The focus of the five educational program trips sponsored by the Alvord Center for Global & Environmental Studies range from language studies to cultural and environmental studies. At the heart of these trips are the stories of the places visited and the people who live there, which fits into this year’s all-school theme, the power of storytelling. 

“As students learn about the stories in the places they are traveling, it will help them to think about what their story is ... where they came from, their culture that was formed by their family over the years,” said Marley Matlack, the Christopher H. Lutz director of the Alvord Center for Global & Environmental Studies. “The trips allow the students to reflect on their identity.” 

Faculty members will accompany Loomis students on the trips that were recently announced. The application, advisor recommendation form, and more detail on each trip can be found HERE. The deadline is December 3. About 15 students will go on each trip. 

Trips to Morocco and Spain in March not only allow students to strengthen their skills in French, Arabic, or Spanish, but also give them the chance to meet local people. “It is about learning their stories, learning about their past, what are the cultural influences that have influenced them and how does culture play out in their modern day,” Marley said. 

A trip to Greece in June will focus in part on the very heart of storytelling — Greek mythology, those ancient stories created to explain the world at the time. Part of the trip is visiting Delphi and learning about the Delphi oracle and its “cultural significance in Greece and the world.” The Delphi oracle was thought to deliver prophecies from the Greek god Apollo. The capital city, Athens, also will be visited, as will the Blue Zone island of Ikaria, at the heart of sustainable living. 

A June trip to the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont and along the Connecticut River will focus on environmental studies and outdoor education as students paddle from the Connecticut River headwaters south to the Meadows at Loomis Chaffee. Along the way the group will learn “stories of the Connecticut River as it cuts through New England,” Marley said. Indigenous history and changes to the natural landscape figure prominently in many of these stories. “The good, the bad, and the ugly — and what we can learn from it,” she added. 

A trip to Hawaii in June will center on indigenous cultural studies and environmental studies. “Hawaii has a big tradition of storytelling,” Marley said. “This also allows students the opportunity to learn traditional Hawaiian dialects and learn about storytelling through things such as dance and food. They will meet local people and learn about the symbolism of their stories and how the stories relate to the natural environment.”