Travel Stories

Husband and Wife Teaching Team Customizes Unique STEM Tour in Italy

In planning programs, we see examples of excellent teamwork every single day, but it’s not every day the team is a couple of married teachers.

Jason and Ricci Huber teach in two different Midwest high schools. He is passionate about Engineering, and she loves Business. Jason and Ricci wanted to create a travel program that would combine both subjects and allow all their students to participate. Enter WorldStrides Program Consultant, John Micalizio. John worked Jason and Ricci to design a one-of-a-kind STEM trip that pulled both subjects together by studying both of the past and present of Italy! Thus, the “STEM dell‘Italia” tour was born!

 
Jason and Ricci Huber

Key to the marriage of business and engineering was giving students exposure to professionals at some of the world’s greatest auto makers in Italy. The program also allowed students to be inspired by the rich cultural history of Italy, as it is the birthplace of some of the world’s greatest scientists and thinkers. Together, this meant visiting innovative locations to see some of the world’s oldest examples of STEM, and hearing insights from industry experts who apply said STEM in practical, real-world industries made for an exceptional educational travel experience. Experiential learning at its best!

Highlights included visits to famous automotive factories like Ferrari and Lamborghini, and of course touring many of Italy’s historical sites, from the fashionable piazzas of Milan, to the glories of the Colosseum in Rome. Other highlights included:

• At the Mostra di Leonardo, students had the opportunity to observe early engineering discoveries and practices through da Vinci’s 40+ inventions in a living museum setting.
• Did you know – the Pantheon’s interior height and diameter are exactly the same, so the entire interior would fit exactly within a cube. Fun fact! It still holds the record for the largest unreinforced concrete dome – talk about impressive engineering!

“STEM dell’Italia was an outstanding opportunity for my students to ask career questions to the professionals. The most essential part was not just talking to the engineers, but SEEING the production line to meet and ask questions of the technicians that make the ‘rubber meet the road,” Jason shared. Ricci added, “Our business students engaged in the ever-changing and spirited business world in Italy by exploring the fascinating elements of STEM and how it directly related to the qualities and experiences of successful entrepreneurs … and multi-billion dollar enterprises.”

Feeling inspired? We can help you create a custom tour that meets your specific goals and needs.