At George School, students don’t just learn about the world — they actively participate in it. The Engaged Citizenship Program empowers students to make a real-world impact by addressing global challenges. Today, every George School student enrolled in an Engaged Citizenship course now has the opportunity to travel with no additional course fee through the Fund for International and Experiential Learning.

From designing fresh courses to envisioning new trips, George School teachers are leaning into the School’s mission of being lifelong learners. Heather Mooney, a history and economics teacher and dorm parent, exemplifies this spirit. For 26 years, Heather has run educational trips in Asia, Europe and Latin America. “I know firsthand how transformative travel can be when tied to academic study,” she said. “I see immense value in sharing that with students — helping them not only learn about the world but also discover more about themselves and their place within it.”

For the past two years, Heather has led a trip to the Netherlands with co-leader and fellow history teacher Brittany Mokshefsky ’14. This trip was created as an immersive extension of the AP Human Geography curriculum and provides an opportunity for ninth-grade students to traverse the country by bike, examining how urban planning and sustainability efforts have shaped its cities through the exploration of cities like Haarlem, Leiden, Delft, and Utrecht. Highlights include studying Van Gogh’s Japanese influences, visiting a floating dairy farm, exploring the silver trade, discovering how windmills are used in water management, and meeting city planners to understand Utrecht’s car-free center. Heather describes the trip as a “moving classroom” that teaches students about global systems and prepares them to be independent, culturally aware citizens.

“By weaving together history and cultural immersion, the trip helps students see that geography is about people and their choices, not just maps.” -Heather Mooney, History and Economics Teacher and Dorm Parent

“The Netherlands trip was, for me, the epitome of experiential learning and applied knowledge,” said Zoe Mir ’27. “As engaged citizens, we should be open to trying new experiences different from our own to gain a better understanding of the world we live in, and I am incredibly grateful for the world the Netherlands trip opened up to me. When I returned from the trip, I could not help but notice ways to make the U.S. and my home country of Bermuda more sustainable,” she continued. 

In January 2026, Heather is taking students to Panama for an immersive economics course that explores small businesses, social ventures and the Panama Canal’s role in global trade. She also hopes to propose new initiatives, such as a Silk Road course in Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. “The recent gift will be instrumental in making these dreams a reality,” said Heather. “It fosters equity in who can participate and enables faculty to design bold, globally focused courses that invite students to engage with the world as curious, informed and independent learners.”

2026-2027 Academic Year Travel Courses

To contribute to the Fund for International and Experiential Learning, please contact Director of Development Jaime Zamparelli Abramov at jzabramov@georgeschool.org.