Cultivating Global Citizens Through Experiential Education

At Old Trail School, learning about the world isn't just about school fairs and field trips. It’s a dynamic, transformative journey. Through our Center for Global Understanding, students embark on adventures that bring the curriculum to life, from the classroom to distant corners of the globe.

Our dedicated educators guide these explorations, turning learning into an experience-driven adventure. Whether through classroom activities or international travels, we extend the boundaries of education, enabling students to deeply understand diverse cultures and perspectives.

This approach equips students with the social and cultural awareness needed for a globally connected future. They develop stronger interpersonal and communication skills, nurturing the empathy and insight essential to thrive in today’s interconnected world.

In this way, learning at Old Trail is more than an educational experience—it's a journey into global citizenship.

Over the summer, 14 OTS students and three faculty members embarked on an unforgettable 12-day program in Italy, officially relaunching the school’s global programs and further reinforcing Old Trail’s commitment to innovative and experiential educational experiences.

A Remarkable Voyage, Years in the Making

Conversations about offering an Italy program began several years ago as the school sought to expand its global programs abroad.

In partnership with an Old Trail parent, a program to the rural region of Abruzzo began to take shape. Tucked away from the tourist-heavy crowds of some of Italy’s most famous sights, Abruzzo would provide students with a much more culturally authentic experience.

“Having Atri, Abruzzo, as a home base and staying in small inns enable the students to begin to feel a connection to the life and pulse of the city,” said OTS Associate Head of School Joe Vogel, who also serves as director of the school’s Center for Global Understanding. “Students are able to develop a familiar pattern to life much like local Italians, gathering daily in the town square, stopping for gelato, enjoying informal soccer games with locals, practicing Italian, and beginning to think about themselves in a new context.”

Additionally, Abruzzo is home to one of the oldest national parks in Italy and Europe, allowing students to gain a deeper understanding of the ecology and different nature of national parks in Europe compared to the United States. Established in 1923, Molise National Park is considered a masterpiece of biodiversity. It is located in the heart of the central Apennines between Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise. The park is home to several species of animals, including the endangered Marsican brown bear and the Italian wolf.

After years of preparation and planning, the program was scheduled to launch during the summer of 2020, but the global pandemic had other plans and the trip was ultimately postponed. With tremendous excitement, applications for middle schoolers reopened last fall and this once-in-a-lifetime experience ran successfully in July.

More Than a Trip

Old Trail’s Center for Global Understanding is designed to expand students’ awareness and understanding of different cultures and perspectives. This is achieved through classroom activities, campus initiatives and intentional travel programs abroad for Middle School students. These programs foster critical thinking, empathy, curiosity and self-awareness. As in the classroom, Old Trail students’ time abroad encourages them to be lifelong seekers of wisdom.

“As important as curated and purposeful programs abroad are, they will fall short if viewed as vacations,” Mr. Vogel said. “While they are engaging beyond belief, our programs abroad are, in many ways, classroom experiences outside of the classroom. All OTS programs abroad are led by our faculty, who serve in countless roles when leading students to other regions of the world, including teacher, friend, counselor, parent, medical provider, etc. This creates a special bond between the students and the teachers leading the program. For a short period of time in their lives, they become a family.”

To be selected for the experience, Middle School students had to submit an application to demonstrate their interest in and commitment to the program. All chosen students were required to participate in a third-trimester elective to build context around the experiences they would encounter upon their arrival.

Veteran instructors Ronald Teunnissen van Manen (physical education), Kathleen Marsicano (science) and Erik Korvne (English) developed a rich curriculum that engaged and informed students for months before departure. The course included several guest teachers, such as Alex Eliopoulos ’08 (visual arts), Frank T. van Manen (United States Geological Survey), Ryan de Arcangellis ’20 (Western Reserve Academy graduate), Ilaria Massacesi (Alma Lingua and the University of Akron) and Nicoletta Valanzano (Rome guide and educator).

“Preparing students in this manner sets Old Trail apart and is of utmost importance,” Mr. Vogel continued. “We prepare students to be seekers of knowledge with an understanding of what it means to be a guest in someone’s home, community and country.”

View Trip Reflections & Itinerary 

A Deliberate Approach to Learning

In serving students from toddler to Grade 8, Old Trail’s unique model of education ensures that every resource, from the expertise of our dedicated faculty to the breadth of our extracurricular offerings, is tailored to the formative years of our students. Without a high school on campus, our middle schoolers not only lead by example but also benefit from resources and programs typically reserved for older peers, fostering an environment where leadership and unforgettable learning experiences go hand in hand.

“These experiences are an integral part of our approach to education,” Mr. Vogel said. “When a child can associate a core memory with a lesson in our curriculum, they develop a better understanding and connection to its significance.”

Old Trail’s commitment to holistic education extends globally through meticulously curated and meaningful international programs. Not just trips, these journeys are designed to align seamlessly with our mission: educating the whole child and graduating students of character. By immersing young learners in diverse environments and experiences, we aim to cultivate open-minded, informed and empathetic individuals who are poised to make meaningful contributions to a global society.