Student Travel
Each year, WMA offers exciting opportunities for students to travel around the country and around the world to enhance their classroom studies. Students can explore both the differences and interconnectedness of peoples and economies from around the world and around the nation.
Travel is seen as an opportunity for WMA students to gain first-hand experience with the people, institutions and challenges of the modern world.
2024-2025
Registration for faculty-led trips (see below) scheduled in 2025 has opened.
- Students must confirm their travel intention for a specific trip by making a $500 deposit at the time of registration.
- Students selected for each trip will be notified by WMA by Nov. 1, as there are capacity limits for each trip.
- Trips are for Upper School students only.
Please contact Wally Swanson if you have questions.
March 2025
Portugal & Spain
Students will travel to the Iberian peninsula to Malaga, Granada and Sevilla. Highlights from this portion of the trip include tours of cathedrals, royal palaces, museums and the Alhambra. The group will travel overland to Lisbon, the capital of Portugal, and will visit the shopping area of the Baiza district, as well as Sao Jorge Castle and the Porto do Sol medieval architecture as it overlooks the city’s waterfront. Cooking classes and Fado music follow, as the group then travels to Fatima and Porto, where they can see some of the Atlantic’s largest waves as well as the city’s main cathedral. (Note: Tentative plan includes the possibility that the group attend a professional soccer game in either Lisbon or Porto. This detail will be finalized through the travel company when the league tickets go on sale.)
Price: $5,300
Trip Leaders: Ms. Earls & Mr. Kane
France
Students will gain the opportunity to learn French or improve their language skills in an immersive opportunity at Lyon’s Immersion Academy. Staying with local families, students will have the chance to practice their French (from beginning level to advanced)and learn about the culture. There will be French classes in the morning at the academy and then the afternoon dedicated to cultural site visits and a cooking class After five days in Lyon, the group will travel to Annecy, known as the Venice of the Alps. The group will then take the fast train to Paris, where they will spend their final days enjoying the capital city and visiting the Musée d’Orsay, the Conciergerie, the newly rebuilt Cathedral Notre Dame de Paris, Montmartre, the Opera, the Eiffel Tower, a cruise on the Seine and more. Students will have some time for shopping in Galeries Lafayette as well.
Price: $5,300
Trip Leader: Mme. Dubois
June 2025
New Zealand
For the first time, WMA will lead a student trip to New Zealand, known as a “geographer’s paradise’’ and the “Adventure Capital of the World.’’ Our 10-day trip will allow Traveling Titans to experience a lifestyle of environmental sustainability and to immerse themselves in the culture of the South Pacific. Historical highlights include a visit to a Maori village to learn the ancient traditions of the country’s oldest surviving people and a exploration of the national capital of Wellington. A short flight to Christchurch sets up a visit to the Southern Alps via the TransAlpine Rail. Other itinerary plans include watching a rugby match (New Zealand’s national sport), snowmobile and skyline gondola rides, and a whale watch on the South Pacific Ocean.
Price: $5,600
Trip Leaders: Mr. Wells and Mr. Held
American Southwest
Students will fly to Las Vegas, Nevada, and from there head into the high desert. Students will be hiking and see some of this country’s most beautiful landscapes. The Bryce Canyon and Zion national parks will serve as the location for visits to the Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park and the opportunity for horseback riding. The group will also visit the Grand Canyon and Hoover Dam. Please note that this trip will involve a significant amount of physical activity
Price: $3,500
Trip Leaders: Mr. & Mrs. Vartabedian
England
Four students will be sponsored by our Hubbard Fund for British Cultural Travel program, which instills an appreciation for the history and culture of England and to understand through firsthand experience the connectedness of our two nations. The group spends time visiting historical sites in London and surrounding areas. Students who have never traveled outside their home country are encouraged to apply. Preference will be given to those in good academic standing who have demonstrated responsible citizenship. Students are only responsible for $500 and all other costs (sights, lodging, meals) are taken care of by friend of the Academy Lev Hubbard. Interested students must submit a two-page application essay regarding why they would like to go and why they would be a good ambassador of WMA. The essay should be submitted to Mr. Bloomfield. Deadline is Dec. 1. If accepted, students are expected to write a brief essay about their experience and share at least three photos from the trip.
Price: $500
Trip Leaders: Paul Bloomfield
It truly was the experience of a lifetime ... Our train ride through the Alps was incredible, and I couldn’t believe we were still on Earth; it felt like we were on Pandora from Avatar.
- Jack H. '23
Student Travel: 'Oh, the places we've been'
Amazon?
Cambodia?
India?
Namibia?
Peru?
South Africa?
Check out photo galleries from recent trips.