Traveling with your Catholic School

With over forty years of educational travel experience and custom offerings you won’t find elsewhere, ACIS is uniquely prepared to partner with Catholic Schools to bring their students abroad for the experience of a lifetime.

Our Specialty is Global Education

An educational tour is the chance for students to explore the wider world and seek out meaning in both learning and faith. Students come back from their tours inspired, ready to make change in the world.

“My kids are changed. They see the world differently now.” —ACIS Group Leader Robert C.

“This was a trip like no other. A trip that lingers. A trip that makes you look back and think ‘You can do anything’.” —ACIS Student Traveler

For Students, An ACIS Tour Means

Greek cultural evening and dance lesson group of students dancing with host

Cultural Immersion

Experience local foods and customs and get to know a different perspective

ACIS group inside a church

Historical Significance

Visit the monuments and religious sites they’ve only read about

Leadership and Independence 

Discover new skills, emotional depth and perhaps a thirst for exploration

Students carrying saplings for Costa Rica service project

Service Learning

Work on projects that protect the planet and improve the lives of locals

ACIS group making hearts with their hands in Seville

Communication Building

Practice foreign language skills and strengthen peer-to-peer conversations

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Our trip with ACIS to Costa Rica allowed our students to immerse themselves in the language they were studying, give back to our host community through service, and experience the practice of our Catholic faith in another culture.”

ACIS Group Leader Anna Mullins Bishop Hartley High School, Columbus, OH

Catholics are the original pilgrims; so travel to us is second nature. Nothing is foreign to us. Everything is wonder. There is no other company that can tap into our universal culture and heritage like ACIS.”

ACIS Group Leader Mike Rogosich Cardinal Gibbons High School, Raleigh, NC
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Why Educators Choose ACIS

Ease of Planning

The ACIS Team provides you with all of the planning support you need so that the trip focus is on student enrichment and those life-changing moments.

Flexibility and Customization

We want your tour to meet your educational needs and then some. As part of our top-tier planning services, we can customize existing itineraries and build new ones from scratch.

Thanks to our amazing overseas supplier network, we also offer special opportunities that you won’t find anywhere else such as:

  • Private Masses at St. Peter’s Basilica
  • Meetings with members of the local clergy
  • Special visits to chapels unseen by standard tours
  • Time built in for attending Mass on Sundays or as requested throughout the itinerary by the group

Preview spread of the eBook

Get a step-by-step guide on how to plan an educational tour with ACIS!

Download Guide

A Larger Impact for Your School

When students come back from an ACIS Tour, inspired by the world they have explored, the ripple effects for your school can be enormous.

Seeing new places and understanding cultural differences is a crucial step to becoming a global citizen, and they will bring back critical thinking skills to take their education, in high school or beyond, to the next level.

A travel program is an excellent way to attract new enrollment, as parents seek out the best opportunities for their child’s education and look for standout extracurriculars.

After all, when the educational opportunity of a lifetime becomes a core value of your school, you earn a major advantage in demonstrating the value of your program.

The sheer exposure to another culture via travel abroad alters the perspectives and perceptions of a student, and this educational experience is frequently a compilation of mini “light bulb” moments as the student explores museums, eats something new, practices a foreign language, or engages directly with a resident.”

ACIS Group Leader Mary Claire K.

And sometimes travel becomes so integral to the school mission, it can even have an impact on the physical building.

Read how Cardinal Gibbons High School transformed one of their main public spaces with inspiration from their ACIS Travels.

Read more on the Blog

Trips to Consider

Catholic Highlights in Italy

10 Days | Overnights: Venice (2), Florence (2), Sorrento (2), Rome (2)

Tour Summary

This profound cultural journey takes you through Italy’s famous Catholic heritage. In Rome, explore the grandeur of St. Peter’s Basilica, the Vatican Museums, and the Sistine Chapel, followed by a special private Mass at St. Peter’s. With visits to Padua, Assisi, Florence and Venice, this carefully curated itinerary offers a deep dive into Italy’s rich art, history, and spirituality, complemented by centrally located accommodations and quality cultural immersion.

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Students at the Vatican in Rome

Catholic Highlights in Spain

10 Days | Overnights: Toledo (2), Granada (1), Seville (2), Madrid (3)

Tour Summary

Embark on a spiritually enriching journey through Spain’s most significant Catholic landmarks. Featuring a blend of historical and spiritual experiences, from the Cathedrals of Toledo, Granada and Seville, to Madrid’s Prado Museum and the Royal Monastery of Santa María de Guadalupe, this 10-day tour explores Spain’s rich Catholic heritage in cities large and small. Soaking in its architectural and cultural splendors, you’ll also experience fun cultural immersion through flamenco dance lessons and traditional fan painting.

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Group of students pose in Plaza de España

Youth Leadership in Costa Rica

8 Days | Overnights: San José (2), Monteverde (2), Guanacaste Coast (3)

Tour Summary

The Youth Leadership in Costa Rica itinerary offers a unique experience to foster students’ personal and professional growth. From San José to the Guanacaste Coast, participants engage in dynamic leadership workshops and Global Exchanges that develop critical skills such as communication, problem-solving, and collaborative teamwork. The educational journey continues with explorations of Costa Rican culture and history, as well as environmental stewardship projects alongside local sustainability leaders.

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Student group taking photos in the jungles of Costa Rica map of YCR itinerary

Young Women’s Leadership in Italy

9 Days | Overnights: Rome (3), Tuscany (2), Milan (2)

Tour Summary

Designed to empower the next generation of female leaders, this itinerary is a mix of professional development, cultural exchange and classic sightseeing. Throughout the tour, students will participate in one-of-a-kind workshops with local officials and community leaders. And of course, between learning sessions with these amazing women, there will be visits to Italy’s iconic cultural destinations, from the Accademia in Florence to the Vatican Museums and St. Peter’s Basilica.

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Young women attending leadership activity Map of YIT itinerary

Dominican Youth Conservation Project

8 Days | Overnights: Cabarete (7)

Tour Summary

The Dominican Youth Conservation Project itinerary seamlessly integrates environmental stewardship with valuable cultural experiences. In partnership with both the Dominican Republic Education and Mentoring (DREAM), a program which serves more than 6,000 at-risk youth every year, and Fundación Ecológica Maguá, students complete environmentally-focused service projects and learn about the many delicate ecosystems critical to the country’s survival. Immersion activities such as snorkeling, surfing lessons and meals featuring authentic local cuisine provide a well-rounded understanding of the Dominican Republic’s rich heritage.

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Student group in Santo Domingo, DR

Did You Know?

ACIS trips are independently deemed so educational that teachers can earn professional development units and students can earn college credit!

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ACIS offers 200+ customizable itineraries to destinations around the world, any one of which would be a great trip for history teachers. Let’s work together and change students’ lives.

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