Nations Classroom Blog

Sarah Kiefer has been co-coordinating her school's annual Washington, D.C. trip since 2012.   And as a Technology Integrator and a Google Certified Trainer she's always discovering ways that technology can improve communication and efficiency on school trips.  In today's blog post, she's sharing her favorite tips for using Google Sheets. 

You won't want to miss her organizational tips guaranteed to improve group communication!

The Student and Youth Travel Association, in partnership with The Center for Student Travel Safety, has developed a travel safety certification program designed to introduce the "first-of-its-kind operational and safety standards to the student group travel industry, in an effort to enhance the overall safety of travel." 

This week we are featuring safety standards for Hotel Safety.  These guidelines would be  helpful to share in an informational packet for students and parents and to review with them in-person during a meeting before you travel. 

More than ever, students need their teachers to be strong advocates for the value of experiential learning. To prepare for a discussion with administration about an educational trip, it helps to understand potential concerns and to be prepared to answer challenging questions. 

No school trip has ever taken off without the support of parents. Thinking ahead about their concerns will help you, as the trip leader, answer their questions and provide the reassurance families need to support the trip you’re planning for their children.

Here are ten things a trip leader can do to reassure families about the many benefits of a school trip.

The old adage, “You’re only as good as the company you keep,” is certainly true when you’re chaperoning a field trip.

Planning chaperone groups in a thoughtful and intentional way will help everyone make the most of the educational experience. There are a few ways to help make that happen.

One of the most stressful responsibilities for chaperones on a student trip is dispensing medications. Not only is it nerve racking for medical and liability reasons, it also can be laborious, which can slow down a tour group and throw off a well-planned itinerary.

Here is advice for creating a plan to effectively manage the distribution of student medications while on a school trip. 

In an effort to be even more inclusive of all students, Philadelphia's National Constitution Center now offers new resources to make the museum experience more accessible.  

Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Sensory Processing Disorders, and other neurodevelopmental disabilities often find social stories to be a helpful way to successfully prepare for what to expect when traveling to a new place.

There are many people who make up a well-rounded student travel team. They are the get-it-done, supportive professionals who take the pressure off of you and who turn your ideas into amazing tour experiences.

Understanding what each team members does will help you rest assured knowing that every aspect of your tour will be well managed.