Wonder makes people look up at the stars and build rocket ships. It turns a fallen apple into a cosmic lesson. It inspired Socrates, Plato and Einstein. And it inspires our students when they travel abroad. Ultimately it is that wonder–achieved through experiences–that fosters a deeper understanding of self and others through global and civic awareness.
Our mission encourages students to think, create, be yourself, aspire to excellence and go beyond through global travel, grade-level class trips, off-campus coursework, community service days and senior internships.
TRAVEL OPPORTUNITIES
For Spring Break 2024 students will have the opportunity to travel to:
- Paris, Switzerland, & Bavaria (March 14th – 22nd)
- Cuernavaca, México (March 10th – 23rd)
- Ecuador & the Galápagos Islands (March 15th – 23rd)
Click here to view the teacher’s presentations detailing information about the trips!
Still have questions? Check out this zoom recording of the Q&A teacher’s hosted for the 2024 trips:
At the end of the day, everything we do is about people. It’s about children and the kinds of adults they become and how they will impact their families, their communities and the world. Cultural empathy is one of the best ways to grow. Tampa Prep offers several opportunities for students to travel abroad or host international students to assist in this growth.
OFF-CAMPUS COURSEWORK
Successful completion of the Senior Internship Program is a requirement of graduation.
Starting in January, seniors are counseled through the process of finding and preparing for local business internships. They must intern for a total of 70 hours (less 10 hours for each AP class being taken), for the final three weeks of the school year. As a way to document their experience and newfound knowledge, seniors blog each week of their internship.
The process of preparing a resume, interviewing for a job and being punctual and responsible in the workplace is invaluable for students as they enter college and, eventually, the workforce.
With so many native Spanish speakers in Tampa, students immerse themselves in an Aprendizaje–an internship with a spanish-speaking business.
Spanish teacher Mary Beth Hill began her “Aprendizaje” project in 2010. With so many native Spanish speakers in Tampa, Mrs. Hill saw an opportunity for her students to immerse themselves in those cultural pockets within the community.
As the culminating project in her Language and Culture class, students must seek out and arrange a half day internship (about 4-5 hours, or longer if they choose) in a Spanish-speaking environment. Students have worked in law offices, restaurants, television stations, construction sites, bakeries and even refereed on soccer fields. The immersion experience forces students outside of their comfort zones and “school Spanish,” and often they realize that they understand and can communicate much more easily than they imagined. Even better, Mrs. Hill says, “This opportunity creates ties to and partnerships with our Spanish-speaking community as well. The hosts have always been welcoming and very supportive of the initiative!”
Upper School Chorus students travel to Nashville to record in famous Studio B.
During this trip, students gained valuable professional experiences and:
- Observed a rehearsal of Dr. Jeffrey Ames, choral director at Belmont University, with his college choir “Chorale,” attended a workshop with him, toured the Belmont campus and received feedback from Dr. Ames for their upcoming recording session.
- Went on a backstage tour to learn historical events for country music at the Grand Ole Opry then performed at the Grand Ole Opry in front of a large crowd.
- Performed in the Ryman Auditorium and toured the Country Music Hall of Fame.
The trip ended with an hour-long recording session in the famed Studio B where the students recorded five songs including our alma mater, which brought sniffles from our seniors. For the recording, Chorus teacher Mr. Hoy played on the same piano on which Elvis played long ago.
HOSTING OPPORTUNITIES
Hosting a student from another country in a cultural exchange is a wonderful experience. Being a host family creates memories and international friends for a lifetime. There is no model host family or host home. You can live in Tampa or outside of Tampa; in a house, apartment or condo; have one or two students at Tampa Prep; eat out or cook at home and have a busy or relaxed lifestyle. The only requirement is that you want to share your home and culture with another person. These hosting opportunities qualify for the Global Studies Concentration requirement, but are open to any interested Tampa Prep families.
