Like many high schools, Claremont students are given the chance to take a language for one of their courses. But unlike many high schools, Claremont also gave the chance for students to travel to those countries that spoke the language students were learning. Or at least they used to. Students here at CHS have lost a remarkable, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
CHS is an extremely diverse school that holds many different ethnicities and cultures. For students here at CHS, it is really important for them to learn and discover to cultures outside the ones they are used to. As students here at CHS learn the languages that the school offers, they also have the opportunity of learning their languages culture and customs. There is a huge difference between learning about a culture compared to actually being there and experiencing it first hand. There students get the chance to really deeply understand the beauty of the language as well as food, culture, and architecture. For example, the French club enjoys making crêpes and selling them to passing by students who would enjoy having a little taste of France. However, I doubt that many students taking French had the chance to actually taste a real crêpe made in France.

Although some may think that traveling to these places does not contribute to the academic life of a student and that the costs of the entire trip is not worth it, they are simply wrong. Yes, the trip may cost money and it is true that the trip does not 100% pertain to academics, but this opportunity does not always come so easily. Some people do not have the chance to travel to Europe until they are adults. Giving students the chance to experience experiences like this contribute greatly to the way they see the world around them and can potentially influence who they become in the future.  

CHS also seems to value the idea of being globally aware of different cultures and places. What is a better way to do those things than to visit places such as Germany, France, or Spain? These places are filled with different aspects of culture with so many historical places to see. Students would be able to listen to the true sound of the language they spend so much time learning, see what the place is like, and also get the amazing chance of to travel to Europe.

These learning trips must be brought back to CHS, as they hold so much opportunity for students at CHS to experience the true wonders of a nation that seems so foreign to some. Becoming globally aware is important, and what is a better way than to travel to a country on school business? Without these trips, students at CHS are missing a valuable learning chance that could possibly influence them and  the way the see the world.