Simon Johnston

I have had the privilege of working with Defining Moments for our recent History Tour to Europe in July, 2019. I found their professionalism, support, communication and experience invaluable. We embarked on an adventure with 28 students 4 staff through the World War One battlefields of France and Belgium, the horrific sites of the Holocaust and the Cold War in Berlin and Warsaw, and we explored the incredible sites of St Petersburg to glimpse at the past Romanov Dynasty. This is to name ,but a few highlights.

From a tour co-ordinators perspective, I found the organising and running of the expedition manageable with the ever increasing workload that a teacher now endures in today’s world. Simply put, this was because Defining Moments supported me at every step along this journey. We were impressed with all of our tours, accommodation, transfers and guides. Their professionalism in assisting us 24/7 must be noted and their calm and effective manner is needed whilst traveling with students in a foreign country.  

A memory for me that perhaps, encompasses why we as teachers give up our holiday and add to our workload was when I watched our students’ reflect in their own individual manner at the memorial in Treblinka. Experiencing such a dark history and hearing the guide talk about the importance of sharing the victims memory brought home to me the importance of why we were there. We are messengers of history and we must share these stories to ensure history cannot repeat itself. I am thankful to have shared this journey with incredible young people who I know will make a difference in our society.

It is for this reason, I believe educational travel is such an incredible opportunity to undertake and would not pursue such endeavours without Defining Moments moving forward.

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