Travel excursions designed to give Southwest Oklahoma teens wider view of the world

Pamela Mindemann said she leads summer travel excursions for the high school students of Southwest Oklahoma to give those teens a wider view of the world.

“The experience of the culture, of the sights, the sounds, the music, the food, that it’s a wider world than just Oklahoma,” said the Apache Public Schools teacher about exactly what she wants her student group to take out of their experience in traveling to other countries — this year, Spain, Morocco and Portugal; next year, Japan.

“I always have the kids write in a journal,” Mindemann said, adding she tells students, “It won’t mean much now, but 10 years from now, when you read the journal, all the sights and smells will come rushing back.”

She said the trips also give students a point of reference when it comes to world events. That became evident in recent days when students learned of an earthquake in Morocco and sought Mindemann out to see if they had been in the region. They hadn’t been exactly there, but it was in the same general area of their tour, Mindemann said, adding students now know enough about the country to be concerned about the people affected by the quake.

Mindemann said it’s those experiences that make traveling with Explorica an adventure, for herself and for her young charges.

“My kids experience so many wonderful experiences: laying wreaths at Normandy, swimming in the Great Barrier Reef. I’ve done it for 11 years and been to 18 countries and now five continents,” she said.

That’s why she’s already searching out students in Southwest Oklahoma to take to Japan. While Mindemann expects to take some youths from her home school, the trips are open to any high school student in Southwest Oklahoma. She already has begun identifying students who want to go on the tour of Japan in Summer 2024.

Her goal is 15 students in her delegation (the local contingent links up with others in the Explorica program). In past years, the local delegation has included 20 to 21 students and she’s hoping to reach that total again as she drives “all over Southwest Oklahoma” talking to students in other schools.

Identifying the students who want to go means linking them to the website (www.Explorica.com) and getting the process started (those who sign up before Sept. 30 get a $300 discount, she noted).

Once students are identified, Mindemann and others begin the processes to help students raise the money to pay their way. It can be as simple as encouraging them to ask for donations toward their trip rather than receiving Christmas gifts. Scholarships are available and Mindemann said her Native American students have been able to receive sponsorships from their tribal nations. Fundraisers are common: some Lawton restaurants help out by dedicating a portion of one day’s proceeds.

Mindemann said what students experience will last a lifetime.

Next summer’s 10-day trip will fly students into Tokyo for an experience that will range from immersion in the culture to the historical aspects of World War II through the Peace Memorial Park and Peace Memorial Museum in Hiroshima. Other stops will include the Imperial Palace Gardens, the Meiji Shine, a trip to Mount Komagatake for its view of Mount Fuji, the Morning Markets in the old city, the Golden Leaf Temple, and the Miyajima deer sanctuary. Mindemann said the idea is to experience Japan in the widest way possible, to include authentic meals.

Information is available at www.Explorica.com/Mindemann-8098 or by calling Mindemann at 580-512-0363.