Art teacher Courtney Flamm and 19 other travelers will be taking a trip to Italy on July 20-28, 2026. While the excursion is only nine days long, travelers will have the opportunity to visit Venice, Florence and Rome, spending several days in each.
“I am personally looking forward to going to Venice, because that was never on my radar of a place that I would want to go,” Flamm said. “And I think that’s exciting, because it is a sinking city, and I don’t think it’s going to last many generations after us to be able to travel there conveniently.”
Travelers will spend the majority of the trip on structured outings, taking guided tours of the city they’re in and visiting famous locations. However, students will have some leisure when they stop in each city along the tour. While they are able to freely explore the city they’re in, most people shop and look for souvenirs. This free time is scheduled into the trip and allows some freedom within the highly structured itinerary.
“There’s a couple of churches that I would love to go into like the Santa Croce church in Florence,” Flamm said. “I would love to take students in, because that’s where they have the tombs of famous Renaissance men like Galileo, Michelangelo and Dante.”
Art is a huge piece of Italy’s culture, seeing as Italy was at the forefront of the Renaissance. Italy is not only famous for visual art, but for its architecture, literature, theatre and music as well. One of the most famous things Florence in particular is known for is a giant statue of David, created by the famous artist Michelangelo.
“I also am excited to see the students’ faces when they see David, because he’s 17 feet tall and just so grand,” Flamm said. “You’re just in awe when you’re standing beneath him in person.”
Other tourist destinations the group will be visiting include places like the Colosseum, the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica.
This trip is made possible through EF (Education First) Tours, a company that strives to provide the best all-inclusive world travel experience out there. They place a focus on safety for student travel and accessibility economically. Although traveling abroad can be extremely expensive, EF Tours seeks to give their travelers the highest quality at the lowest price. While the trip is still costly, students are able to pay for it over the course of a year and a half with several payment options provided. Overall, Flamm is just excited for the trip and for all the people who get to go.
“[Traveling gives you] a larger world view; traveling changes your brain chemistry,” Flamm said. “You grow up, it brings maturity, makes you see how small we are in the world. And it makes you more empathetic when you travel. So I hope it just opens up students’ eyes to life in general.”
