In a world that's becoming more and more globally-minded each and every day it is apparent that student travel is becoming more important than ever. Unfortunately, many students never get the chance to travel while still in school (class day trips, field trips, spring break, or senior trips) due to such issues as cost, time constraints, job, and school responsibilities, family issues and more. So with all these varying and potential travel-crushing factors, why should students be focusing on traveling as a crucial educational tool? Well, it's a good thing you asked because we've got five great reasons why you should be talking about school travel.
1. For starters, one of the best times to travel is while you're a student because of the many discounts and services (like planned student trips!) that are offered almost anywhere you want to go. Once you've graduated, you lose a lot of those discount options almost immediately.
2. While you're in school, you don't have to worry so much about factors like taking off work, being at home with family, or maintaining an income. If you're traveling with your school, you've already cleared your daily schedule for a trip! Once graduation rolls around, especially college graduation, you'll be much more concerned with getting a job and settling down than you may be with traveling, so fit it into your school schedule while you have the chance.
3. The education you can experience on a student trip usually far outweighs the one you can get in the classroom. Regardless if you're abroad or in the states, being in a new location for any period of time gives you an up-close look at that place's history, culture, and people. You can hear about all these things in a classroom, but you can't truly experience them unless you're there.
4. As of recent, there's been a shift in trips geared toward education, and trips created purely for fun. Luckily at AST, we make sure there's a little bit of both in every trip we organize, but many teachers are forgetting that it's possible to do both. While there may be a rise in amusement parks, beach bash, and celebration trips, teachers should still consider trips to visit cultural and historical institutions.
5. Spending time at cultural and historical places essentially helps students become more well-rounded, understanding individuals. To know something extra about a piece of art, a moment in time, a historical figure, or an important local institution, helps students to learn something new about a culture aside from their own -- and we believe the world could truly benefit from everyone expanding their perceptions, one small step at a time.
