In the summer of 2026, a group of ACC students will have the opportunity of a lifetime: a week-long, STEM-based field trip to Japan. This trip is not school-sponsored, but is chaperoned by Dr. Van Lare and Ms. Schaefer. Additionally, three parents will be on the trip as chaperones, and the trip will be planned and organized by EF Educational Tours, who will also be providing a tour guide and covering many of the costs such as airfare, hotels, 2 meals a day, and more.
As of writing this article, all of the spots are unfortunately filled, but the waitlist is currently empty. Additionally, Ms. Schaefer has stated that she’s “heard that sometimes students drop out between the time they sign up and closer to the departure date, so [they’re] always looking for people to sign up and join us (or at least get on the waitlist) to explore Japan.”
Those eligible include current freshmen, sophomores, and juniors will all be able to sign up (even despite the fact that current juniors will have graduated by the time of the trip), but unfortunately, seniors will not. Finally, the date of the trip is as of yet undetermined, but is certain to be between June 19 and July 3, and the current ideal time is June 22 to June 30.
The schedule for the trip itself begins with the first two days, which are simply for taking the plane overnight and meeting the tour director.
Day 3 is when the tour begins in earnest, starting with a tour of Tokyo with a STEM expert, before a trip up the Tokyo Skytree, and ending with a visit to the Miraikan Science Museum.
Day 4 kicks off with guided tours of the Rinkai Disaster Prevention Park and Akihabara Electric Town, and slows down a bit with an authentic Japanese cooking class in the afternoon.
Day 5 is unique, as it’s one of three day trips to different locations, this one to a STEM facility in Tsukuba.
Day 6 continues the tours, this time at Asakusa Kannon Temple, then Hamarikyu Gardens.
Day 7 is the second day trip, now to the Maglev Exhibition Center and Mt. Fuji in the Yamanashi Prefecture.
Day 8 is the final day trip and the final day of learning and sightseeing overall, taking students to TeamLab Planets and then a short stop at the famous Unicorn Gundam Statue.
Finally, as mentioned above, Day 9 is the end of the trip, and is just students taking the 14-hour long flight back home to enjoy the rest of their summer.
For more info on the trip wait list, contact Ms. Schaeffer or Dr. Van Lare.
