Three teachers won’t be spending their last month of school in the classroom, but taking education to a global level.

Art teacher Kristi Dickens, history teacher Allen Duncan and English teacher Cara Lane leave for Sweden on May 1 for a month-long, Rotary-sponsored international professional development opportunity trip.

The three were selected from a group of 50 applicants to represent Central and Southern Illinois in the Rotary Exchange program.

Mrs. Dickens, Mr. Duncan and Ms. Lane will join a fourth team member on the trip. The team was selected from 51 different rotary clubs that feed into the area.

“We are the group of applicants that were chosen from that area,” Ms. Lane said. “That’s why it’s unique that there are three of us going from EHS.”

The trio will visit multiple cities in northern Sweden, living with host families and giving presentations to Swedish Rotary Clubs about the American Culture and way of life.

Mr. Duncan, who has never been to Europe, looks forward to learning about the Swedish way of life.

“It will be cool to see what they do differently over there,” he said.

As educators, the trip will make a huge impact not only on the teachers, but their students too.

“Theoretically, the legacy of my trip is something that’s going to last for the next three decades in my field of work. Part of [the Rotary’s] deal is to send people that are going to benefit from it personally and professionally, but also impact other people,” Ms. Lane said.

Mrs. Dickens said that she hopes the trip will inspire her students “to get out in the world and travel to see things on their own.”