One of the best ways to experience and learn about different places and cultures is by visiting other countries and seeing what makes them unique. Because of this, a trip to Peru will be hosted by staff from both Loudoun Valley and Broad Run High School in the summer of 2026 for students who are interested.
“We do the trip through an educational travel company, EF, but the trip is not an official LCPS trip,” Erin Boldin, a Spanish teacher at Loudoun Valley and one of the group leaders, said.
Peru is a country on the western side of South America, and is the third largest on the continent. It is home to a few famous landmarks, one being Machu Picchu, an ancient abandoned city.
The trip will have the teachers from both Valley and Broad Run High School working as group leaders to monitor the students during the excursion. Despite the trip not happening until 2026, the sign up process started on Sept. 17, and sign ups will still be available to any willing participants until three months prior to the trip.
It has lured students like freshman Parker Moden into signing up to experience a completely new area on a completely different continent for what is probably the first time.
“I thought it was gonna be a really nice opportunity to go somewhere international and see different countries,” Parker said. “It’s very pretty out there, on Peru, and I just want to see the sights.”
Culture can also be a big reason to try to visit another country, especially if a person has a background there.
“My mother and my mom’s side of the family is from Peru and it’s somewhere I’ve really wanted to go for a long time,” sophomore Abigail Disinger said.
On top of cultural exploration, there is another thing that students may take into consideration when signing up.
“I think it really teaches students how to maneuver without their parents around and outside of their comfort zone,” Boldin said. “Trying new foods, trying a new language, and just really seeing what the world looks like in a place other than Western Loudoun.”
