ECS students visit United Kingdom on educational trip

Ten Evangelical Christian School students, both current and alumni, joined two faculty members on a recent educational trip to the United Kingdom.

“When we realized we had all young men signed up for this study tour, we thought we’d change things up a bit,” said Student Leadership initiative advisor and high school English teacher Ryan Dixon. “It made sense on this trip to travel light and stay in hostels. Our ECS team loved our ‘immersion-style’ tour, dropping the typical charter bus setup and fully experiencing the culture and life of the United Kingdom.”

ECS holds three study tours that rotate on a regular schedule. The England/U.K. trip focuses on literature and language, while 2016’s Italy Study Tour focuses on art and the Renaissance. In 2017, the cycle will complete with a study tour to Western Europe. This tour will give students the opportunity to experience war and reformation history first hand, with stops at Wittenberg and Versailles.

“The trips combine theory with real-life experience and cultural perspective,” said Jenny Shorten, the director of enrichment and electives at ECS. “They give students the chance to see other countries in a meaningful way.”

Students also have the opportunity to participate in Sunday worship while on the study tours. Dixon recalls a particularly meaningful moment during the Sunday service at Westminster Abbey.

“While singing hymns to our Lord within a building that has deep historic presence for the Church of England, we were reminded of the roots of our Christian heritage in America,” Dixon said. “It was an important experience for our students as they pondered the state of their personal faith in Christ and their role as believers in a changing American nation.”