Explore the Authentic Japan this Summer

This was my first time outside of the US and I have to say that I couldn’t have chosen a better program to do so with. The support and care the staff members provide is unmatched. They’re all extremely kind people and great teachers. I took the photography and History classes and learned so much while getting to visit different places and having fun! I got to visit so many cool places( my fav being Nara Park). This is an experience I’ll never forget and a trip everyone should take with this program!

This was the first time my son had gone on a group trip. I researched this company, the owner and every employee extensively. All I could find were amazing reviews across the board. I had the opportunity to talk to a mother whose son had taken the trip the year before. He had the best time. We felt good about this company and my son was really excited to see Japan. From the very beginning, everything ran seamlessly. We easily found the group in the airport, met the instructors and fellow classmates, then said our goodbyes. Our first text we received was what a great time he was having! He would send pictures daily featuring one amazing place, after another. My son loves History and was blown away by the course abroad. Actually being in Hiroshima and learning about that day, definitely beats a standard classroom lecture. The total immersion in the culture was an amazing opportunity as well. Going to the grocery store, off the beaten path restaurants, and a traditional tea ceremony, are some of the benefits this program offers beyond just traveling there as a tourist. Derek and his team are so familiar with the area and itinerary, that they are able to pack a lot in without it feeling rushed or exhausting. Every Sunday, Derek would send us a weekly summary with photos and details of what they were up to. We looked forward to it every week. My son came home with new friends, a thousand cool stories and stronger confidence in his decision to go out of state for college, next year.
Thank you, Derek, Jaclyn and the team for providing such an amazing experience.

I had such an amazing time studying abroad with World Class Programs. Every day was full of multiple fun activities that were educational and engaging. Our classes took us all over Osaka on the subway and on foot, so we got a lot of time to enjoy where we were. There were so many opportunities for free time where we could explore the city and do things like trying street food, going to arcades and going to parks. Our teachers made sure we were safe while allowing us to have freedom and try things for ourselves! Overall such an amazing time and the three weeks went by way to fast. Definitely recommend!!

This was out daughters first time traveling alone and being “on her own” apart from family for the first time. I think we were all a little nervous. But, Derek and the staff were such amazing communicators leading up to the trip that we felt more confident when the time came to send her off. And from day one until the last day we heard nothing but rave reviews from our daughter during the entire three week trip. They did SO much, learned so much and had SO MUCH FUN! I don’t think it could have been any better.

This trip is full of fun experiences. Wherever we walked---whether it was exploring a castle or temple, eating amazing food, wandering through a garden, chilling with deer, or shopping at big malls---we always did something fun. If you don't like any of that stuff though, you're given free time everyday to do what you want to do. But really, the only time you'll ever get bored is at night back in the hotel getting ready for bed and trying to fall asleep. It sounds cheasy, but genuinely, I could not wait for the next day to arrive because I was so excited to get back out in the city and do awesome stuff. I credit part of that excitement to the staff, who were extremely friendly and easy to talk to to, as well as the other students on the trip, who were super fun to be around. If there was a 4 week option, I would've stayed 4 weeks. If you end up coming to Japan with World Class Programs, they give you tons of opportunities to be adventurous. When doing something feels scary, do it.

World Class Programs is hands down the best study abroad company out there! My wife and I shopped around & contacted all the companies out there looking for the perfect fit for our “wild child” daughter & we reached out via email & phone calls with so many questions to them all. We got crickets from them all …but World Class Programs answered the phone the first time I called & Jaclyn was so informative & helpful & detailed. The application process was seamless & honestly fun. We had zero hiccups & any questions I had I simply dialed World Class Programs phone number & it was answered every time! The program itself was life changing and Derek and his staff are truly "World Class" educators. I could not be happier with this company and with the experience my daughter had while abroad. I will be sending all of my kids on one of World Class Programs study abroad trips again & again! I only wish I could go on one too!

I was on World Class Program’s Osaka, Japan trip and have nothing but knowledge, and incredible memories to bring back with me! Derek was so knowledgeable about everywhere we went, and I could tell he really has a passion for teaching. He made my fears disappear by how comfortable he was in his surroundings. I was worried that not knowing Japanese would be something that would make the trip difficult, but it was never a problem because I felt so supported by the World Class Programs’ staff!

We got to pet the most adorable deer in Nara Park! They bowed to you so that you could feed them right from your hand! They were so gentle and cute, that it was definitely a highlight for me! I also loved taking the Japanese history course while out in the city, so that I got to learn history where it actually happened! I am so glad I went on the 3 week trip because I got to see both Osaka and Tokyo, as well as the other day trip cities. This was my first time in Japan, and World Class Programs has sparked my love of travel, so I cannot wait to go back there someday!

In short, world class programs was probably the greatest decision I ever made. I learned, I had so much fun, and experienced a country as a student the way I felt was most fitting. This trip was amazing, I reccomend it to everyone.

In a longer format, if you are having second thoughts, please keep reading.

As a high schooler who wouldn't normally just ship themselves off to a country to learn and experience the world, with parents who were concerned about my safety and overall happiness and experience, and with the abundance of choice when trying to find a program that covered all my wants and needs while staying in a reasonable price range I could afford, I felt lost and just overwhelmed by what I was filtering through to find the perfect summer trip.

World Class Programs was everything I wanted, and more. The program staff were professional and genuinely cared for our wellbeing, our safety, and our experience. Not only did they make sure we had everything we needed, they also went out of their ways to make sure that we were able to do activities we were interested in or experience or learn things we were interested in. Through the trip their effort and dedication was obvious and helped to reassure us that if we needed anything (even a trip to the McDonald's to cure homesickness) they were ready and willing to do their best to get us what we were after. Even before the trip had even begun, they were attentive and were willing to talk with us face to face over video call, and chat back and forth, about any and every concern or question we had. The WCP staff truly created a safe and welcoming environment for its students. Parents - if you are unsure, trust me when I say that your children are safe in World Class Programs's hands, and they will have the time of their lives.

Our living arrangements were excellent. We had a nice comfortable and simple set up that took the stress off. The space was clean and orderly and our air conditioner was a blessed piece of machinery.

The classes were well organized and well executed. I learned so much about Japanese history and language from the staff. Not only were they well informed in our classes they were ready for any questions we had. The best part for me was that our classroom was not just a room, it was Japan. As a group we visited castles, both reconstructed and original, and explored the streets of what some would only read in a textbook. We explored and learned with very hands on techniques that helped reinforce what we were learning. When we learned Japanese language, it was never boring. We were out on the town using our language skills and learned phrases with real locals who were extraordinarily kind and helpful, in shops, and restaurants, and even just around the city. We even learned a few dialect differences between cities that were interesting and just information I would have not learned otherwise.

While the trip was academic, it did a great job of feeling like it was all fun and games. The academic to entertainment ratio was perfect. The detail and effort put into our weekend activities and trips was plain as day. We visited so many cities and even a few not listed on the webpage. As a group we shopped in the buzz of Osaka's dountonburi, experienced authentic and delicious Japanese cuisine, traveled like a local using the trains, participated in Hiroshima's emotional and beautiful peace festival to commemorate the atomic bomb drop, enjoyed the quiet and serenity of traditional Japanese gardens, we visited Nara and shared the streets with deer, saw Himeji's feudal castle and explored the grounds, visited and participated at shrines all around Japan, stayed in ryokan in the beautiful Kyoto, experienced a tea ceremony while wearing traditional Kimono, and of course spent time exploring Tokyo's streets.

I truly cannot say enough about this program. In the full three weeks I spent abroad I can honestly say that I wish that I could have stayed longer, I love japan even more now that I've experienced it through this program. The staff were amazing, and my roommates were sweet and I will miss them. By the end of the trip all of us, staff included, were one big family, without them it would not have been the same. My experience was truly, and I cannot say it enough, the best I have ever had. Literally the only bad thing about this trip, was that it eventually had to be over.

You won't regret World Class Programs. Take it from an alumni.