Once the school year ends, many teachers utilize their time to see their families, take vacations, or simply enjoy the time off. This was certainly not the case for English teacher Kenneth Shindle and history teacher Robert Fenster, who each embarked on unique educational experiences.

Working towards his masters in English, Shindle enrolled in a course titled, “Literary Landscapes,” through The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) which took students across the Atlantic.

Shindle traveled to Europe and embraced the settings of famous literary works such as Romeo and Juliet, Tender is the Night, and The Sun Also Rises.

“Being in a certain environment really brings the literature to life,” Shindle said.

Not only was Shindle able to garner a greater appreciation for the texts he and his group further studied, he experienced different European culture.

From bullfighting and the running of the bulls in Spain, to visiting Shakespeare’s home at Stratford-upon-Avon, Shindle was fully immersed in the culture and settings of such literary masterpieces.

Fenster’s summer was equally unique, but his was centered in America.

Through a rigorous application process, Fenster earned the opportunity to travel to Beaufort, South Carolina, to further explore the Reconstruction era of American history.

His experience was funded through National Endowment for Humanities, which provides grants for educational opportunities for teachers.

“As a history teacher, I already know a lot about Reconstruction,” Fenster said. “However, I learned a variety of things not in history books. I’m definitely going to include this new outlook in my future lessons.”

For these teachers, the summer of 2017 brought new perspectives and was truly memorable.  

“It was awesome,” Shindle said. “It was the best three weeks of my life.”