![Freshman Milan Earl and sophomore Lucy Kaplan sit with their grandparents at Archer’s annual Grandparents and Special Friends Day Friday, March 15. The event took place over three 75-minute sessions. “[I hope my grandparents] gain an understanding about what I do, Kaplan said, because I know they ask a lot of questions and can sort of see what I do in school and what the experience is like to be here.](https://archeroracle.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/grandparents-day-option-2-1200x800.jpg)
Archer Abroad trips to France, Belgium, Mexico cancelled due to COVID-19 concerns
Photo credit: Molly Goldberg
Students who were meant to attend the Archer Abroad trips were given detailed itineraries about their courses. On March 11 after the Global Health Travel Advisory was raised to a Level 3, all Archer Abroad courses were cancelled.
March 12, 2020
All Archer abroad trips planned for the upcoming weeks have been canceled due to the outbreak of COVID-19. This includes the trip to France and Belgium, which was intended to take place from March 28 to April 12, and the United States/Mexico border trip, which was intended to take place from March 26 to March 30.
According to an email from Upper School Director Gretchen Warner, these actions were taken in light of the United States Department of State and Bureau of Consular Affairs raising the Global Health Travel Advisory to Level 3, which occurred March 11.
“We are so grateful to Ms. Daehler [and other faculty members involved] for their efforts to curate this experience for our students, and we will look to run this course again in the future,” Warner wrote in an email to both Archer Abroad trip groups.
The Archer Abroad in France and Belgium had a focus on global sustainability. The group was planning on visiting Paris, Brussels and Lille and had activities planned such as a tour of the UNESCO headquarters, visiting various museums and sustainable farms and factories.
The group that was meant to travel to the U.S./Mexico border at the San Ysidro port of entry was focusing on learning about immigration from activists, Customs and Border Patrol, pro- and anti-migrant advocacy groups and change-making innovators on both sides of the border. The group was meant to travel to both sides of the border, spending time in both San Diego and Tijuana.
“We will be in touch in the coming days/week with further details about this cancellation,” Warner wrote.
![Freshman Milan Earl and sophomore Lucy Kaplan sit with their grandparents at Archer’s annual Grandparents and Special Friends Day Friday, March 15. The event took place over three 75-minute sessions. “[I hope my grandparents] gain an understanding about what I do, Kaplan said, because I know they ask a lot of questions and can sort of see what I do in school and what the experience is like to be here.](https://archeroracle.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/grandparents-day-option-2-600x400.jpg)
