It’s that time of year.  You’re busily putting your educational action plan in place and part of that is getting your trip approved by your School Board or committee.

In these days of tight budgets, that can be a daunting task.  But when you approach it in an organized fashion, with complete confidence in your vision and the value of the trip you’re planning to students, you’ll be well on your way to gaining approval.

Preparation.

We don’t need to remind educators about the value of preparation.  All the same, when it comes to getting the required approval for a trip, it can mean the difference between “yes” and “no”.  While regulations and requirements vary from Board to Board and committee to committee, there are global, overarching requirements you should recognize, while preparing for your presentation.

One of these is demonstrating that your trip proposal meets the requirements of the curriculum and serves the learning goals represented by it.  This demands clarity on your part.  Describing how your trip satisfies curricular goals mean that you go into your presentation with a good pitch to sell the idea.

You should also have in hand detailed information about your tour provider, a budget per student, information about security and insurance and a well-crafted itinerary.

Operator credentials.

Decision-makers want to know that you’re working with a reputable tour operator, with an unblemished track record.

Membership in SYTA (Student & Youth Travel Association) is an assurance that you’re working with an accredited, licensed operator, under the aegis of an organization with clear standards.  In addition, a membership in the NTA (National Tour Association) indicates that your tour operator adheres to consumer protection guidelines, as the NTA acts in this role as part of its mandate.

It’s also useful to demonstrate that your operator administers in-trust accounts which protect student payments and to provide a copy of their license to do business.  Offering all this information generates greater confidence in the legitimacy of the tour company you use and shows administrators due diligence on your part.

Presenting with confidence.

You’re not walking into a lion’s den.  It’s important to remember that you’re pitching your trip to fellow educational professionals with the best interests of students in mind.  You’re on the same team, so your job is to get your colleagues on the same page.

With all the information described above organized into a presentation package, you walk into your meeting with the School Board or committee as a confident professional.

Provide each member you’ll be presenting to with a package which clearly outlines the goals and purpose of your trip.  Include the credentials of your operator and provide a 360° overview addressing all potential concerns.  This is detailed preparation your colleagues will appreciate.

Approval granted!

Getting your trip approved by your School Board or committee is all about preparation.  When you’re prepared, they’re likely to grant approval.

Junior Tours has been creating exceptional student trips since 1967.  Contact us for a free quote and sample itinerary.

The school year is in full swing and educator thoughts are turning to field trips.  Field trips serve a strong supportive role in educating our young and teachers know that.  But if they’re new to the job, or have had some hair-raising experiences in the field in the past, the whole idea can haul them up short.

That’s why we’re offering these tips for teachers to execute an awesome field trip.  Fear not, brave educators!  Junior Tours has you covered.

Peer support.

There’s nothing more valuable to teachers than the support of their peers.  Even if you haven’t taken your class to a local destination of interest before, somebody in your school has.  Once you’ve decided on where you’re taking your young charges, seek out the experiences of fellow teachers who’ve done it before.

Don’t forget to take advantage of the knowledge of people at your destination, like docents and visitor services professionals.  These are your best friends when taking your kids into the field.  They can share important information with you to make your field trip a memorable learning experience.

Chaperone prep.

Parent chaperones often have their own ideas about the way things should be done.  Input is fine, but making it clear you’re in charge is paramount here.

Gather your chaperones together before the field trip to describe the itinerary and assign duties.  Ensure everyone’s on the same page to avoid misunderstandings while you’re on your trip.  You’re the boss.  Chaperones are there to support you.

Homework for you.

Having direct, advance knowledge of the site you’re visiting before you go is an imperative.  You need to see where you’re going, identify potential problem areas and understand the site from the standpoint of your learning goals.

Doing a walkthrough in your spare time is part of being a teacher.  It will prepare you to share something with your students that you’ve experienced yourself and eliminate any unpleasant surprises on the “day off”.

The goal is learning.

Setting out behavioral guidelines before the trip is a priority.  Your students need to understand clearly that field trips aren’t an opportunity to text their friends incessantly or pursue their latest crushes.  They’re an opportunity to learn something.

Having a strongly defined itinerary is also extremely supportive.  Lunch is a challenge, but keep that time brief and engaging.  Talk to your students while they’re eating.  Ask their opinions about what they’ve seen on their field trip in the morning.  Don’t let them drift off, as that can spell trouble.

Junior Tours – your field trip partners.

If you’re a rookie teacher, we know field trips can be a daunting undertaking.  But fear not!  You’ll soon be an old hand.

At Junior Tours, we understand.  We were founded by a teacher in 1967.  We’re celebrating 50 years of taking students on exceptional learning experiences this year. We invite you to contact us for a free quote and sample itinerary.

These tips for teachers to execute an awesome field trip are our “new school year” gift to teachers!

Curious young minds demand creative efforts by teachers.  It’s no secret.  That’s why taking the classroom outside this fall is the perfect way to underline what they’re learning with what they crave – direct experience.

It’s one thing to look at a picture of a tree in a book, or to read about the great deeds of historical figures.  But taking students to see the tree in all its fall glory, or to the site at which history was made is a much richer experience, for obvious reasons.

Fall is a great time to take your kids into the world they’re learning about.  With the leaves changing color and the crisp, clean fall air, your students will be given the opportunity to see learning in a whole new light.

Student engagement.

The classroom can be a place where students occasionally glaze over. Whether low blood sugar, youthful angst, or boredom (or all the above) are the root of their disengagement, it’s clear that shaking things up is a great way to restore their interest.

Taking them outside into the field is one of the most effective ways to break through the cobwebs.  Show them what they’re learning about in the classroom.  Let them experience the subject matter as a reality to which they have access.  That’s an empowering moment for young minds and one that will help them stick to the program, once back in the classroom.

Exploration and creativity.

While the classroom is a necessary developmental tool, teaching students discipline, time-keeping and accountability, punctuating classroom time with experiential learning makes it richer and instills the value of exploration and creativity.

Imagine taking students to a historic site and having them act out the roles of the history makers they’ve been reading about.  Or have them draw what they’re seeing outside as part of a larger classroom project.  The opportunities to gift your students with the ability to explore and create is limitless when you take the classroom outside this fall.

The real thing.

Learning from books is largely an abstraction.  It’s the difference between leafing through old copies of National Geographic and going on safari.  No comparison!

Treating your students to an encounter with the real thing is experiential and visceral.  When what they’ve been learning about in the classroom is suddenly presented to them in its real-world format, it becomes more relevant and resonant.

The reality of learning and its purpose is underlined when students are taken out into the world to explore and experience the subjects they’re studying.

Go with Junior.

Junior Tours has been creating memorable educational experience for students since 1967.  For 50 years, we’ve been working with educators from all 50 states to build customized itineraries that make learning exciting.

Take the classroom outside this fall with Junior.  Founded by a teacher, we create learning experiences which honor educator goals and teach students that the world is their oyster.

When you go with Junior Tours, you go with 50 years’ experience in student excursions.  Contact us for a free quote and sample itinerary.

New York, New York!  Concrete jungle where dreams come true.  For some, those dreams come true in the glare of the footlights.

Now that summer is fading, the fall season of Broadway plays is about to take hold, with all the excitement the stage is famous for.  Student class trips to New York City are a stellar opportunity for students with an interest in the arts to encounter a whole new world – the world of Broadway Theater!

An adventure waiting to happen.

Student class trips to New York offer so much to students who love adventure and learning in the field.  There’s the thrill of one of the most active, energetic cities on the planet, coupled with the excitement of encountering the many worlds encompassed by the Big Apple.

Spend the day exploring the history of New York in its diverse neighborhoods, established by the people who came to Ellis Island, full of hope, then head to Broadway to experience exceptional live theater and the gifted people who make it happen.

Every year, Broadway is graced with talent from the past and present, with old favorites joined by new entries, pumping new blood into this proving ground of stagecraft.  From Spiderman:  Turn off the Dark, to the Lion King, musicals abound, marrying music to the legendary acting talents of some of the finest actors to ever tread the boards.

Non-stop excitement.

Imagine taking your students to Wall Street, the financial powerhouse known for intrigue, sleight of hand and the pulsating, frenetic stock market.  The ghost of infamous Wall Street anti-hero Gordon Gekko joins that of Abbie Hoffman, the 1960s activist who once showered the Stock Exchange floor with dollar bills.

An evening performance of Les Miserables couldn’t be more thematically perfect to share with students the lessons of excess and misery so often linked in one of the world’s most formidable financial markets.

Something for everyone.

Whether you’re a drama teacher shepherding your students through classics like Arsenic and Old Lace, or a teacher of literature, taking them to a performance of the spring season’s latest arrival, Roald Dahl’s Mathilda, Broadway offers something for everyone, linking educator goals to the magic of live theater.

The role of theater in education goes beyond stagecraft, touching on topics as diverse as culture, society, history and politics.  Broadway provides educators with numerous opportunities to teach outside the box and give students fresh perspective on numerous subjects in the yearly curriculum.

Ready to go?

If you’re ready to take your students on the adventure of a lifetime, New York City awaits.  Broadway and beyond, this city has it all.  Its rich history and culture embrace everything from the arts as expressed in theater, to great museums like MOMA (the Museum of Modern Art).

Because you’re an educator, you relish the chance to educate outside the box, employing tools like the work of great playwrights to share another way of looking at the world.  Contact us to find out more.

One of the most glorious realities of being young is the curiosity that comes with it.  Young people love to explore beyond their immediate environments, reaching out to discover the world. That’s why the benefits of learning through field trips this school year are numerous.  Field trips answer youthful curiosity with opportunities to encounter the world beyond the classroom.

Taking your students out into the world is a highly visual experience.  In the runup to a field trip, no matter where you’re taking your kids, preparation ensures your students can get the most from the excursion and reap the maximum benefit possible.

Structure vs. adventure.

The promise of learning outside the classroom sets student minds on fire.  Not only do they get out of their familiar, highly-structured classroom setting.  There’s the opportunity to connect with classmates and enjoy some social time along the way.  The anticipation alone primes them for the experience.

Instead of being bound by the constraints of the curriculum and the discipline of the classroom, students on field trips are free to go where their curiosity takes them.  This helps them develop specific areas of interest and confidence in their choices.  Autonomy in learning is an important benefit of field trips.

But it’s the promise of an adventure that makes field trips the highlight of any school year.  When you take your kids outside the classroom, you’re sending the message that you’re ready to share the world of learning with them in a new way.  You have sufficient confidence in them to set them loose on the subject, so they can explore aspects of it which genuinely interest them.

Fresh input.

Standing at the front of a classroom and imparting knowledge is hard work and it’s often difficult to maintain engagement, when you’re constrained by curricular imperatives.

Taking your students on a field trip provides them with fresh intellectual and sensory input, enlivening the subject you’re teaching with 3D experiences which bring your teaching to vibrant life.  In an unstructured environment, leadership is still required, but there’s also the opportunity for exploration and tactile, interactive engagement to underline what you’ve been trying to share with them.

Managing the downsides.

The modern world offers many distractions.  Students taken into a public setting may be tempted to get distracted by their mobile devices, the noise and activity in the setting they’re in and the general high spirits youth is prone to.

But as an educator, you can manage the downsides, by being clear with your students about what’s expected.  You may even ask them to agree to relinquish cell phones prior to entering the site you’re visiting.

By far the best move teachers can make is to adequately prepare students for the experience they’re about to have.

Get there with Junior.

Junior Tours has been in the business of creating exceptional learning tours and field trips for students since 1967.  For 50 years, we’ve been tailoring student outings to educator goals. Contact us for a free sample itinerary.

Every year has its favored destinations for educational high school student trips.  Depending on the subject matter your trip is geared to and what you’re hoping to accomplish educationally speaking, the world is full of learning-rich locations which can serve every imaginable educational goal.

This year, we’ve collected the 2017 top educational trips for high school students, which are emerging as the year’s hottest and most promising destinations.

New York City.

How can the city that never sleeps ever get old?  The Big Apple is a banquet of learning for curious high school students, its busy streets encompassing subjects as diverse as fashion, history, business, political science and the arts.

The endless fascination of this iconic metropolis renders endless opportunities to enhance student learning with direct experiences of the subject matter.

From the story of the huddled masses who came to Ellis Island, to the excitement of the city’s thriving fashion industry, educators will encounter a ripe field for taking students into the heart of the action, rendering enhanced learning outcomes.

Chicago.

One of America’s great cities, Chicago has been an industrial century since its inception.  Today, it’s home to high finance on a grand scale, offering your students a window into the world of the number crunchers.

The architectural riches of Chicago and its famed Magnificent Mile are an unforgettable experience to fire youthful imaginations with the endless potential of human creativity, ingenuity and world class engineering expertise.

Chicago is also a city of museums, offering your students learning opportunities as diverse as the Museum of Science and Industry and the Art Institute of Chicago.  Educators will be spoiled for choice in the city once called “the pulse of America”, encountering its robust, beating heart.

London, England.

One of the most vibrant cities of the Old World, London is home to an abundance of historical sites and ever-thriving financial and fashion sectors.  Famed for the beauty of its ancient monuments, students will thrill to world-renowned landmarks like London Bridge, the Tower of London and the reconstruction of the Globe Theater, famed for hosting the works of William Shakespeare while the great playwright still lived.

The grandeur of the Parliament and its iconic clock tower (affectionately known as “Big Ben”), are where the original House of Cards was set.  Political intrigue centuries old permeates the ancient walls here.

Nearby Westminster Abbey, the site of coronations and royal weddings for hundreds of years is a journey into the Gothic heart of Olde England.

These are Junior Tours’ 2017 top educational trips for high school students.  With a diversity of attractions for educators and students alike, these stand as our favorites, because of the learning diversity and excitement they offer.

Get there with Junior Tours.

Junior Tours has been opening the doors to a world of learning beyond the classroom for 50 years.  Since 1967, we’ve been taking students to fascinating places, creating rich learning experiences that stay with them for life.

If you’re ready to go, contact us for a free sample itinerary.

Even if you’re the new teacher on the block, you can get your educational tours approved with a little preparation before going into the administrative lion’s den.  With the right preparation, even those who are less than generous about educational tours will find it difficult to say “no” to your plan.

These are Junior Tours’ top tips for getting your educational tours approved.

Clarity and focus.

As an educator, it’s your job to present your educational tour concept to administrative decision-makers clearly, with laser focus as to the goals you have in mind.  There’s no administrator living who’s going to respond to vagueness where learning objectives are concerned.

Remember, they’re the guardians of the curriculum, so you need to overcome their objections.  Think of your presentation as a sales pitch.

Your “pitch” should include information about how your educational tour is going to satisfy goals for learning outcomes.  It should also be precise in its explanation about how it satisfies local standards for subject matter.

Itinerary and budget per student.

Your itinerary, precisely delineated and presented with an eye to convincing administrators of your tour’s value should be presented with administrative objectives in mind.  Every bullet point should knock off an item on your list of educator goals and administration’s list of required learning.

Presenting a budget for students which includes all necessary elements (food, accommodations, museum visits, transportation and contingencies) demonstrates your due diligence and there’s nothing administrators love more than that.

Don’t forget to include items like insurance and any information you have about security provided by your tour operator.  Explain your provider’s payment plan in detail and how you intend to raise funds to support the educational tour.

Don’t forget to include information about your tour operator and their track record.  This is important information that can compel a decision in your favor.

Presentation package.

Your presentation should be founded on a written document outlining all the points discussed above, with a detailed description of how the tour will satisfy both your goals as an educator and administration’s goals for area standards, as well as budget concerns.

Ensure that you print copies of your presentation for every administrator who will be present, plus a copy for yourself to work from during your presentation.  Be prepared for questions.  Anticipating the types of questions administrators are likely to ask will make you effective and confident.

Tell them you’re working with Junior Tours.

Junior Tours has been taking students on rich learning adventures for 50 years.  Since 1967, we’ve been opening the door to enhanced educational experiences, working with educators in all 50 states.  Founded by a teacher, we’re a personalized, boutique student travel resource that supports you with the best in educational tours.

Of our top tips for getting your educational tour approved, telling administration that you’re working with Junior Tours is the secret weapon every educator needs to gain that approval.  We’ve been taking students places for a half century.

Ready to go?  Contact us for a free sample itinerary.

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 4^th “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.

A trip to Boston without a visit to Salem wouldn’t all that it could be.  With Salem only 25 brief miles away, it’s an easy day trip which yields incredible learning opportunities.

Educators needn’t be told about the rich history of this Massachusetts town.  Best known as the site of the infamous witch trials of 1692 and the setting for Arthur Miller’s famous play, the Crucible, Salem was also home to the privateers, who sailed the first ship from American shores to China, returning with the spice pepper.  Salem was, in fact, one of Puritan America’s most crucial seaports.

The power of fear.

One of the most important lessons educators can share with students when visiting Salem is the power that fear has over the actions of a group.  The hostility towards suspected witches modelled in Salem grew from a small knot of communal ignorance, becoming an inferno of public trials and hangings.

Educators are given a unique opportunity to not only share this fascinating part of American history with their students, but to do it through the lens of social commentary.  As Miller’s Crucible details, the power of fear to ignite groups of people to act against their neighbors can never be underestimated.  The Salem witch trials remain one of the most poignant examples of this unfortunate effect.

Rich educational experiences await teachers who bring their students to this living historical monument and many of those experiences have a resonance which informs the current age.

House of the Seven Gables.

Salem’s place in the annals of American literature certainly doesn’t end with the Crucible.  The subject of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s famous work, the House of the Seven Gables, still stands today, ready for students to explore its famed precincts.

The house is now part of what’s been designated a National Historic Landmark District.  Visitors may also view Hawthorne’s birthplace.  While he lived in this home until he was 4, it was moved from its original location (several blocks away) to form an easily accessible complex of Hawthorne history.

An open-air museum.

Salem, with its proximity to Boston, presents an enticing prospect for educators keen to share American history with their students.  In combination with a visit to the extraordinary historical sites on offer in Boston, Salem, only 25 miles away, can enrich and illuminate the experience of visiting Boston.

On every corner in both these centers of American history and culture are examples of early American architecture and sites of historical interest that render them both open-air museums.  While continuing to thrive as modern cities, both Boston and Salem offer educators and their students the chance to experience the American story first hand.

Junior Tours has been creating exceptional student travel experiences since 1967.  For 50 years, we’ve worked with teachers and students from all 50 states, bringing them logistical excellence and keen destination knowledge.

Salem is just a stone’s throw from Boston, so combining the two destinations for a truly memorable student tour makes sense.  Contact Junior to make it happen.