Every few years, students get the chance to go on a trip to foreign places with a club that is titled just that, the International Travel Club.

“The International Travel Club is a club where, every couple of years, we travel to different countries,” Lora Gallegos-Haynes said. “We may go to somewhere in Europe or Central America.”

Haynes has been the director of the club here since 1999, which was also when she started teaching here.

“This will be my 12^th trip with the club,” Haynes said. “I have gotten to pick every trip we go on.”

This year, the club and the 39 students attending will be traveling to places all around Europe.

“We will start in London, and then we will go into Paris and Lucerne, Switzerland,” Haynes said. “We will hit various cities in Italy, and then travel to Greece and visit several cities there.”

Haynes said the last three days will be a Greek island cruise, where they will see five to seven islands. Haynes also pointed out that the trips are usually a bit lengthy.

“The average trip is about 15 days,” Haynes said. “This trip will be 20 days.”

The students and their parents work throughout the year to raise money for all of the expenses. During basketball and wrestling season, students work concession stands for home games. Haynes said they also do bake sales, greenery sales for Christmas, barbecues at Cerv’s, and many other things to help raise money.

“We really just do whatever we can come up with or find that will help us raise the money,” Haynes said.

For students that are interested in signing up or looking into this year’s trip, there is still time to do so.

“You can sign up from now until February,” Haynes said.

Students that want to sign up can go and talk to Haynes. They will be given an application to fill out and they must have a C-average in order to qualify for the trip. Students also must write a small paragraph about why they want to go on this trip.

Haynes said that once all of that is taken care of, students can sign up on the Education-First Tours website, provide her with an email, and continue on from there.

“It’s quite an opportunity,” Haynes said. “Students learn a lot. It’s something where they can actually see and visit in person, rather than just see it in a textbook.”

17jdake@usd489.com