Most of us know that travel and tourism are two different animals.  Travelers; those who travel go forth into the world not just to see it, but to feel and experience it.  Tourists, on the other hand, tend to stick to the beaten path.  They may want to experience their destinations, but not necessarily in a profound way.  There’s little depth to the beaten track, and there’s little in the way of transformational contact with the cultures being encountered.

Were that not the case, the world would undoubtedly be a much better place.  It would be filled with people who feel connected to other cultures and sympathetic to the differences that make us fascinating humans, living on a small planet.

Alas, there are too many tourists and not enough travelers.  But if you’re a thoughtful person and you have children, part of your mission as a parent is to change that reality.  When you teach children to be travelers, not just tourists, what you’re really doing is creating a better world, in which understanding is the norm, not the exception.

Getting off the tourist track.

To travel mindfully, getting off the tourist track is your first order of business.  That means avoiding anything even remotely redolent of package tours and all-inclusive resorts.  To be a traveler and not a tourist, you need to know about where you’re going beyond the usual guidebooks.

Sit down and do your homework, starting with where you plan to stay.  Finding the right place to stay depends on what you’re hoping to teach children while you’re traveling.  Do you want them to see the great museums at your destination, or encounter unique cultural realities?  Are you looking for an immersive experience that includes encountering the food and music of your destination?

Seek out areas which offer the kind of experiences you want your children to have while you’re traveling.  That’s not necessarily the most central area, but it’s certainly one which offers access.  That access is an experience itself, as public transit can be the source of memorable encounters – encounters that change a child’s life and perspectives.

Speaking the language.

Even if you’re traveling within the USA, this country is home to many distinct cultural settings which you’ll want to explore.  If you’re going to New Orleans, for example, you’ll want to know what “lagniappe” (something extra) means.

But speaking the language goes beyond differences in the way people speak.  It extends to customs and manners.  What’s acceptable at home may not be acceptable where you’re going.  Manners and unwritten behavioral rules exist everywhere.  Try to find out what those are at your destination before you go.  Instead of culture shock, you’ll experience cultural contact.

Junior Tours.

Junior Tours has been teaching children to be travelers, not just tourists since 1967.  Junior Tours was founded by a teacher whose greatest desire was to do just that.  Ever since, we’ve been offering children unique educational tours that help them understand the world around them by learning from it.

Contact us to find out more.

Summer’s here!  But just because the sun is high in the sky, it doesn’t mean kids can’t continue learning, while enjoying the experience.  At Junior Tours, we’ve been creating trips and excursions that make education fun since 1967, including summer camp.

Our top summer camp educational trips in 2017 is a window into some of what’s available to young people keen to continue learning over the summer months.  There’s something for everyone and the diversity of experience will amaze you.

Language immersion.

Summertime keeners interested in learning a new language will be thrilled to know there’s a summer camp dedicated to just that.  With the world becoming increasingly small, young people who speak more than one language enjoy greater opportunities.

Concordia Language Villages offer 1 week and 6 week options for immersion learning, through the end of August.  Based in Moorhead, MN, students are treated to cultural as well as linguistic experiences.  Issued passports, camper are also given names which reflect the language they’re learning.

Kids can choose immersion in 15 languages, from Japanese to Arabic.

For budding diplomats.

In the Catskill Mountains, kids can learn diplomatic skills at the model United Nations camp.  With 3 1-week sessions offered between July 21 and August 10, students interact with professors and peace corps volunteers to learn about international relations and how they’re effectively managed.

With a different theme each week, students will connect with complex themes in diplomacy, from combating cyber warfare to global access to medical care.

Participants also enjoy a simulation of the World Trade Organization, in which such weighty matters are discussed on the international level.

Game and app design for the geeks.

Geek is the new mogul and kids with their dreams set on the world of coding and computing will fit right in at the National Computer Camps.

On three campuses located in Fairfield, CT, Atlanta, GA and Cleveland, OH, classes take place on various dates during the month of July.  Campers will learn how to produce 2D and 3D games, design an app for the Android mobile device and create digital videos.

Coding certification courses are also available for older, or more computer savvy campers.

Space – the final frontier.

Space Camp in Huntsville, AL runs from the beginning of June through the end of August.  Among it’s alumni are NASA astronauts.

Drawing on STEM disciplines (science, technology, engineering and math), students aged 9 to 18 learn to apply these within the context of the space program, with practical hands-on experiences.  They’ll also have an opportunity to apply their analytical skills to space mission findings and participate in simulations of mission control.

Junior Tours creates outstanding educational experiences for students.  Founded by a teacher, we’re committed to combining learning with fun, offering student groups exceptional trips and tours, tailored to educator vision.

These top summer camp educational trips in 2017 express some of the best learning opportunities available at US summer camps, but they’re just the tip of the iceberg.  Contact us.  Junior Tours makes the world your classroom.

Teachers are busy people.  Often, they’re overwhelmed by the demands of the job, which is absorbing, rewarding and exhausting in equal measure.  Doing a yeoman’s work both inside and outside the classroom, it makes sense that teachers source professional support when organizing a travel experience for their students. So, are educational travel services essential for teachers? 

At Junior Tours, we believe that to be the case.  Our company was established by a teacher who knew all about the demands of educating young people, so he envisioned a resource to support educational goals with a superior travel service.

50 years of excellence.        

Since 1967, Junior Tours has been bringing educators excellence in student trips and tours.  We’re celebrating 50 years of service in the sector, bringing teachers and students the very best in educational travel services.

For any curriculum, Junior Tours offers outstanding support for tours encompassing both learning and enjoyment, creating experiences for students they’ll talk about for years to come.

While you’re enjoying your tour with your students and helping them absorb as much as they possibly can, we’re taking care of the details.  We keep your itinerary on track, offering you a dedicated Tour Escort who’s with your 24 hours a day for the duration of your tour.

Professionally trained, our Tour Escorts sweat the small stuff, while you teach and support your students.

Only the very best.

Because we’ve been around for 50 years, Junior Tours brings you the very best in accommodations, offering you centralized, secure, premium hotels where you’ll rest easy after a long day of exploration and learning.

Every detail of your educational tour is planned with attention to detail, ensuring your students derive the most benefit, as we get you where you want to be.  Your ground, air and rail transportation is all taken care of, so you and your group ride in comfort.

Chaperones join your group free of charge, with one chaperone for every 20 students.  If that doesn’t work for you, we’ll recalibrate the ratio to ensure you get exactly what you need.

Junior Tours will customize your adventure to include workshops, museum visits, or excursions to other attractions that add educational interest and excitement to your tour.

Premium educational services.

We know teachers give their all to educating their young charges, so we offer premium educational services that honor your hard work.

Your educational goals are honored with personalized planning that gives your students a unique and detailed window into the subject of your tour.  From history to fashion, languages to business, we match your vision to tailored educational experiences your students will never forget.

Are educational travel services essential for teachers?  The people at Junior Tours know that a professionally planned and executed tour brings your students the very best learning experience available.

With 50 years of excellence behind us, we’re ready to create an unforgettable educational adventure for you and your students that will enhance your teaching objectives and cement student learning with exceptional experiences.

Contact us for a free quote and sample itinerary.

Because Junior Tours was founded by a teacher in 1967, we know educators are looking for a student tour provider capable of fulfilling the needs of a wide variety of curricular interests.

Diversity is something we’re proud to offer teachers and students, with a wide range of destinations, featuring points of interest that cover all the educational bases.

From history to fashion, we’ve got you covered.  But we go further than bringing diversity to student tours.  We bring fine personalization that speaks to educator vision and student interests, customizing itineraries to your specifications.

Everything under the sun.

For students who plan on a career in the business world, our tours to New York City, Chicago and Atlanta put them in the center of the action.

From Wall Street to the Atlanta headquarters of CNN, to Chicago’s bustling business district, students discover how businesses operate at the very highest level.  With visits to attractions that inform and support their budding vocation, we take them directly to the top of the ladder.

Language students can find their feet in an immersive experience in Montreal, Quebec, where French has been spoken since the city’s founding.  The Cajun version of French can be encountered among local people in New Orleans, LA, where the language was brought by Acadians settlers, after leaving Canada.

The rich and vibrant history of the USA is all around us, but a tour with Junior is a living encounter, placing students on the battlefields of the Civil War at Gettysburg, or at the site of the Boston Tea Party in a city alive with the American story.

No matter what your students are studying, or what your educational goals are for them, Junior Tours’ extensive experience in the realm of educational travel shows your students what they need to see, as you enjoy a seamlessly executed tour.

The best of everything.

You, your students and chaperones (who join us free of charge) travel in comfort, with reliable air, rail and bus transportation, round trip.  There’s no need to rely on public transportation (unless that’s part of the experience you’re planning).  We’ll organize ground transportation for you, at your destination of choice.

Because of our long tenure in the sector, we have strong relationships with accommodations providers.  Central, with first class amenities, our roster of deluxe hotel providers sees your group enjoying a great night’s sleep once your busy day is done.

Junior Tours’ professionally trained Tour Escorts are with you and your group 24/7, bringing you destination expertise, energetic leadership and itinerary management that frees you to enjoy the adventure.

At Junior Tours, we offer student tours for any curriculum, customized to the needs and interests of your group.  When you go with Junior, you go with the very best.

We’re committed to offering educators and students exceptional educational tours that bring your curriculum to life.  With first class logistics and professional on-tour support, your group is treated to outstanding comfort, reliability and educational value you won’t find elsewhere.

Contact us for a free quote and sample itinerary.

A key challenge for many parents is finding the funds to send their kids on a school trip.  But the great thing about fundraising for school trips is that it teaches kids important lessons about the economic realities of travel, as well as team work, cooperation and how to talk to people about contributing to their cause.

So, this post is dedicated to 5 great ways for kids to raise money for a school trip, including both new-fangled and old-fangled ways of raising the funds you need.

Old School fundraising.

There’s nothing like a bake sale, car wash, or yard sale to bring the parents to the schoolyard.  These traditional methods of raising funds for school trips gets everyone involved, bringing the community into the fold in common cause.

Parents can team up with their kids, creating a unique dynamic in which everyone puts their shoulder to the wheel to get the job done.  It’s a great lesson for kids and brings parents to the party in a real and positive way that makes a huge difference, cash wise and community wise.

Crowdfunding.

Crowdfunding is an exciting, new-fangled way to raise money for all manner of projects.  It can work for your school trip, too.  At Junior Tours, we particularly like the resource FundRazr.  It’s easy and free.

Your group gets a website to explain how the funds will go toward its school trip – a unique educational experience for them.  They (and parents), will have the opportunity to use social media like Facebook and Twitter to solicit funds.  It’s a fundraising technique ripe with outreach, consciousness-raising and learning opportunities.

Events.

Connect with a local business to create an event that invites the community to join the effort.  Find a business in the community that’s willing to match donated funds for greater impact.

The event might be a coffee house or a picnic, with a silent auction.  Inviting community and business participation raises your group’s and your school’s profile, as well.  You can even involve the trip participants in putting together a media release to alert local press and radio.

F2F.

F2F (face-to-face fundraising) is proven to be one of the most effective ways to raise money for any cause.  Organize your kids to go door to door, targeting neighbourhoods in the school’s catchment.  Kids at the door with a burning passion for going on an educational trip can net your group a very good source of funds.

While they’re door knocking, they’re learning lessons about persuasion and comportment that will serve them well in life.

Scratch cards.

Junior Tours proposes scratch cards as a high return fundraising strategy.  For 10 cents per card, students can offer these to friends and family.  Each box on the cards represents a donation of between .10 cents and $3.00, with each card rendering $150 in funds, once all boxes have been scratched off.

Since 1967, Junior Tours has been offering outstanding student educational travel experiences.  Contact us to request a free quote and sample itinerary.

Teachers are one of the most crucial pillars in our society.  They identify the vocations of young people by getting to know them and sharing knowledge with them.  They work overtime to make sure their students are getting what they need to succeed in life. That’s quite a commission to fulfill.

But we’re going to share a secret with you:  teachers are the best travelers!  We’ve seen this truth borne out repeatedly, in our 5 decades of taking student groups on educational tours.

So, what makes teachers the best travelers?  Let’s find out.

Planning.

A skilled teacher knows that well-structured education lies in the planning.  While most of us have our feet up, teachers are planning lessons within an overarching framework of educational goals realized over time.

Teachers have a limited amount of classroom time to get to their educational goals and know how to use that time economically.  Planning is key to reaching their goals for students.

Education is a journey.  So, when teachers travel, they apply the same principles to their excursion that they do in the classroom.  They plan to get the most from every day.  They pack for contingencies and do so sparingly.

Curiosity.

Teachers across the K12 spectrum share a key quality – curiosity.  They’re not only curious about the world around them.  They’re curious about how their students will respond to what they’re teaching.  There’s a give and take in teaching in which the instructor is often instructed.  This is one of the most exciting aspects of teaching.

That same curiosity is part of what makes teachers the best travelers.  They’re as wide-eyed with fascination as their students are.  With the pool of knowledge they command, they have the ability to see beneath the surface of things and glean from travel experiences something richer and more valuable.

People skills.

Every successful traveler can interact effortlessly with the people they meet along the way.  Teachers are uniquely suited to this key aspect of travel because they’re working with hundreds of students, every year.

Those students turn over, from grade to grade and so, the teacher acclimatizes to new faces and personalities as a way of life.

Travel demands openness.  At the same time, savvy travelers assess people and situations honestly and quickly.  Teachers do that every day with their students.

They finesse conflicts, settle restlessness and interact with students where they stand.   People skills are at the heart of good teaching and they serve teachers when they venture out into the world to travel.

What makes teachers the best travelers?  A combination of qualities that creates success in the classroom.  Planning, curiosity, and people skills are three of the most uniformly desirable traits in educators.

They’re also three of the most desirable traits in travelers, when you think about it.

Junior Tours – the teacher’s educational tour provider.

At Junior, we work with teachers from all 50 States.  Founded by a teacher, we create unique educational tours that work from educator goals.  Contact us for an itinerary and quote.