Thursday, October 1, 2026
For the first time since Covid-19, a group of 47 Uniondale High School students and eight Uniondale staff members returned from a weeklong international trip with new cultural perspectives, stronger global curiosity and, for some, a changed sense of direction for their futures — this year’s destination was Japan.
For many students, the international trip marked their first time traveling abroad — and in some cases, even their first time on an airplane. Organized through EF Education First, the experience quickly drew interest from more than 100 students after an informational meeting.
By the time registration closed, the district had its largest group to date participating in the program.
“We had a hundred people at the information meeting, and as the group leader, I get an email every time a student signs up,” Uniondale High School English teacher Nina Saveth said.
“And not only could I hear my phone exploding with emails,” she added. “By the time I got home, the trip was full — we never experienced that before.”
“This was overwhelmingly where students really wanted to go,” David Hollander, the district’s director of social studies, said. “We sent out a survey, we had a committee of teachers, of administrators, and the interest level was enormous in this trip.”
Among the students was London Davis, a junior who said the trip reshaped his academic and personal outlook. He described arriving in Japan with a long-standing interest in the country, influenced by anime and cultural curiosity, but said the experience became far more meaningful once he was there.
“I think after that trip, I’m definitely leaning more into studying abroad once I’m in college,” Davis said. “And picking up a few languages along the way.”
Davis recalled moments of cultural connection, including playing baseball with a local child at a schoolyard despite a language barrier, using a tour guide to translate between them.
“I told my chaperone that I want to play baseball with him, and we just played,” he said. “Whether we look different or not, that didn’t really matter — I do look different, I’m taller, darker and bigger.”
Saveth explained the trip helped students step outside their comfort zones and experience cultures different from their own, encouraging them to become more open-minded and globally aware.
“Sometimes we don’t always listen to people when they’re not like us,” she said. “When they’re not in our bubble.”
Across the group, students explored temples, shrines, coastal areas such as Enoshima Island, Nara Park and local food districts. Many also experienced daily cultural differences, from etiquette norms to meals that were unfamiliar compared with home.
Students quickly adapted to Japanese customs, quietly riding trains during rush hour, carrying their trash because public garbage cans are rare and respectfully following local etiquette.
In addition to visiting shrines and cultural landmarks, students learned about Japanese customs firsthand from their tour guides. Davis said students were taught traditional rituals at shrines associated with good luck and respect, while also exchanging pieces of American culture in return.
“We passed along certain American slang that isn’t typical to Japanese people,” Davis said.
Saveth and Hollander said the goal of the program extends beyond travel itself, focusing instead on building global awareness and cultural understanding.
“We’re really thinking about aligning it with some of our instructional goals,” Hollander said. “One of the big things is becoming a global citizen, and how does travel support that? It was really exciting.”
Davis prepared by downloading Duolingo, a language-learning app, more than five months before the trip.
“The goal for me is not necessarily Japan or Spain or Greece — it is that they have a love of travel and learning about other cultures,” Saveth said. “And learning other languages.”
The trip also had logistical and financial support systems, including payment plans, fundraising options and a scholarship through EF Education First, which helped reduce costs for one student who received a $1,000 scholarship toward the roughly $5,000 trip.
The student, who wants to be a chef, sent a video with her application that showed her interest in incorporating different cuisines into her cooking.
Saveth also noted a social impact beyond travel itself. She said students formed unexpected friendships across grade levels and social groups, bonds that continued after they returned to school.
“I don’t think it has to do with the destination, but somewhere around day three, the students start to form these friendships,” she said. “And with people who they never knew even went to Uniondale.”
“And they have these close bonds, and you see it after we get back,” she added. “You see kids who are connected who never would have been connected before.”
As the district prepares for future international trips, including planned travel to Portugal and Spain in 2027, educators said the demand reflects a growing interest in global education opportunities.
For students like Davis, the impact is already clear.
“It was not a culture shock, but it’s just something to be aware of that makes me look at home more different,” Davis said. “Why do we conduct ourselves the way that we do compared to Japanese people?”
“And I just, I appreciate the attention to detail Japanese people have, honestly.”
