This past summer, over 155 Pace Academy students across all divisions traveled the globe through Pace’s Isdell Center for Global Leadership (ICGL) program. Pace reached far and wide, visiting amazing countries like Australia, Iceland and Japan. Throughout these trips, students were able to connect with their peers and faculty in a way that they would not at school, forming bonds that have carried into the school year. “I met a lot of new people from it, and my trip forced me to connect with others that I would not have been able to meet otherwise,” added Pace Senior Cameron Sneed while reflecting on his trip to Australia. Students also focused heavily on healthy interactions with the respective cultures, being respectful travelers and participated in activities that revolved around the 2025-2026 ICGL theme of climate.
In Australia, students spent 12 days traveling around the East Coast, hitting major cities such as Sydney and Brisbane, as well as small beach towns like Noosa, and even spent a day at the largest sand island in the world, K’gari. A highlight for students was visiting the Great Barrier Reef, where they snorkeled with wildlife and learned more about how to interact with the unique ecosystem there. Students also heavily enjoyed visiting the famous Australian Zoo, where they watched the Wildlife Warriors show, were able to interact with kangaroos and saw many unique animals such as echidnas and quokkas. “Visiting the Australia Zoo was so much fun and the best zoo I have ever been to! I particularly enjoyed petting the kangaroos and koalas, and getting to feed the kangaroos,” said Pace junior Emma Alvarez. The group finished their trip with three nights in Sydney, where they explored the city, went kayaking in the harbor, and visited Bondi Beach.
The Iceland group also spent a lot of time exploring the unique environment of the country, visiting Reykjavik, Vik, Höfn, Selfoss and the Westman Islands. One of the standout activities from the trip was snorkeling in glacier water in Thingvellir. “It was sort of surreal just floating in complete silence 300 feet above the sea floor, and it was so calming being surrounded by natural beauties in every direction you looked,” Pace sophomore Isaac Tal responded when asked about the experience. Some other trip highlights were hiking the Vatnajokull glacier, visiting a goat farm and a high-energy puffin boat tour that took students around the Westman Islands. The group wrapped up their trip by returning to Reykjavik and receiving a tour of the city.
The Japan trip was truly a special experience for students and faculty, as it was made up of 40 seniors. Due to this large number of students, Pace split the trip into 2 groups, each participating in the same activities. Students visited Kyoto, Ena, O-Tsumago, Kiso-Fukishima, the Kaida Plateau and Tokyo. This trip partnered with WalkJapan to hike along the Nakesendo Way and visit most of the smaller towns during the visit, providing travelers with truly splendid memories. When describing her favorite memory from the trip, one of the chaperones, 10th grade Dean and English teacher Leslie Depietro said, “It’s really hard to pick just one! I already love hiking, so the conversations we got to have while we hiked along the Nakasendo Way were really special. I was so inspired by the constant optimism of the kids and their upbeat attitudes the whole time.” The groups were able to stay in traditional Japanese inns, or ryokans and explore ancient temples, allowing them to connect deeper with classic Japanese culture. “It was the trip of a lifetime. This is my fourth ICGL trip, every one is special, but I will never forget my experience in Japan with some incredible graduated Seniors,” said Upper School History teacher Mindy Lawrence, proving this trip to be one that is truly memorable.