A trip to New York City is an adventure for most of us.  It’s a huge city and one with a reputation for not sleeping, as well as being loud, proud and “in your face.”

But in our excitement, we sometimes make some bad moves on the packing front.  Everyone’s guilty of it.  Your students, though, especially if they’ve never packed a bag before, can put some pretty strange stuff in their bags.

Here’s some thoughtful advice for your group’s school trip to New York City we hope you’ll pass on to them.

Fashion is not the purpose.

Sure.  You may be going to 5^th Avenue.  You may be checking out the Garment District.  This does not mean that fashion is the purpose of your trip.  Your students are there to learn, not parade on a catwalk.

They’ll need sensible footwear that’s going to get them around the many sites of interest they’ll be visiting, not to mention dodging through the throngs on the streets.  They will need shoes in which they can walk comfortably, for hours at a time.

New shoes are out of the question if they don’t want to be shrieking in agony, every step of the way.

The same goes for packing clothing they don’t normally wear at home.  New York City is one of the most fashionable cities on the planet.  So, if your students honestly believe that packing for fashion is going to help them “blend in,” it’s a pretty vain pursuit (unless their mom is Donna Karan, or maybe Madonna).

Shampoo is heavy.

Have you ever noticed that the heaviest items in your suitcase are toiletries?  Make it clear to your group that packing an entire bottle of shampoo is hardly necessary, especially for a brief trip.  Advise them to plan what they’re taking with them carefully and to seek out travel-sized containers for items like shampoo.

Students with only carry-on luggage need to be brought up to date on regulations concerning liquids and gels if you’re traveling by air.  There’s nothing worse than being stopped at the security gate and having to dump it all out, or leave it with the customs agent.

Weather is known to change.

We have no doubt that your tech-savvy students will be checking the weather at your destination with obsessive regularity, as they plan what to bring.  Disavow them of the idea that a 10-day forecast is written in stone.

Weather is known to change and that’s true no matter where you go.  As I write, I recall a June day in New Orleans that went from sunbathing in the courtyard to scurrying for cover, as a sudden hailstorm passed over.

Tell your charges to go prepared.  Pack something waterproof in the event of rain and something warm in the event of cold.  Weather is known to change – write that on the blackboard!

At Junior Tours, we’ve been creating superior educational tours since 1967.  We make student travel affordable and accessible.  Contact us for a quote and sample itinerary.

Planning a successful (and educational) field trip for 2018 is all about the prep.  Having an organized, systematic plan for getting all your ducks in a row is the way to ensure that your field trip will go off without a hitch and your students will derive maximum benefit from the learning it highlights.

Here are our favorite tips for planning a successful (and educational) field trip for 2018.

Why are you going?

You’re an educator, so you know field trips are about more than getting out of the classroom for a day.  They’re about learning.  But what do you hope to achieve, in educational terms?

You need to be very clear about that, when seeking approval from your Board.  Make sure that your presentation to the Board includes concise and coherent information about your goals for students on the field trip.

Go prepared with projected learning outcomes, aligning these with the Standard Course of Study to ensure you get approval.  This is your first step and without it, you’re not going anywhere.

Prepping your students.

Your field trip is part of a curricular plan that demands students take away necessary outcomes.  Introducing the trip you’re planning as part of a classroom lesson highlights its educational purpose.

Build enthusiasm by providing photographs, videos and other materials which introduce your students to the site you’re planning to visit.  Enlist the help of students from other classes who’ve already visited the site and invite them in to speak to your class about what they learned.

Be sure to clearly delineate your expectations for student behavior.  Creating a handout which states your expectations in this regard is crucial, as there will be no excuses for forgetting key elements of your “rules of engagement”when everything’s in writing.

Develop a clear itinerary, then ask students to sign it.  This will serve as a contract between you and your group.  You agree to provide the educational content and the students agree to approach the field trip as an opportunity to learn.

Create a checklist of what students should pack.  Discuss suitable footwear and other key items students are going to need for the destination, to ensure they’re fully prepared.

Prepping everyone else.

Now that your Board has agreed to the field trip and you’re getting your students ready, attend to the nuts and bolts, like parental permission.

Your parental permission form is an ideal opportunity to generate interest from potential chaperones, so don’t forget to float the possibility when the form is sent home with students.  Invite them on board.

Once you have commitments, prepare your chaperones for the role.  A brief meeting in the runup to the trip will help you get to know them and get them ready for what you need from them while you’re out there.

Junior Tours.

Junior Tours has been making field trips easier for teachers for 50 years.  Founded by a teacher in 1967, we personalize itineraries, crafting them to your group and educator objectives.

Contact us for a free sample itinerary and quote.

In the streets of New York City, you will find the wealth of the USA.  In its neighborhoods, peopled by the descendants of those who once came to our shores in hope, to Wall Street and Madison Avenue, the streets are your classroom.

Wall Street, world epicenter of business.

Wall Street is where fortunes are made and lost.  It’s the heart of world finance and its name alone conjures images of unbridled wealth and financial power.

But students may not be aware that it all started in the shade of humble Buttonwood tree!

Educators can direct an enlightening tour which talks students through historic events like the stock market crash of 1929 (which precipitated the Great Depression) or the global economic crash of 2008.

Though peaks and valleys, Wall Street has endured and today, continues to stand as a monolithic economic force.

Madison Avenue’s Mad Men.

Advertising wasn’t always a science, relying on demographic data and focus groups.  There was a time when it was an art form.

Most richly portrayed in the television series Mad Men, the world of advertising was a ground for fertile imaginations, applied to compelling the public to buy the products of the advertising sector’s clients.  The ghost of Don Draper stalks Madison Avenue, as skyscrapers loom.

While many advertising agencies have left the traditional business cluster this famous street is known for, the industry remains and is responsible for a huge economic footprint, employing thousands.

5^th Avenue – The allure of luxury.

Cutting through the island of Manhattan from Harlem to Greenwich Village, 5^th Avenue is known as one of the most high-end shopping thoroughfares in the world.

Between 49^th and 60^th Streets, you’ll find the heart of 5^th Avenue’s uber-expensive shopping, frequented by monied shopaholics from around the globe.   But it’s not just the shopping that attracts visitors.  This is home to museums, historical landmarks and luxurious apartments.  It’s like a universe unto itself.

It’s on 5^th Avenue you’ll find the Empire State Building and the unusually-shaped Flatiron building, both beautiful examples of the architecture of the times in which they were built.  Also along this 6 mile-long street, you’ll be able to experience the singular beauty of St. Patrick’s Cathedral and the majesty of Rockefeller Center.

Discovery in the streets of Harlem.

Synonymous with the burgeoning of the Black American cultural movements of the early 20^th Century, Harlem is where that renaissance happened.  Asserting itself in dance, music, literature and art, the Harlem Renaissance envelopes the visitor to this famed neighborhood.

Writer Langston Hughes and singer Bessie Smith practiced their now internationally-respected crafts here.  At the Apollo Theater, the Jackson 5 and Ella Fitzgerald once graced the stage. Harlem is home to a vibrant community which brought forth some of the USA’s most acclaimed artistic talents.

Junior Tours.

For 50 years, Junior Tours has been creating unique educational experiences for students.  We bring the streets of New York City to life, with tailored itineraries that speak to educator vision.  Contact us for a free itinerary and quote.

Money is tight for a lot of school districts, nowadays, so educators are called upon to be even more creative than usual when mulling over fundraising ideas for school trips.

Even a day trip needs funding to pay for transportation, but if you’re going overnight, you may need a little extra fiscal padding to pull it all off.  That’s where your bright fundraising ideas make all the difference.

Let’s review some great fundraising ideas for school trips, in the interest of getting your students out in the field, with the funds needed to make it a success.

F2F.

Face-to-face fundraising can be highly effective.  Your job is to understand whether your fundraising efforts are coming at a time when parents and other parties you’re seeking funds from aren’t feeling tapped out by other appeals.

And that’s all in the communication and planning.  Knowing what other teachers have planned in terms of raising funds for their school trips is where to start.  Try to find the most opportune moment to send your kids out with whatever item they’ll be selling to fund the trip.

Door-to-door fundraising, while sometimes very effective is being increasingly discouraged, due to security issues.  Much more reliable is setting up a table in a mall, at the entrance of a major shopping outlet, or even on a busy street corner.  Approach your target location to get permission first.

FundRazr.

All over the world, people are taking to the internet to raise money for civic, personal and creative projects.  Your class can do the same to fund your school trip.

FundRazr is a highly reputable online crowdfunding portal where your students can know the thrill of raising money for a group activity.

Raising money for your school trip this way also offers students valuable administrative learning, teaches them the power of community and the value of collaboration to achieve a common goal.

SYTA Youth Foundation Road Scholarship.

Every year, this worthy organization funds students for school trips.  Hundreds of children who wouldn’t otherwise be financially able to participate in school trips are given the chance they deserve to join their fellows on a learning experience.

SYA will fund students in varying amounts, up to a limit of $1,000 per student.  Students may apply during two defined application periods:  from February 01 – March 15 and from September 01 – October 15.

As the group leader, you fill out applications on behalf of your students.

Scratch cards.

Junior Tours loves making student travel more affordable with these hassle-free fundraising aids.  Students purchase the cards.  Donors are then invited to scratch off a box and donate the amount revealed.  The return per card is $150, against the $10 per card purchase price.

There’s no ordering or delivery, so these cards are a great way for students to easily raise the funds required for your school trip.

These fundraising ideas for school trips are offered to make student travel more widely accessible and to support your own bright ideas.

Ready to go?  Contact Junior Tours for a free sample itinerary and quote.

Whether the focus of your field trip to Washington, DC is history or politics, Junior Tours brings you expert knowledge.  We make it easy for teachers to create outstanding field trips to our nation’s capital.

We pride ourselves on destination knowledge that goes beyond standard educational itineraries.  Add to that our 50 years’ experience taking students on field trips to Washington, DC and a diverse selection of other great US cities and you have a winning strategy for a seamlessly-realized field trip.

Washington, DC is the site of political intrigue and historical interest.  Here, students can stand in the shadow of Lincoln and walk in the footsteps of Barack Obama, experiencing the magisterial awe of this center of international power.

History, power and culture.

Inside the Beltway is where the most potent leadership of the 20^th Century was played out, against a backdrop of American history and achievement.

Your students can stand before the Declaration of Independence, or marvel at the accomplishments of Dr. Martin Luther King, at his recently installed monument.  They can experience the endless wonders of the Smithsonian Institute Museums, or a day in the life of our nation’s governing bodies.

With a wealth of museums covering every subject from international espionage to African-American history, students will be spoiled for choice.  Junior Tours stands in the gap, helping you select the attractions which are most relevant to the subject matter your group is studying.

Washington, DC is more than an icon of power.  It’s like an open-air timeline of the USA, memorializing the grand story of this nation on every corner, in every street and in all its neighborhoods.

Washington, DC made easy.

In Washington, DC, your students can be inspired to pursue careers in a wide range of sectors, from politics, to federal government service, to the Arts, Washington, DC is a lively vocational incubator which offers your students a wealth of inspiration for the future.

With our easy planning process, we open the doors of Washington, DC to your students, even assisting you with fundraising.  Your field trip starts with your request for a free sample itinerary and quote.  From there, we guide you through the planning process, making sure you get exactly the field trip you envision.

We help book your museum and attraction tickets and even help you ready your students for the coming adventure, providing assistance with behavioral guidelines and packing advice.  We also have an app which helps you remind students about what they should be doing to prepare for their adventure.

At Junior Tours, we tailor our field trips to educator goals, ensuring that field trips to Washington, DC are easy to plan.  Student Tours with Junior exceed expectations, because we bring you the personal touch that corporate-owned, large scale tour providers don’t have.

Go with Junior.

Founded by a teacher in 1967, Junior Tours has been creating exceptional educational experiences for students for 50 years.

Go with Junior for customized field trips to Washington, DC.  We make it easy for teachers!

Taking your class to the Big Apple doesn’t need to be a hair-raising experience.  Board-approved trips to NYC and easy to plan student tours become super simple with the experts at Junior Tours.

We’re celebrating 50 years of bringing educators easy to plan student tours this year.  Founded in 1967 by a teacher, Junior Tours brings you the best of our beloved concrete jungle, with something to engage students in every conceivable subject area.

Your Board will smile upon you.

School Boards everywhere light up like Christmas trees when teachers tell them they’re going with Junior Tours.  They know that our name means exceptional educational experiences for your students, so your trip will be Board-approved in no time flat.

Knowing you have the experts at Junior planning your tour is reassuring news for Boards who have the best interests of students and student security foremost in their minds.  When seeking approval for your school trip, you can walk into the meeting with confidence, with Junior’s half-century of experience in your presentation folder.

We’re a family owned and operated business that offers educators a customized, boutique experience.  We’re not a big, impersonal company with an automated switchboard.  We’re the real thing, with real people and personalized attention that tailors your trip to your group’s needs and interests.

We’ve shown over 500,000 students around the great cities of the USA and 9 out of 10 groups come back for more of what Junior offers.

NYC made easy.

At Junior, we pride ourselves on our knowledge of America’s most iconic city.  We know this city and its attractions inside out.  From the Art Deco glamor of the Empire State Building to the endless artistic wonders of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, we make NYC easy.

In NYC, your students can be inspired to pursue careers in a wide range of sectors, from the Arts, to finance, to fashion, to media, New York City is the place where dreams are made real – and where they’re born.

With our simple planning process, we open the doors of the Big Apple to your students, even assisting you with fundraising.  Your trip begins with a request to us for a free sample itinerary and quote.  From there, we walk you through our planning process, ensuring you get precisely the trip you envision.

We help book theater tickets and workshops and even assist you to prepare your students, offering help with behavioral guidelines and packing tips.  We also offer teachers an app you can use to remind students of what they need to be doing to prepare, every step of the way.

At Junior Tours, we work to educator goals, ensuring that Board-approved trips to NYC are easy to plan.  Student Tours with Junior are a cut above, because we bring you the personal touch the big providers can’t duplicate.

Junior – the NYC insiders.

Junior is uniquely placed to show you around this incredible city, because we’re NYC insiders.  Reach out and let Junior show you around the greatest city on earth.

When traveling with students, one of the greatest gifts you can give them is leadership.  You’re the teacher and you’re the example, so you set the tone. Our top travel tips can help.

That means preparing extensively, whether you’re taking your class on a field trip to a nearby site, or somewhere further afield for an overnight adventure.  When you’re fully prepared to address the destination and the educational gifts it offers, your students will likewise be encouraged to raise their own questions, based on what they know.

Your leadership gives your students the confidence they need to ask the right questions and to be just as prepared as you are.  Let’s look at these top travel tips, so you can bring your history knowledge and questions along for the thrilling ride.

Preparation in the classroom.

As an educator, you put a lot of time into what you teach your students in the classroom.  Every lesson is carefully planned and executed with student engagement in mind.  When you’re adding an in-the-field experience to the mix, you’re challenging your students.

You’re challenging them to glean from your teaching the knowledge they need to make the most of their experience, when you finally set off on your learning adventure.  Part of the challenge is making it clear to them that you’re setting the example.  Because you know your stuff, you expect them to have similar, in-depth knowledge to get the most from their trip.

Lead time in the run up to the excursion should follow a trajectory from the moment it’s announced.  Letting your students know that you’re expecting them to bring their history knowledge and questions with them (because you are) is a vote of confidence in their ability to prepare.

In fact, preparation for an experiential learning event should be part of what students are graded on.  Their ability to prepare intellectually for what they’re going to experience is a big part of the learning they’re getting access to.  Let them know that their prep is worth valuable currency in terms of their eventual grades.

Trip-specific preparation.

As you draw closer to your departure date, share with students more information about where you’re going and what they can expect to see there.  Provide them with website addresses and other resources to allow them to explore and get themselves ready for what they’re about to experience.

Make it clear that the more they know about the destination, the more immediate their experience of it will be.  Learning is a two-way street.  Deposit education is colorless.  When the educational project flows only from educator to student, it’s missing dialogue.  Add dialogue to your trip-specific preparation and have students take ownership of their own education.

That’s endlessly empowering.

Junior Tours.

Junior Tours has been taking students on educational adventures for 50 years.  Founded in 1967 by a teacher, we create personalized learning experiences which bring your teaching to life.

If you’re ready to take your students on an experiential learning journey, contact Junior for a free sample quote and itinerary.

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.