TRAVEL

Winter in Michigan makes golf a challenge. There’s the golf room, but.... What golfers really want is an opportunity to step onto a real tee box, line up putts on actual grass, and experience God’s creation while using their gifts on real courses. This trip will offer that opportunity and more! We’ll travel to Phoenix and tee off on some of the beautiful courses Arizona has to offer. We’ll visit local universities, meet with members of their golf programs, and do some service around the city. And, we’ll enjoy the desert environment, hiking and taking a day to visit the Grand Canyon. Escape the dreariness of January in Michigan, pack up your clubs, and join us in Arizona next January! Preference will be given to GRCHS Varsity golf members.

G’day mate! There are three features that make Outback Biology unique for a Winterim travel experience. First of all, Australia is home to the most unique biodiversity on the planet. From Cairns’ rainforest canopy to the Great Barrier Reef, we will see unique species found only here, including the elusive platypus, tree kangaroos, and varieties of vibrantly colored corals and tropical fish. Secondly, this trip offers far less ‘bus’ time and far more hands-on activities. Rather
than chase sites from one side of this vast country to the other, we stay focused on one region. Cairns offers quick access to the Great Barrier Reef, mangroves, and one of the most pristine tropical rainforests on the planet. Thirdly, this trip is hands-on. Rather than simply site-seeing, many of our activities focus on data collection and research, helping scientists with their ecological studies. We will learn to identify different coral species and help scientists collect data for a global coral bleaching database. We will also participate in research on water quality, coral health, and data cataloging on reef diversity and marine life sightings. For any student with an interest in ecology and the natural world, this trip
is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that can not be replicated on a family vacation. So join us as we explore Australia and discover the biological wonders of God’s creation! Whether counting clown fish, studying the rainforest canopy from the vantage point of a crane-guided gondola, or swimming in a mangrove lagoon, prepare for the adventure of a lifetime!

Bahamas: An Island School Experience as a Winterim Trip for 2024! Do you want to live the island life? Join us for a fun-filled, jam-packed, amazing adventure to the Bahamas. Scuba diving, snorkeling, swimming, cliff jumping, and so much more awaits you at The Island School in Rock Sound, Eleuthera. At the Island School, we will live on a sustainable campus all while studying marine ecology, environmental sustainability, and explore the beautiful deep ocean. You will see ocean life like you have never seen before!

*Note: Summer SCUBA certification classes are required (and organized by the leaders) as part of this travel experience.

Get ready for an epic journey through time as we explore the most iconic historical cities in the northeastern United States! Our adventure begins in the birthplace of American freedom, Boston, where we’ll walk the Freedom Trail
and marvel at the grandeur of the Boston Common and the USS Constitution Museum. Next, we’ll head to the Big Apple, New York City, where we’ll take a ferry to the Statue of Liberty, and journey back in time to Ellis Island, the gateway for millions of immigrants. In Philadelphia, we’ll stand where history was made at Independence Hall, where the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. The Constitution was signed. Finally, we’ll end our trip in the nation’s capital, Washington D.C. We’ll pay our respects at the Lincoln Memorial, visit the Supreme Court building, and explore the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to gain a deeper appreciation for this country’s founding principles while having the time of your life in some of the United States’ most iconic cities!

Do you want to make a difference in the lives of others, build new friendships and serve in an international setting? Would you like to explore a new culture and practice your Spanish skills? Then join us as we partner with Sociedad Lucas, a ministry in the Dominican Republic whose primary focus is sharing Christ’s love to children in their local community. God has a deep love for his people, and God calls us to share this love with everyone we meet. We will SERVE in a Christian school founded by Dr. Silvia Martinez, a native Dominican who has a passion to nurture the faith of children in her community. We will teach Bible and English lessons, play with the children and participate in sports programs, serve meals, and work on light construction projects. We will enjoy building relationships within the team and with our Dominican friends, and take time to physically and spiritually REST so we can pay attention to the work God is doing in our midst. Rest also includes exploration of the beautiful island: hikes to waterfalls, enjoying time at the beach, and a tour of the historic Colonial District. Lastly, we will GROW in our relationship with the Lord as we serve, worship, pray and spend daily time in scripture. It is our desire that our hearts will draw closer to God as we better understand his faithfulness, compassion and provision for his people. We will be inspired to love as God loves, and joyfully serve in Jesus’ name. Come join us in the Dominican Republic!

Explore the beauty, history, and culture of France in the Springtime. This is the stuff they write songs about! We begin in the city of Caen, Normandy, which was almost totally destroyed by bombs in WWII and where William the Conqueror’s castle still stands. We’ll visit the famous Caen Memorial Museum, the Normandy Beaches, and the American Cemetery at Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer. From there, it’s a stop on Mont-St.-Michel, an island at high tide in the English Channel that is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and Monet’s Garden at Giverny. We finally land in Paris for days of world-famous monuments and museums: the Eiffel Tower (which you’ll stay nearby!), Notre Dame Cathedral, the Arc de Triomphe, the Louvre and much more. You’ll mix with the locals as you cruise down the Seine, eat in cafés and restaurants, take in neighborhoods, and take a trip out to the Palace of Versailles. Get ready for a Bon Voyage!

The Florida: Sports Performance Remote Training at IMG” trip will take 15 student-athletes down to IMG Sports Academy for three days of performance-based training and team building skills training on their private Sports Performance Campus. Students will take part in sports performance training while also learning the skills of leadership and accountability while participating in portions of the curriculum that IMG has created for student-athletes.

Join us for a multi-day backpacking trip down into the Grand Canyon! These are the most beautiful miles of the Arizona Trail and we will be partnering with the Arizona Trail Association for a service project along other sections of this 850- mile National Scenic Trail! Come on this trip to learn backpacking or to refine your skills in one of the most beautiful places in our nation!

Experience the arts and iconic sights in four of Europe’s greatest cities—London, Paris, Florence, and Rome. We begin our tour in London where we will explore the city and see famous London landmarks such as Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, the National Gallery, and Tower Bridge. We’ll also attend a performance in one of the world’s most famous theatre districts, London’s West End. Our next stop will be Paris via the Eurostar Chunnel crossing. In Paris we will visit Notre-Dame cathedral, Arc de Triomphe, Champs Élysées, Eiffel Tower, the palace of Versailles, cruise the Seine river, and much more. Next we fly to Florence, Italy where we’ll slow down a bit from the big city hustle and enjoy walks inside the historic city and bridges and of course, pizza. Finally, our trip will conclude in Rome, with a stop in Assisi at St. Francis’ Basilica along the way. In Rome we will visit the Colosseum, the Sistine Chapel, the Vatican museum, and many other important historical and religious sites. This trip offers once-in-a-lifetime experiences in some of the world’s most exciting places.

Jamaica is a beautiful, mountainous island in the Caribbean Sea. Located in the middle of that island is the Jamaica Deaf Village, part of the Caribbean Christian Centre for the Deaf. The CCCD exists to “reach, teach, and nurture the Deaf of Jamaica so that they can experience the joy of knowing Jesus and serving within their community. The Jamaica Deaf Village (JDV) is a place where Deaf can live, work, and grow. “ During our week at JDV, we will work alongside people in the deaf community, visit a school for the deaf, engage with other people in Jamaican culture, and spend time together. The last two days will be spent at a resort in Montego Bay.

This trip has it all! Culture, connections, safari! Spend twelve days getting to travel around Kenya. We will explore a tea farm, make a trip to a coffee farm, see beautiful flower gardens, and spend two days on an African safari experience. Get ready to try new foods and experience a thriving culture where over sixty languages are spoken! We will also make connections with locals in Nairobi by spending time learning from local organizations that serve Nairobi’s most vulnerable. Additionally, we will spend time with those people, serving and getting to know them. This will truly be the trip of a lifetime!

Committed to peaceful coexistence, Oman is a country that is an oasis in the Arab world, offering a way to explore intercultural and interfaith relations. Experience Oman’s natural beauty: enjoy a day at the beach, visit a turtle preserve, snorkel/paddle board, hike along a river to a cave with a waterfall inside, ride a camel and surf the dunes during a night at a desert oasis, and take a sunset cruise on a dhow (traditional sailboat). Explore Muslim religion and culture: visit the Muscat Grand Mosque, wander a spice market, visit a date farm, learn to cook a traditional Middle Eastern meal, and find out how Muslims live their faith in everyday life. Learn to love your neighbor: discover how shared values can bridge cultural and religious divides, experience Omani hospitality, and learn from the 100+ year legacy of Christian medical professionals serving through the Al Amana Centre in Oman.

What is it like to spend time in one of the happiest countries on earth? Find out as we discover the natural beauty and historic significance of Panamá. Learn the history behind the remarkable feat of engineering that is the Panama Canal, and journey on to soak in the number of other remarkable landmarks in Panamá, a center of cultural and biological diversity. Visit an ecological history museum designed by the famed deconstructivist architect Frank Gehry, and tour the historic center. Then, leave the city and see the diverse Panamanian wildlife in person, visiting indigenous Amerindian tribes that have preserved their way of life for centuries and Chagres National Park.

Discover Vietnam on an immersive journey through culture, history, and the natural world—it’s more than just a section in a history book. From the scents of lemongrass and cinnamon that cascade from Hô Chi Minh market stalls to the sweeping views of Ha Long Bay’s lush limestone cliffs, this Southeast Asian country will dazzle your senses and introduce you to a world unlike so many other places on Earth. You’ll learn about the Vietnam War by exploring the Cu Chi Tunnels used by Vietnamese soldiers and by meeting with an American veteran of the War and hearing about his experience and why he is still there. You’ll also explore Dà Nang’s massive caves, paddle in bamboo-basket boats in Hôi An, and slurp on the country’s famous noodle soup in Hanoi. You’ll take a rickshaw ride through the bustling streets of Ho Chi Minh City, learn fishing techniques from rural villagers, and explore the beauty of the Mekong Delta region on a river boat cruise.