By Melissa Wagoner
“Opening the world through education,” is the mission of the educational travel company, EF Tours, but it’s also the mission of Stacie Harker – an avid traveler and science teacher at Butte Creek Elementary.
“I think international travel is so important,” Harker said. “To get insight on American culture by seeing other cultures… to see culturally that this isn’t the only way to do it… and to see different ecosystems and biomes.”
Which is why this summer she will be teaming up with EF Tours to offer a group of SHS students the opportunity of a lifetime – an ecotour of Belize.
“We’ll be doing science on the trip,” Harker said, describing how this tour differs from other education-based travel options. “We’ll go to [Port Honduras] marine reserve, and we’ll observe a manatee population.”
Students will also take part in a reforestation project that will help support biodiversity, stabilize riverbanks, and improve water quality, visit a sustainable farm to learn more about climate friendly farming practices, engage in Mayan culture in a local village and take a zipline through the rainforest canopy.
“There are all kinds of cool things,” Harker said. “And everything’s included so it takes a lot of the work out.”
Enrollment is available to both current and incoming SHS students on the EF Educational Tours website (see box), along with further information including the estimated cost – $4,404 for eight days of travel – and a detailed itinerary.
“I’m really excited about going,” Harker said. “I think it’ll be so fun to see their interest spiked. There’s joy in that.”
Eight Day Ecotour
• Dates: July 19-26, 2023
• Cost: $4,404, all-expenses included
• Registration: www.eftours.com/2530849td
