High School Study Abroad in Willemstad, Curacao

Broadreach provided an amazing learning environment for scuba diving and academic learning about marine biology. My daughter loved the combination of classwork and scuba diving and excursions to other places near the Marine Biology Center in Curacao. She had so much fun and made friends that she still keeps in touch with. She will be going another Broardreach program next summer.

I participated in this trip in the summer of 2018 mainly as an opportunity to connect with the ocean and explore some of my interests I am otherwise not as exposed to in urban Shanghai, specifically diving and marine biology. Personally, I found (and still find it) unlikely that I go into the field, but I can say without a doubt that my time on this program has been one of the most rewarding experiences I've had in a long time. Needless to say, the site was fantastic with clear blue skies and abundant marine life. More importantly than that however, the nature of the trip and the way it's designed amplified the experience. For me, the one word that best captures the program is authentic. I was surrounded by some of the most passionate people I have ever met from my peers to my instructors. I was exposed to real researchers with real projects in a real research station. I explored the underwater world and studied it in the most direct way possible: diving. The authenticity of it all ensured that all the passion and wonder from my surroundings and the people around me was contagious. It was truly a joy to be a part of this world, and I have certainly been invigorated to explore more of it.