Many students at Eagle High don’t get the chance to go to a new country to explore the arts, culture and language every day, let alone European countries like Germany, the Czech Republic and Hungary. However, an opportunity has been made available to students to let them get the chance to experience the beautiful culture and sights of the heart of Europe.
The Berlin/Prague/Budapest School Trip is an 11-day long trip that will be available for anyone regardless of what school district they are in. To qualify for the student price, travelers must be at least 14 years old at the time of travel and 18 at the time of travel to qualify for the student price. The next trip will be from July 13 to July 26, 2026.
“I believe student travel is an amazing opportunity for students to learn and grow – to dig deep inside to get out of their comfort zones and discover the power of doing something new and challenging,” said art teacher Julie Shelton, who is one of the advisors of the trip. “I love giving students the opportunity to see art and architecture from around the world and make connections with people of other cultures… to see students become more globally minded, that the world doesn’t revolve around them, but they are part of something big and beautiful.”
The trip will entail three days of sightseeing in the urbanized city of Berlin, Germany, three days east of Germany in the popular tourist city Prague, Czech Republic and two days in the astonishing capital of Budapest, Hungary
“There is nothing like walking the cobblestone streets of Europe, eating Gelato, touching the Berlin Wall… to have your mind changed forever – to see history come to life and to live life so deeply,” Shelton said. “I hope students will have their eyes opened, to be more thoughtful and mindful in their interactions with others, especially of other cultures.”
Last summer saw the latest European school trip in countries like Austria, Switzerland and the ever-so popular Germany. Many students at Eagle High, interested in European/German culture or not, joined in on the opportunity and got to experience a never before trip involving a visit to many of Germany’s landmarks as well as neighboring countries.
“The city of Munich was my favorite; we saw Adolf Hitler’s office and the building that the Italian dictator Mussolini stayed in and the placed where they burned the books,” said sophomore Sophie Swanson. “I was kind of nervous about not knowing any German because a lot of people from German Club were going, but they were all really nice and I felt really welcomed.”
Eagle High’s German Club were very involved with this trip, with multiple students in the club taking the amazing opportunity to go and learn further information about the culture as well as being able to flex their German skills that they continue to develop in class.
“I’ve been involved with German for a lot of my life just because my brothers have been taking German classes and we have conversations,” said senior Sam Ogden. “Herr Ghetsen went on that trip and he’s a really great German teacher. I was just excited to be in his class and excited that he was going on the trip.”
With many students wanting to travel to Europe and learn more about the German culture, leading a trip with over 50 students had its challenges on the advisors.
“The hardest thing seriously is getting people to attend the promotional travel meetings in the beginning. 2026 seems far away… but it really isn’t,” Shelton said. “The reason I promote the trip so far in advance is to make the payments as affordable as possible. Signing up early locks in the lowest price for the trip.”
Despite the problems that arise from a trip of this scale, the last trip ended up becoming an incredible memory for the students and advisors who went. For most, it was the first time out of the U.S. or the first time out since the start of the pandemic.
“It was just an amazing opportunity to go somewhere with a whole bunch of new culture,” said junior Alana Rowland. “Before COVID hit, [my family and I] were supposed to go out to Mexico so this was kind of a reconciliation for that. It’s just an awesome opportunity to go somewhere with a whole bunch of new culture.”
This trip is an amazing chance for students with any interest in Germany and central Europe’s history, to experience a never before level of immersion. Even if students have little to no experience or want to learn about central European life, this trip has still proven to be fun for those who are just looking to get out of their comfort zone and enjoy these cultures. To find out more information, ask art teacher Julie Shelton or visit the link below to learn more about the next informational meeting.
