While they may still be too young to have one, students in North Allegheny have a chance to cross international travel off their bucket list.
Several teachers from the district are providing unique travel opportunities through Education First Tours. The trips, which are not provided through or sponsored by North Allegheny School District, are generally chaperoned by local teachers, such as Megan McGrath, a teacher at North Allegheny.
“The benefits of these trips are the experiences that the students get by traveling abroad. These experiences range from learning about new cultures and seeing iconic locations to the independence of traveling on their own and meeting students from other schools,” said McGrath.
She and other teachers are already organizing trips for July, which include the Dominican Republic, Greece, Japan, and Amsterdam, Brussels and Paris.
Emily Onorato, an EF Tours group leader, traveled this summer to Switzerland. The group consisted of three teachers from North Allegheny and 20 students, a mix of rising freshmen through seniors.
“We all had such a blast traveling around Switzerland. We spent a day in Zurich, and we even had a few travelers attend the Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour concert while we were there,” said Onorato, another North Allegheny teacher.
From Zurich, they traveled to the Interlaken Region.
“We visited an ice palace, explored a cave, went zip-lining, road scooters down the Swiss Alps, and more,” Onorato said.
After the Interlaken Region, their final stop included swimming in Lake Geneva. They visited the Olympic Museum in Lausanne just weeks before the 2024 Summer Games in Paris.
“Finally, we ended our incredible trip with the best day of the travel itinerary: cheese, castle and chocolate. We got to tour and sample the Gruyere Cheese Factory, which was followed by an afternoon exploring a nearby castle. We ended our trip touring, sampling and making our very own chocolate at Maison Cailler,” Onorato said. “Needless to say, this was a trip of a lifetime for students and chaperones alike.”
The cost can range from $3,000 to $6,000, and students and their families pay for the trip. EF Tours offers scholarships that students can apply for, both needs-based and merit-based, McGrath said.
EF also has a fundraising site that students can share, similar to a GoFundMe, so if they do any odd jobs or ask for travel money as a gift, others can contribute to their cost, she said.
Local parent Marissa Earnest went on the Italy trip in the spring with her son Will.
“It was wonderful to travel with my son and enjoy Italy together. The tour provided unique and fun experiences, such as going to a buffalo mozzarella farm to make mozzarella, that we wouldn’t have had on any other trip,” Earnest said.
Teachers, chaperones and the company make sure safety is the top priority.
The locations chosen are constantly monitored for any safety concerns, and changes to itineraries can be made if needed. The trips include one adult chaperone for every six to eight students, a ratio that helps ensure that students are constantly accounted for on trips.
“After participating in the trips, our students have expressed an increase in their confidence and willingness to try new things outside their comfort zone,” McGrath said.
All the following trips are scheduled for July 2025.
For the sixth- to eighth-grade trip to Amsterdam, Brussels and Paris, led by Beth Greenwald and supported by McGrath and Jim Voland, email greenwaldtravels@gmail.com.
These are for students in ninth through 12th grades:
• The Dominican Republic will be headed by group leader Bill Love, blovestudenttravel@gmail.com.
• Greece will be led by Jamey Pirring, journeywithjamey@gmail.com.
• Japan will be led by Onorato, eonorato.travel@gmail.com.
Natalie Beneviat is a Trib Total Media contributing writer.