The impact of field trips on student learning and later life success can’t be underestimated. Unfortunately, economic pressures and novelties like standardized testing have reduced the number of field trips included in yearly curriculums, all over the US.
Increasingly, school boards choose to cut budgets for field trips, believing them to be somehow extraneous. But recent research shows the pivotal role they play in the educational development of young people.
Superior outcomes.
The US Travel Association recently conducted a detailed study of student outcomes, linked to regular field trips. They discovered that taking the classroom out into the wider world was responsible for vastly superior educational outcomes for students.
59% of students enjoyed better grades. Most compellingly, the rate of high school graduation was seen to rise significantly when students had the advantage of field trips – to an incredible 95%.
Students who were taken on field trips were seen to be more likely to attend college, at a rate of 63%. Taking kids on field trips also results in their enjoying more robust financial health, later in life.
Overall, 89% of students who participated in the US Travel Association study reported that field trips provoked a greater curiosity about the world around them and served to keep them engaged in a classroom setting and in their lives outside school.
The 4 “Rs”.
The 3 “Rs” are said to be the pillars of the educational system. While it’s true that arithmetic, reading and writing are crucial to future success in life, the 4th “R” (roaming) plays a crucial role in the developing minds of children.
Taking children outside the classroom and other familiar environments develops soft life skills like confidence. Young people who are given the opportunity to explore new places, new faces and even diverse cultures, are gifted with educational input that’s priceless in their formation.
Vistas are broadened when learning is taken outside the classroom. Early experiences of travel form young minds, preparing them for a life in which they’ll be thrown into unfamiliar situations and meet people of all cultural backgrounds.
Roaming gives young people the foundation to become well-rounded, successful adults.
Tangible learning.
The impact of shepherding children on a remote learning experience provides a perspective on classroom subject matter that’s 3D and immediate. It’s tangible and that brings learning to life. Words on a page can’t possibly hope to compare with the Real McCoy.
The difference between a history textbook and placing students in the middle of places where history transpired is exponential, in terms of value. While the words in textbooks are instructive, they’re not immediate. They can’t impart the same value as walking in the footsteps of those who made history.
Field Trips with Junior Tours.
Founded by a teacher, Junior Tours has been bringing learning to life for students since 1967. For 50 years, we’ve been taking students places that instruct and inspire.
Open the door to quality learning, with Junior Tours. Discover how field trips boost students’ lifelong success. Contact us for a free sample itinerary.