As a part of the J-Term classes offered at Blue Mountain, there is a class that allows students the opportunity to explore the world.
Globals Explorers, founded in 2014 by Kimberly French and Kate Davies, began touring locally. During its first year, the students visited a museum at the University of Vermont, strolled along the Burlington Waterfront, and ate lunch at a Vietnamese restaurant where the owner helped the group order authentic cuisine. Since then, students have visited: Costa Rica (2016), Belize (2018), Europe (Italy, France, and Spain) (2020), New York City (2023), the
Dominican Republic (2024), and Ireland and England (2025). The trips stopped for three years due to COVID-19.
French’s passion for adventure came from her high school trip to Spain. She loved the trip and traveling, and she wanted to introduce the ‘travel bug’ to students at Blue Mountain. French’s goal is to show students the different cultures and environments that other teens their age experience every day.
“At one point, our ‘motto’ was: ‘get comfortable being uncomfortable.’ We used this when students were kayaking, ziplining, and eating new foods that they had never heard of before,” French expressed.
“Ireland was a different scene from the small town that I am used to. The streets were full and so were the restaurants. A popular food choice was black sausage, [blood sausage] and most of the group tried it,” student Madisyn Christy explained.
This year, 25 students, staff, and parents traveled to Ireland and England.
French is planning a trip for 2026, so keep an ear out for a destination announcement.
