Their Bags Are Packed, They’re Ready to Go: WISE Travelers Are Off to See the World

By Aaron Frim P ’19 UPPER SCHOOL CHEMISTRY

Juniors and seniors have eagerly awaited a pivotal moment in their Wellington educational careers – WISE (Wellington International Student Experience) trips.

Nine locations around the world will host 140 Wellington students and chaperones as they explore new sights, learn about different languages and cultures, widen their perspectives, and create memories to last a lifetime.

The first WISE trips were set to happen in the spring of 2020. But the pandemic arrived, and trips were delayed – that’s why this year’s participant number is so high. In future years, the junior class will travel internationally, sparking ideas for senior projects and independent research.

Wellington has always emphasized global knowledge and citizenship. For decades, our youngest students have studied French and older students have traveled abroad to France, Spain, Russia, China, and more. Yet these trips required additional financial obligations for families. Knowing that these experiences are invaluable, Dr. Jeff Terwin, then head of upper school, led the creation of WISE to afford experiential equity – WISE trips are included in the cost of tuition so all 11th grade students can participate.

For its inaugural year, Wellington is proud to announce nine WISE trips:

Bonaire MARINE BIOLOGY

Trip leaders Dr. Jeff Terwin and Kara Trent P ’26 are taking students to Bonaire, a Dutch island off the coast of Venezuela, to investigate coral reefs. These reefs, critical to the global ecosystem, are experiencing coral bleaching and death. While in Bonaire, students will finish their scuba certification and partner with local organizations to conduct reef renewal dives.

Brazil

CULTURE, HISTORY, AND RACE

WISE Brazil travelers will join Jaime Bennati, Victoria Pang, and Ben Hirt for a trip focused on culture, history, race, and identity. To help students prepare, community members Evan Brandao ’17 and Silvia Carrau P ’32 led a discussion on growing up in Brazil and Brazilian culture. In Rio de Janeiro they’ll visit Pedra do Sal, the birthplace of samba, and Valongo Wharf, the landing site of enslaved Africans. They’ll also explore Curitiba, Columbus’ sister city and one of the greenest cities in the world.

Canada (Banff) ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION AND STEWARDSHIP

Brandon Sullivan, Emily Berty, Pete Kaser ’96 P ’27 ’29, and students are headed to Banff National Park to help preserve one of the world’s most beautiful places. Partnering with Banff National Park’s Volunteer Program, students will maintain trails, conduct ecology research, or restore natural habitats. Students will hike, kayak, and raft through the park’s mountains, lakes, and glaciers.

Denmark (Copenhagen) SUSTAINABILITY

Trip leaders Erin Cornett ’96 P ’32 ’34 and Keith Leonard P ’33 ’36 will take students to Copenhagen, the world’s greenest city. Students will meet with local experts to examine how Copenhagen encourages sustainable development legally and culturally.

Ecuador

INTERCULTURAL EXCHANGE AND SERVICE

Partnering with alumna Anna Taft’s ’97 The Tandana Foundation, students and Aaron and Jennifer Frim P ’19 will travel to an Ecuadorian village near Otavalo, a city in the Andes Mountains. While there, they’ll live with host families as guests, not tourists. Travelers will take part in a community-driven service project.

Italy (Rome)

ART AND HISTORY

WISE Italy travelers are joining Shannon Smith P ’29 and Sharla Starker P ’17 ’22 to visit the “Eternal City.” While studying art and history in situ, students will investigate how Italy’s history has shaped contemporary culture and the western world. Students will tour the Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel, archeological site Ostia Antica, and more.

Poland

History And Literature

Chris Robbins P ’17 ’22 and Greg Davis are leading students on a journey around Poland. During stops in Warsaw, Gdańsk, Kraków, and Zakopane, students will visit scenes of major works of literature, art, and film. A tour of Auschwitz will elucidate a major theme – understanding the diverse stories Nazi Germany couldn’t silence.

England ARCHITECTURE, LANDSCAPE, AND PLACE

Students are joining Cat Hiller, Katie Ehlers P ’23 ’25 ’26 ’33, and Jodi Porterfield for a study of architecture, landscape, and place in England. Seeking answers to questions about humankind, identity, roles, and change, students will tour famous architectural sites like Westminster Abbey and the Tower of London.

Spain (Barcelona) INTERCULTURAL EXCHANGE

As part of an exchange program with St. Peter’s School, Barcelona, students and Kara Trent P ’26, Ben Hirt, and Mike Ropke traveled to Barcelona where they lived with local families. Having hosted St. Peter’s students in Columbus in October 2022, Wellington travelers visited their friends in March 2023. Students took in iconic Barcelona landmarks before heading to Madrid for a few days.

PICTURED

Wellington upper school students pose in front of the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Stadium during their spring break visit in 1990