Due to COVID-19, field trips were canceled for the past two years. With the decrease in COVID cases, students are able to go on field trips again, and three major field trips will happen this year: Washington, D.C., Europe, and Costa Rica.

“I am very excited about being able to get to do the field trips again since they are such a large part of [Marine Biology],” Mr. Hendrix, organizer of the Costa Rica field trip, said. “It was very difficult to create a real-world experience when you couldn’t leave the classroom.”

Mr. Hendrix has gone on field trips with his Marine Biology students regularly during his long teaching career at Socastee, but due to COVID, he had to refrain from them. This year he has begun taking his students on field trips again. On July 17-24, he will be taking 2023 graduates to Costa Rica. There he will take the students to the Capital of San Jose, the Carara National Park, the Marino Ballena National Park, the Manuel Antonio National Park, and Tamarindo.

“We plan on snorkeling, horseback tour, a canopy zip line tour, jungle river, mangrove tour, and maybe even surf lessons.” Mr. Hendrix said.

Students will be able to enjoy an activity-packed week while also learning through the experiences.

“Students will obviously get to learn a little marine science through the snorkeling excursion and touring the coastlines,” Mr. Hendrix said. “But they will also get to experience a different culture, local food, practice speaking Spanish with the locals, learn about the geography and geology of this country, and even a little about the local politics.”

Mr. Williams is the organizer for the Washington, D.C. field trip taking place on the first weekend of December. He is taking students from his social studies classes. His students will tour the U.S. Capitol, White House, Pentagon, Smithsonian museums, Arlington Cemetery, all the monuments, and the Holocaust Museum.

“Nothing compares to actually being there,” Mr. Williams said. “It’s kind of like a football game. Being there is way better than watching it on TV.”

The Europe field trip is organized by Mrs. Intrieri, Socastee High School’s new Learning Loss Interventionist. The Europe trip set for April 1-10 was an EF Tour that she had scheduled in Fall 2019 but was postponed due to COVID.

“I had about 14 travelers going, but over the last few years, only one family remained on the tour; so, this fall when I started at SHS, I asked Mr. Rich if I could advertise to see if anyone wanted to fill the open spots.”

The trip includes sightseeing in Ireland, England, and France. Students will tour Shakespeare’s birthplace, Anne Hathaway’s cottage, Big Ben, the Louvre, and much more.

She has stayed committed to the trip because of her own experience of touring the Tower of London during her own junior year of high school.

“I just remember how amazing that trip was and how it opened my eyes to traveling abroad!  I am thrilled to share this passion for ‘life outside of the United States’ with young minds– without masks!” Mrs. Intrieri said.