Abroad trips have been an annual tradition at NVU- Lyndon for generations. From Switzerland to Russia, the school offers a wide variety of places with different accommodating credits. Only recently has the Visual Arts department implemented their very own yearly week-long trip that offers students 3 of the 6 credits of ART 3031 Life Drawing courses that are required for visual art students. Lead by Robby Gilbert, a professor for the Visual Arts, the trip focusses on Europe’s rich history in the fine arts but is open to students from any department.
This year, in collaboration with EF Educational Tours, a school-based travel program, students will be traveling to Paris, France and London, England. They will be leaving the United States on April 2 and returning April 10. The program offers hotel rooms, airfare, breakfast and dinner, tour guides, museums and landmark tours priced at around $3,500. Some landmarks students can expect to see will be the
London Eye, the Roman Ruins, Theatre District, Versailles, and various art museums.
Although this may seem expensive for the average college student, the more students that sign up for these kinds of trips, the cheaper the price of travel will be. In addition, EF provides scholarships, fundraisers, and even creates each student an online page where friends and family can donate towards the cost of the trip.
Gilbert, the professor responsible for these trips, has been involved in Lyndon’s travel program for the past three years, including past trips to London and Paris, Italy, and once to Japan in Spring 2019. According to Gilbert, these trips average around 11-18 students accompanied by 2-3 faculty members. He hopes to one day include a broader trip to Japan, a trip to Hollywood for students in the cinematography major, and a trip to Italy dedicated to the country’s history.
Although Gilbert believes that EF pricing is cost-efficient, he wishes there was more room for personal exploration and that the itineraries appeared less rushed. Regardless, Gilbert advocates heavily for students to travel, saying, “Don’t go expecting the comforts of home. Have every experience there can be.”
Fortunately, Lyndon offers many other opportunities to travel to its’ students so for students who cannot afford to go this year, they can save up and look forward to next year’s trip.
Feature Photo by Renee Chaples || Students going on the Paris and London Trip this semester are looking forward to the sites they will see and experience.