Past Participants' Testimonials
At UW-Madison Continuing Studies we strive to create travel programs that are exciting, stimulating, interesting and fun. But most of all it is our mission to provide an educational experience that expands your horizons and will remain with you long after the trip is finished. We asked our travel participants (and lifelong learners) to evaluate their trip for its educational value.
Here are a few of their testimonials:
“I’ve traveled to New York City and Tanzania with you. Your programs are designed for those who share common interests – most importantly a love of learning. You capture direct discovery of an idea, issue, subject or place. I felt well taken care of on the tour and felt the warmth and camaraderie of fellow lifelong learners from Wisconsin.”
“Pre-trip information was very good and specific for the area. I hope to participate in a University of Wisconsin tour again.”
“I think all the materials were more than I expected. I learned so much about the history and culture of the area that I had not known before.”
“It is hard to overestimate the advantage to learning of actually visiting another culture. Our guide was able to take up from the Greek era, to the Roman, to the Byzantine tying past to present and back to past. He was very good at looking from different perspective. I have never learned as much in two weeks.”
“The guest speakers are wonderful in terms of education. This year’s speaker was particularly informative.”
“Truly an enlightening experience! The lecture was informative about the mechanics of organizing the festival. I read all the programs before going on the trip. There is so much background; I felt thoroughly ready before the curtain went up.”
“We learned geography, geology, botany and zoology. Our guides were amazingly knowledgeable.”
"This was a fabulous program. The educational part was fantastic with lots of information. I am not a shopper and do appreciate that we were kept busy with learning experiences and not the stops to buy local crafts."
"These trips are very different from the alumni trip we’ve been on. History and culture are integral to all activities, not just being taken to all the tourist spots. Every one of UW Continuing Studies trips has been well thought-out, highly educational, and not vacational in nature. However, they have been entertaining as well. "
“Certainly appreciated how full the days were and how many parks we were able to visit. The insight, knowledge, and reflection that the guides contributed to their task highly enriched the experience.”
“It felt like two years of college in two weeks – the best field trip ever. The depth of knowledge of our guides and their willingness to answer all questions made the educational benefits outstanding.”
“I believe the continuing education travel program is highly worthwhile. There is a certain cachet, if you will, traveling under the auspices of a university – we are not just any group of tourists – and these programs facilitate opportunities to explore other aspects of a culture or country whether these be cooking classes, special museum tours, a visit to a remote community, or instructional campfire presentations from knowledgeable guides. Continuing education tours also attract a highly-engaged clientele, informed travelers with an open, cosmopolitan world view who are willing to explore, roll with events and punt when necessary. These tours put Wisconsin-affiliated individuals out into the world where I would like to think they are exceptional ambassadors for the ‘Wisconsin Idea.’ And, frankly, where else can one find such terrific and comprehensive travel programming?”
“I really appreciate the educational travel aspect of all this. You really do get an on-the-ground education that you just don’t get in commercial travel. Some of the most meaningful travel experiences of my life have been via educational travel – this trip to Tanzania, the knowledge of Charleston that I got from my Spoleto Festival trip, the educational travel I did via University of Minnesota while I lived there. I’ve done Elderhostel too, but this is better – the travelers are more diverse and you are stretched to learn and grow more. Elderhostel assumes that travelers are ‘old.’ I’m retired, but I’m not ‘old.’ To me the experiences I had in Tanzania were the fitting continuation to the education I began in college. I saw the Africa in person that I’d read about in books for forty years, with a depth that only an educational purpose can bring, and with fellow travelers both young and not so young who were eager to learn and who contributed their knowledge too. It is a really unique and valuable educational experience.”
“There is always something to be gained by a trip from the educational point of view. Actually living with another culture is more meaningful than looking at a TV hour about a different culture or country. It makes one appreciate his own country.”
“Traveling is always educational. Learning about the natives and native animals from those living in Tanzania, the locals, much better than going to a zoo or reading a book. Huge educational benefit!”