By Lorrie Ross
Staff Writer
Some Hayesville students may get to check a box on their personal bucket lists soon. In June 2024, two Clay County teachers who are both Go Global recipients, Ginger Scerri and Michelle Calascione, will take the students to Scotland for their own global experiences.
Scerri and Calascione are co-directors of the Global Studies Choice Based Program which meets after school. Scerri recently shared information about the group. “This program meets twice a week for the whole school year,” she explained. “Our program is offered to all sixth, seventh and eighth grade students here at Hayesville Middle School and also has a mentor component for our Hayesville High School students. This program is a year-long commitment. We can’t believe the eagerness for so many of our students to learn about the world around them and their place in it.”
“This coming year will be our third consecutive year we have run this program and we are so proud of it and our students," she said "At the end of this coming year, our eighth grade students and our high school mentors will have been in this program for a full three-year long curriculum. We want to bring a real world travel experience to our students who successfully completed the rigorous after school program during their middle school years. Our long-term hope is to be able to provide an international travel trip each year for our eighth grade and mentor students upon their conclusion of the whole program.”
The Global Studies Program international trip to Scotland will be June 6-14, 2024. “Each student traveling will cost a total of $4,200 each,” she said. “My hope is to get all funds covered.” Scerri started a GoFundMe page and they are working on a few grants to cover some of the trip. In addition, they are planning a fundraising website. Meanwhile, many students have started working on their own donations, including taking summer jobs.
Each student’s trip cost includes round-trip airfare from Atlanta to Scotland, nine overnight hotel stays, daily full European breakfast and daily dinner, but not lunch. The group will also have a full-time professional tour director; guided sightseeing tours and city walks as per itinerary; visits and tickets to select attractions and events; an in-country local guide and a local bus driver throughout the trip. The group will visit sites in Glasgow, Highlands, the Isle of Skye, Glencoe and Loch Ness, as well as Culloden Moor, Edinburgh and St. Andrews.
Scerri emphasized the trip is not an official school trip due to of funding and liability reasons. ”However, I can state openly that we do have the school system’s support in this amazing opportunity for our students,” she said. “It is very important to us to be successful in providing this awesome opportunity for our kids at a limited financial burden cost of their families as so many of our students qualify in a true poverty level, which is why we have started so early in our fundraising efforts.”
Scerri and Calascione asked for help sharing the news about the international trip. “Michelle and I need your help getting this information out to anyone who would be able, interested and willing to help us fund our first ever Global Studies international trip to Scotland,” she said. “I cannot thank you enough for spreading the word and considering funding our amazing program participants. We will also provide updates and student videos throughout the trip to this website. Every little bit will help to pay for all 25 students to go on this trip. We have set high standards for these 25 students to get to go including behavior and academic requirements they must maintain throughout the school year.”
The information she shared reads, “Direct donations can also be made and business donations can be provided document for tax write off for this June 2024 trip of a lifetime for these students.”
“This is the biggest and most profound endeavor I have pushed for thus far in my teaching career," Scerri said. "I appreciate any who can help or share to keep getting the word out. Thank you so much. I’m so excited. I can’t wait to take my qualifying eighth and High School Global Studies students on this adventure.”
Scerri encourages people to reach out to learn more. Email: ginger.scerri@clayschools.org.