Since 2006, Fair Grove High School has been home to Culture Club. The club has seen many different versions, and multiple different advisors, but the mission has stayed the same: make international adventure attainable for Fair Grove High School. This club has achieved on making memories, expanding horizons, and bringing classroom content to life for all eagle travelers.
Shelley Thornton, High School Spanish Teacher and Culture Club Advisor, has been running the club since 2014 when she took over for former advisor Amy Johnson, High School History Teacher and National Honor Society Advisor.
Thornton described what Culture Club actually is, ¨Our Culture Club trips are educational tours. The tours are fast-paced and full of adventure- we cover as much ground as we can in the time that we have, and we make sure we hit the highlights of the cities we visit.¨ Thornton added, ¨Culture Club tours give our local travelers an opportunity to experience a corner of the world that they might never otherwise visit, on tours that are safe, affordable, and designed with the Fair Grove community in mind.¨
According to Thornton, travelers can include students, alumni, family, parents, and friends of the Fair Grove Community. Recently, Thornton has added additional fundraising opportunities at Missouri State University, Thunder Ridge Nature Arena, and Springfield Cardinals games to create more opportunities for potential travelers financial security.
Collin Emery (12), recently traveled to Greece in Summer 2024 with the school’s Culture Club. He detailed his experience, ¨…we visited several historical and culturally significant sites including Athens and Santorini. We took a cruise ship to reach each island. It was an unforgettable experience!¨ He added, ¨The pre-trip planning was a mix of excitement and a little bit of stress. There were lots of meetings, fundraisers, and coordination with Thornton. However the club leader was really organized and kept us updated on every detail, so in the end, everything came together smoothly. It was definitely worth all the preparation.¨
Thornton elaborated on the planning process, ¨We start planning our trips close to two years before departure. Normally, we open enrollment in September or October and travel twenty months later in June.¨ She continued, ¨We have an enrollment meeting where we introduce the tour, go over the itinerary, discuss safety, insurance, inclusions, etc. This is a great time for travelers to ask questions about the tour and to share advice and past experiences on tour.¨ Thornton added, ¨…as we get closer to departure, we schedule a few meetings to walk through all the tour details in depth- our itinerary, tour stops, hotels, meals, safety, how to handle things like money and cell phones while abroad.¨
Some of the places Culture Club has been included but is not limited to Spain, Portugal, Costa Rica, Australlia, France, Ireland, ect.
Thornton concluded, ¨I think helping someone see the world is one of the most valuable ways you can spend your time, and I am proud of the work that Culture Club is doing in providing these opportunities for our students and community.¨
