Over spring break, AP World History students left their papers and pencils behind to explore the real world. The students traveled to Spain and Morocco, where they spent a total of eight days touring different museums, visiting landmarks, and learning about different cultures.

“As soon as the plane landed and we walked out of the airport, I fell in love with the city of Spain. Besides hanging out with my fellow classmates, we went to different parts of Spain like Madrid and many other small cities,” said Olivia Polinsky, junior.  “It’s different because the only hills and mountains you see are either the expressway or the landfill sites.”

On the trip, students learned about the influence of Islamic culture, specifically the ways in which it impacted Spain and Morocco.

“I think it’s so important for kids to travel. I want them to gain real-world experience,” said Ms. Jennifer Heimlich, Social Studies and AVID.

Students got to experience historic and current religions such as Islam, Roman Catholicism.

“Students on the trip got to see the various cultures[Islamic culture] brought to this part of the world,” Heimlich said. “The main purpose was for students to see the combination of Islamic culture and European culture.”

The group of students landed in Madrid, Spain, where they stayed for six days. They then traveled to Morocco, where they stayed until their return on April 4. During the trip, they toured places such as the Royal Palace of Madrid, Alhambra Palace and Gibraltar.

“My favorite part about the trip was when we toured the city of Madrid,” Polinsky said.

A total of 18 students went on the trip, followed by three chaperones. Heimlich and Ms. Maggie Temple, Social Studies, both arranged the trip. Some students turned down the trip because of the price tag.

“The trip was not cheap. It cost around $3,500, but students did a lot of fundraising,” Heimlich said.

Fundraising was offered to help pay for the trip. The fundraisers included selling coffee to a company that helps farmers around the world and partnering with basket weavers in Ghana to sell their baskets.

Heimlich thought the trip was very beneficial for students.

“It was a great trip, and students really enjoyed being in a new atmosphere and learning about different cultures,” Heimlich said.

CIS Spanish five and six students also have the opportunity to travel to Spain this summer.