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Meet NETC Group Leader, Sue Thorpe

Aug 11

Written by: Neil E. Traveler
Wednesday, August 11, 2010 4:50 AM

As history has always been an interest of mine, I longed to see the places in Europe where my ancestors lived and all the places that influenced the foundation of our country. London was my last stop on this six-week tour. I was filled with a sense of wonder and joy as a friend and I toured cathedrals, monuments, museums and palaces, and walked where famous and influential people walked. What fun we had touring Buckingham Palace, shopping, enjoying afternoon tea, going to the theatre and taking a ride in the classic black cabs. London truly is a grand city!

I have had the opportunity to travel to London with NETC on three trips since. I continue to be in awe of the history and majesty of the city, but am now seeing London through the eyes of students, teachers, and NETC tour guides...and the views are overwhelming. Last year, our first stop was the London Eye where we were able to see a panoramic view of the entire city. You could feel the excitement among everyone as they saw the blend of historic and contemporary architecture for the first time. This set the framework for the following days exploring the Tower of London, the Cabinet War Rooms, St. Paul's Cathedral, Covent Garden, and miles and miles of park paths and city streets.

As students navigate the Tube to reach new destinations, taste new foods, calculate currency rates, shop for souvenirs, and chat with people on the street, they are developing an understanding that the world is an exciting place to explore. They can wander through a historic building, talk about the influence of that time in history and then enjoy a dinner in a contemporary neighborhood. The students can learn the significance of the various places and events when the discussions are related to the current times. These real life experiences help them gain confidence in their abilities and develop compassion for culturally diverse people. For many, these trips are the beginning of years of travel experiences, either on other NETC tours or as college students. Many of my students have pursued careers in international business and one will study to become a history teacher as a result of their experiences on tour.

All of this is possible because of the standards of excellence that NETC has established for each tour from beginning to end. Tour guides are knowledgeable, organized, enthusiastic, creative and extremely professional. They instantly become friends with teachers and especially students. They reach out to each individual to get to know them and to engage each one in high-level educational activities. They entertain us with stories that make a tour fascinating, memorable and most of all, fun. Occasionally, a tour guide has visited us in the United States giving us the opportunity to share our history and stories about our culture.

Each tour to London has been unique with a special blend of history and culture. The travelers create a bond with each other and wish the tour could last forever. So, to keep the passion for traveling alive, we immediately start to plan for the next trip. Which part of the Kingdom should we explore next year?

Sue Thorpe, Art Teacher, MD

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Hi, I'm Amy! Avid traveler and social marketing guru at NETC. I'm also the editor of NETC's Educated Traveler blog, where you'll find all kinds of information about travel and education, tips, NETC news, classroom lesson ideas and more! Subscribe above!

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Meet NETC Group Leader, Sue Thorpe

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