Traveler Stories
On an ACIS tour you’ll be immersed in an experience that will boost your independence and fuel your curiosity. And you’ll return home with more than just sensational photos (though you’ll have those too), but a life-changing experience and memories to cherish forever.
“This trip will be something that sticks with me forever.” –ACIS Student Traveler Lacey
Ready to take the leap?
Life On Tour
Get a sample of the ACIS experience, from packing tips to food reviews!
Highlights from the ACIS Blog
Get excited for your tour with highlights shared right from the road!
Our ACIS Instagram is updated daily with travel tips, giveaways and just the right amount of FOMO.
Follow Us on Social Media for More!
Want to see your videos featured?
Apply to join the new ACIS Content Creator Program
Calling all ACIS Travelers: We want to share your ACIS trip with the world!
If you love social media and believe as we do that #travelchangeslives, apply to join our new network of travel content creators.
Scholarship Winners
Every year, ACIS hosts a scholarship that puts traveler creativity into action around a chosen theme. Winners receive up to $2,500 in scholarship money toward their ACIS Tour and a spotlight on the ACIS website.
The 2025 Scholarship Winners
Theme: Outside the Comfort Zone
What is the impact of going beyond the familiar and how does travel bring positive new experiences to life? Students submitted their creative interpretation through videos, songs, paintings, essays and more, and these were the finalists chosen.
Grand Prize Winner: “Common Ground”
Zachary C.-K., New Jersey
Artist Statement: This piece connects to the theme of common ground because it focuses on what we all share before anything else. While traveling, I started thinking about how different places can feel so far apart, even though we’re all living on the same planet. No matter where I was, the ground beneath me stayed the same. This film came from slowing down and noticing that shared space, and how connection can exist even when it isn’t obvious.
Runner Up: “Homelands”
Vojtech H., Texas
Artist Statement: This pieces explore how travel to my parents’ home country helped me understand that common ground doesn’t mean abandoning differences – it means finding connection within them. Through visiting the Czech Republic, I learned that being bicultural isn’t about choosing sides but about bridging worlds, and that the most profound connections often happen in the spaces between languages, traditions, and identities.
Runner Up: “Doorways”
Samantha B., Illinois
Artist Statement: Finding common ground through educational travel is noticing what connects people rather than what separates them. I chose the subject matter of “doorways” in my submission because while a closed door may separate one side from the other, it also connects one side to the other. The four doors in my painting have different architectural details and histories, from a “Dublin Door” (on the bottom left) with a centered doorknob to a “Tallinn Door” (on the top right) with a Gothic arch. I chose to paint these doors all in pink to unite them rather than highlight their differences. These doors are from all corners of the globe but united on this single page. Finding common ground means noticing that across borders and backgrounds, people are united by similar needs, habits and hopes. Connection and collaboration grow from being eager to learn from one another and from stepping through new doorways with an open mind and curiosity.
Runner Up: “Common Ground”
Annie S., Delaware
Artist Statement:I believe that “Common ground” is the foundation to building lifelong friendships. The song I wrote explores the discovery of a beautiful friendship formed between two people who share similar interests and beliefs and relates to my own experience of finding a new friend through those connections.
Runner Up: “We Belong”
Ramen D., North Carolina
Artist Statement:My poem shows how traveling helped me realize that even when people come from different countries and speak different languages, we share the same feelings and experiences. Through small moments like laughing, eating together, and connecting without words, I learned that common ground isn’t about where we’re from, but about our shared humanity and sense of belonging.
Runner Up: “Together We Stand”
Alice S., Oklahoma
Artist Statement:A long time ago, when on a trip to Hong Kong with my family, I saw and experienced all sorts of new cultures and ideas. A key memory I could never forget was hearing the popular song from my home country, “High Hopes” by Panic at the Disco, in this unfamiliar land. We were on the other side of the world yet when I heard that song, everything seemed less scary. At that moment I realized just how universal music was. It’s all over the place, shared as the only language everyone understands. By using the headphones I got from the plane for that trip, I try to showcase that it isn’t just me who appreciates music but everyone on earth.