WIESBADEN, Germany -- A group of 42 Wiesbaden High School students spent five days in London last month, visiting famous landmarks, colleges and taking in a show.
The trip was the last of three trips Wiesbaden Youth Services has conducted to the United Kingdom over the last 18 months. A $100,000 grant from the Maytag Corporation for winning and Boys and Girls Clubs of America Dependable Club Award has paid for the program. Wiesbaden's club was one of seven clubs out of nearly 4,000 to win the award.
After traveling through the Chunnel, the group's first stop was in Canterbury, where they saw the famed Canterbury Cathedral. The group then traveled to East London for a guided tour of the 2012 Olympic Grounds.
While in the London area the group also visited the Science Museum and the Natural History Museum. They had a tour of the reconstructed Globe Theatre, where Shakespeare staged his famous plays, and later in the evening saw the non-Shakespearean but equally famous, "Lion King." They took a ride on the giant Ferris wheel, The London Eye, and caught great views of the House of Parliament, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, St. Paul's Cathedral, and the rest of the London skyline.
The group also visited several universities. They were invited for tea at Richmond University, an American University based in London. There were extensive guided tours of both Oxford and Cambridge universities. On the Oxford campus, students visited the famous dining room which served as the great hall of Hogwarts in the Harry Potter movies. They also visited the rooms where President Bill Clinton lived when was a Rhodes Scholar.
While in the Cambridge area, students went to the Cambridge American Cemetery to commemorate Veterans Day. The cemetery is where 3,812 World War II dead are buried. The cemetery superintendant spoke to the group and pointed out the names of Glenn Miller and Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. among the 5,127 names recorded on the Tablets of the Missing to recognize those whose remains were never found. It was a gorgeous fall day in Cambridge and the youth saw the English version of a gondola ride - "punting" on the river.
In order to participate in this program, students were required to complete mock college applications. The goal was to prepare them for the type of information they will need to provide on actual college applications. The Wiesbaden Youth Center was pleased it was able to provide over 130 students this opportunity and will continue to provided college preparation activities such as the popular "Show Me the College Money" seminars for students and parents. Please contact the Wiesbaden Youth Center for information about any other of our exciting trips or daily activities.
Social Sharing