wide variety of conferences and initiatives, some of which are specifically geared toward students. The Sister Schools Program pairs students together to participate in letter/webcast exchanges, fundraising projects and leadership development activities. The organization also hosts a Youth Leadership Conference and encourages families to host international exchange students.

At present, more than 2,000 cities are partnered in 136 countries across the globe. Check out which cities, your community has partnered with.