Ever wanted to travel to South America and hike in the Amazon, exploring the jungle and exotic wildlife? How about visiting the abandoned, ancient city of Machu Picchu? This summer, Camas High School (CHS) teachers Jake Howell and Kate. Gooding are taking students on an adventure in Peru.
The teachers are working with EF Tours, integrating academics and exploration into the travel-abroad experience set for this coming July.
“I’ve always thought that it was an interesting place to visit because it’s so different from home,” senior Lily Atalla said. “Also, there’s just so many cool historic things to see from the Inca tribe and Machu Picchu.”
“I’ve always been interested in traveling,” junior Sally Garnant said. “As a kid, that’s what I wanted to do in the future. I’m still very interested in that, so I would love to go to Peru and see another country.”
Howell, while being a sports medicine teacher, has been a consistent advocate for travel opportunities and activities. He has previously led Summer English Camps to Poland (sponsored by the Camas Sister City organization) an EF Tour to Europe in 2024, and coordinates the annual Camas Ski Bus as well.
“I like giving people opportunities to come do some of the things that I enjoy doing,” Howell said. “I keep myself pretty busy – whether it be skiing, traveling, or things like that. I like skiing, so I run the Ski Bus and I like traveling, so I could give students the opportunity to engage in travel.”
The Peru trip itself consists largely of examining historically significant monuments, such as ancient Incan architecture inMachu Picchu and Cuzcos. The cultural factor will also be a prominent aspect, manifested through the world-renowned culinary experience in Peru. Peru has a history of housing top-rated restaurants in the global food scene. Students will also experience the art of Peru with weaving and pottery opportunities throughout the trip.
“[Students will be] learning a lot about a culture that there is not a whole lot of knowledge [of] in the Camas area,” Howell said. “I am a firm believer in the fact that if you know a culture, it makes it a lot harder to hate people and their cultures. We’re going to spend a lot of time trying to learn about people and their cultures.”
Howell shared his overall perspective of the trip through his favorite quote by Neale Donald Walsh: “Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.”
“We’re looking for students who are willing to take that mild risk of adventure,” Howell said.
Currently, Howell and Gooding have planned an informational meeting on Sept. 24 in the CHS library. They encourage interested students to attend with questions.
