WHS student-parent group in front of Palace of Westminster.

Sumner Newscow report —  The following is an essay written by Chelsea Urban, the Spanish teacher at Wellington High School. She took a group of high school students on a Education First trip from June 10-13 to Northern Ireland and England.

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By Chelsea Urban, WHS Spanish Teacher — We had 39 travelers total, so we had a private bus once again. This was my third EF trip as the group leader (Japan in 2024, Costa Rica/Panama in 2025, and now this tour). Our Tour Director was named Chris, and he was a character. People kept stopping him on the street to take pictures with him because he dresses a bit like a pirate. Chris was with us from the moment we landed in Dublin to when he dropped us off at the airport in London. We left June 1 and returned June 10th, though the 13 travelers flying back through Chicago had to spend an extra night in Chicago due to weather issues.

We did not do the extension to Paris or the Irish music workshop, but we did the Windsor tour. We also stayed in a hotel close to Glasgow so we had a bit of time in Glasgow at the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, which is not mentioned on the itinerary.

Karlee Dolezal signing wall in Northern Ireland. 

Some of the highlights were the mural tour of Belfast, Northern Ireland, where our local guide gave us an introduction to the history of the Troubles between Protestants and Catholics. The guide recounted first-hand stories of the violence he experienced as a young boy growing up in Belfast during the 70s and 80s. Another highlight in Northern Ireland was the visit to the Titanic Belfast Museum. Exploring the natural geological formations at Giant’s Causeway was also a favorite among the travelers.

Edinburgh, Scotland was one of the favorite cities we visited. We had time to explore Edinburgh Castle and then had free time to wander around the Royal Mile, a series of streets which includes one that is said to be the inspiration for Diagon Alley from Harry Potter.

Riddick Jeffries at the Belfast Titanic Museum.

Finally, we traveled by train from Edinburgh to London. The students really loved London. Our local guide was amazing and very engaging throughout our tour of Windsor Castle as well as stops at several major landmarks of London, including Big Ben and Buckingham Palace. We also enjoyed having most of the day to explore London on our own in small groups. Each group was able to choose what they wanted to do in their free time, starting with one of the three Knightsbridge museums; one group went on the London Eye; most groups went shopping at Harrods or Fortnum and Mason’s department stores. Cecilee Barker and her mother Jennifer were able to attend an Agatha Christie play called The Mousetrap.

Group at Dunlace Castle Northern Ireland.

My next EF tour for students is to the Dominican Republic in July of 2027. WHS students who are interested can email me at curban@usd353.com for more details.

Blair Daugherty traditional British red telephone box.

Group outside the Titanic Belfast museum.