By Chanah Haddad

There are still spots open for students who want to spend winter break on a Panama Canal cruise as part of the first Semester at Sea program for high school students. The Brendan Kutler Foundation is awarding four scholarships to students who are interested in the trip.

According to Father J. Young, who will be chaperoning the voyage with his wife, only one student has submitted a formal application. There are 10 spots in the program and Young said that five students must commit to the program in order for the school to be able to participate.

The program will allow participants to take classes aboard a ship and stop at various countries in Central America. Students who want to participate need to submit a formal application to Young.

“We were approached by the Semester at Sea folks, but prior to that the school was familiar with and impressed by the program,” Young said.

The ship will travel along the Panama Canal and make stops in Mexico, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Honduras and Belize. Most days, the ship will be docked and students will have various opportunities to learn about the country they are visiting.

“In port, students will have several options to choose from – some historical, some art related, some environmental, etc,” Young said.

Other schools that are planning to participate in the high school version of Semester at Sea this year are Derryfield School in Manchester, N.H., High Tech High International in San Diego, Marlborough School in Los Angeles, Lawrenceville School in Lawrenceville, N.J., and Hawaii Preparatory Academy in Kamuela, Hawaii. The cruise will start Dec. 15 and end Jan. 4.