GIP Travel Night

This past Monday, September 17th, the travel groups from Poly’s 2018 GIP programs came together in Founders Hall to share about their experiences, reflections, and takeaways from their spring break and summer trips. Hosted by GIP and MCed by Global Scholars Taylor Stimmler and Alexa Schlaerth, the event was a memorable one, with photo slideshows, humor, and the sharing of impactful experiences.

First among the trips was Nicaragua, the spring break service trip in conjunction with Outreach360, where students have the opportunity to teach English in schools with children from varying age groups. The group, all dressed in Outreach360 shirts, broke their presentation up into the values promoted by their organization, emphasizing the importance of values like responsibility and teamwork.

Up next were the students from Poly’s first ever immersion trip to Argentina. Students shared reflective poems and historical concepts from Argentina’s “Dirty War” while a video in the background showed photos and short clips from the 2-week-long experience, ranging from museum visits to walking tours to homestay anecdotes.

Next on the agenda was the Italy trip, whose students shared about homestay experiences, featuring one with the Poly-AFS student from the 2016-17 school year, Caterina. Students also discussed their exploration of Rome, visit to the Vatican, and public speaking in the Forum.

Last but not least was the group of students from Poly’s 2nd trip to Iceland. With a student-made video, trip members took turns sharing highlights from the trip, many choosing to focus on their experience of Iceland’s unique and beautiful geological makeup. The trip’s focus on environmentalism also had the students excited by meeting leading authorities on climate change and familiarizing themselves with Icelandic sustainable living practices.

All in all, the GIP trip presentations were met by a captivated audience and shared experiences and memories from trip to trip to live on in these students’ minds.

For me, this hosting experience was amazing. I felt that I could really engage and connect with others' stories going into the night with previous knowledge. Even more so, knowing the people presenting and hearing them speak about their eye-opening experiences on their trips in every day conversation means so much to me and reaffirms my strong belief in GIP travel programs.