Central High School history teacher Scott Wilson has created an opportunity for students to be a part of a 13-day long trip across Europe, being among one of the largest school trips that Central has hosted.    

The Europe trip is primarily based on learning more about the two World Wars and of course, simply just getting to see multiple countries and sightseeing. Which will end up being a total of 13 jam-packed days of traveling from London to Normandy, Paris, and France, then over to the Western Front, Belgium, and the Battle of the Bulge site and all the way to Netherlands and Amsterdam. 

There are much deeper connections for the trip beyond going to see old war sites and museums, and most of the deeper reasons connect back to Central High School. During the Western Front section of the trip, people on this trip will be able to visit the burial place of famous 1889 Central graduate Marion Crandell, who is also is one of the freshmen team namesakes. Then during the Netherlands section of the trip, members of the trip will be able to visit gravesites of six Central graduates and be hosted by the local townspeople and the mayor. “We’ll have this really cool connection with the town,” Wilson said. 

Not only does the trip have big connections to Central overall, but some of Wilson’s inspirations for this trip have connections to Central, too. Wilson wanted to share his love for history with the students and staff of Central. He was inspired to start his own trips after chaperoning during some of Central Hall of Fame inductee and teacher, Rita Ryan’s trips across Europe throughout her 42 years of teaching at Central, and before her passing in 2022. 

Wilson also shared that some of the teachers who will be assisting with chaperoning are among some of the newer teachers that have come to Central to teach. Although, some of them are not all just new teachers coming to work at Central, some of them are past Central students who got to experience past trips that Central has gone on. “It comes full circle being able to take students who are now educators,” Wilson said. 

If students are interested in traveling across Europe, have a large interest in history, or simply want to be a part of school history, the trip will take place in the first two weeks of June 2025. There will be a max of 40 students who can go on the trip with a few spots remaining currently, and students should contact Wilson for specific details.