In June 2021, Spanish instructor, Mrs. Shea Granger will be taking a group of 28 students to Peru for an opportunity to learn and encounter different cultures outside of the traditional classroom. 

Registration for the Peru trip filled up quickly. Past trips have had registration open for two years and never met the full capacity.  

“I never would’ve anticipated that within one day of having the parent meeting all the spots would be filled, Ms. Granger said. “I thought that we would have two different registration periods just because usually it doesn’t fill up as fast, so I open it again before we leave, but that won’t be necessary this time around.”

Students still wanting to join the trip can opt to be placed on a waiting list that currently consists of eleven other students. The concept of a waiting list was not what the instructors had planned for.  

“Twenty-eight kids are able to go,” Ms. Granger said. “It filled up within 24 hours, which blew my mind, I was not anticipating that at all because we took 18 kids to Ecuador and we had that registration period open for two years and the most that signed up was 18. Then we took 24 to the Dominican Republic.” ” 

One of the highlights of the trip is a visit to one of the Seven Wonders of The World, Machu Picchu. The group will also learn about Peruvian pottery in the Sacred Valley, have two days of community service and will end their trip in Cusco. 

“I truly feel like after the days of service the kids feel like they’ve made a difference,” Ms. Granger said. “A bigger difference than they could ever make in Gretna. So I feel like they will feel a sense of pride that they made a difference in a country that isn’t their own.” 

The trip to Peru is a popular one for Spanish students this year. Sophomore Hannah McClung signed up right after the parent’s meeting. She found out about the trip during her Spanish class and wanted to experience a different culture. 

“I hope I have a lot of fun on this trip,” McClung said. “I hope I get to make some new memories and learn things about their culture.” 

Students are eager to visit Peru in the summer of 2021. The nine-day trip will be full of tourism, service work, and new experiences. Students who still have a hope to go have to join the waiting list for the trip.