Not many people get the opportunity to travel the world in their lifetime, but a club here at West is trying to change that one student at a time.

This year, the Greeley West International Spartan Travel Team became an official club. This spring break, the club, headed by Mrs. Corinne Yahn, Mr. Taylor Plantt, and Ms. Elizabeth Villanueva, is taking a trip to Costa Rica. This trip is going to be followed by a seven day trip to Belize during the 2019 Spring Break.

The itinerary for the week in Belize includes zip-lining through the jungle, cave tubing, and snorkeling through the first marine reserve in Central America, located in Hol Chan. The group also gets to tour Mayan ruins and hike through a jungle while learning survival techniques from Belizean bushmen.

The trip is “open to everyone who is open to and wants to travel,” said Villanueva, and students are also required to have their passports, as they will be traveling out of the country.

The club held an informational meeting December 5 for families that are interested to discuss travel details, specific costs, and the official itinerary. Currently, the cost is estimated to be around $2000, with optional opportunities for fundraising. Similar to fundraising efforts for Costa Rica, students and teachers going on the trip can sell donuts and lollipops to help offset the cost of the experience. The students may also select to use the trip for college credit by paying an additional fee and producing a project of their choosing based around their experiences on the trip.

Greeley West International Spartan Travel Team was conceived after discussion between Yahn and Villanueva about the travelling opportunities at schools Yahn had previously taught at. In an attempt to recreate these opportunities at West, the team is already planning their third adventure to Iceland during spring break in 2020. The club has been inviting new members and spreading the word about their club through emails to parents and students, the daily announcements, informational letters by mail, and through verbal encouragement to students. Villanueva states that the goal for the trip and the club is to “create a family aspect, to all work together, and be open to new experiences.”

Villanueva is already excited to take students to Belize. “I think it’s an amazing opportunity to experience the world outside of America,” she said.