If You Ask Me: Educational travel is a powerful teacher
By:
Evan Bass
School systems that aren’t providing their students the opportunity to learn through educational travel are not giving those young people a complete education. That’s the lesson that I and teaching teammate Sara Wernick learned last spring when we embarked on the first Washington, D.C., trip ever taken by students at Oakland’s Elmhurst Middle School.
Our 25 eighth-graders spent five days in the nation’s capital visiting a leading university, national monuments, governmental buildings, inspiring museums and historical sites. This not only reinforced academic lessons initially taught in the classroom, but the students also learned about responsibility and other lessons they will carry throughout their lives. And, as educators, we saw that student travel is essential to a complete education. Certainly, many school systems find providing travel more difficult today in light of budget constraints, safety issues and concerns about high-stakes testing. Yet, well-planned educational trips teach powerful lessons, in four main areas:
1. Travel brings the classroom curriculum alive.
When students read about history or a scientific concept, they may remember it for a short period of time. However, when they see something with their own eyes, they come away with impressions that will last throughout their lives. This drives home the true meaning of historical events. For example, when one of our youngsters saw the Vietnam Memorial, she reported she was shocked at how long it was. She had studied about the war, but seeing the wall made her understand its human cost and the impact it had on people throughout America.
Our students also had been taught about the civil rights movement, but when they sat on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial where Dr. King delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech, they began to consider the impact it had on people today and on themselves.
Time at the Holocaust Museum, the Smithsonian, the White House, the World War II Memorial and the Franklin D. Roosevelt Monument all allowed our students to experience firsthand what they only saw in books and heard in lectures beforehand.
2. Travel leads to personal development.
The majority of students at Elmhurst Middle School haven’t gained experiences outside of Oakland as families aren’t in a position to take their children on cross-country trips. While the 25 youngsters on our learning adventure were very bright, some hadn’t been outside a 20-block radius from their home. It was the first time they had flown on a plane or stayed in a motel. They learned the appropriate way to act with adults and how to carry themselves in a responsible manner.
The trip also opened the eyes of one young lady to more diverse college opportunities. While she already thought a college education was in her future, she hadn’t considered the possibility of going out of state. Our group spent time touring Howard University, meeting with an admissions counselor who discussed what they should consider in preparing for the university experience, and seeing the college lifestyle. Now she understands that there are many, many options throughout the country for higher education.
3. Travel builds responsibility in young people.
Budget is always an issue for educational travel, but it turned out to be an exceptional learning experience for our students. The students had a primary responsibility in raising the $24,000 for the trip. While Sara sought some private donations, the kids held bake sales, conducted raffles and submitted grant proposals. In all of this they learned lessons of responsibility they will carry throughout their lives, such as the importance of meeting deadlines, establishing and maintaining timeframes, and reaching out to adults. One of the most powerful lessons was that deadlines don’t move. Some students writing grants didn’t take their deadlines seriously, and found that when the deadline had passed and they hadn’t completed their grant, the deadline wouldn’t move. Sometimes in school they are able to turn in papers late, but that didn’t work in the competitive world of seeking grants. They now know that if they’re not on the top of their game, they will miss opportunities.
4. Travel can also motivate students to take academic work seriously.
One of the challenges teachers face is convincing students that what is taught in the classroom will have meaning in their adult lives. Without this understanding, students question why they should put out their best efforts. We discovered that educational trips can motivate young people to work hard when they return to school. After visiting the Spy Museum, one of our students decided she wanted to work for the FBI, but she also learned that it would require specific academic preparation. She made the connection that she would have to achieve in school if she wanted to reach her ambition.
We saw tremendous growth in a number of areas among our 25 students during their five-day trip, and, as teachers, we also learned lessons on our first trip across country. These included the importance of using professional travel planners and the value of seeking resources that are available to any parent, school leader or educator considering educational travel. Professional planners are experienced in such trips and know the most economical and safest ways to travel. With the current concerns about safety, it’s wise to rely on planners who know areas to avoid and those that have a history of safe, beneficial experiences for young people. Additionally, planners provide knowledgeable guides who can discuss sites with students and answer their questions.
We also found that there are a number of organizations that provide free, proven resources to help plan educational travel. The Student & Youth Travel Association has a list of travel planners who are committed to a code of professional conduct, brochures focusing on planning successful trips and safe travel, and scholarships for students through the SYTA Youth Foundation Web site at www.syta.org.
Other useful resources include the Centers for Disease Control, and the U.S. Department of State.
Evan Bass is coordinator of student activities at Elmhurst Middle School in the Oakland Unified School District and teaches a sixth-grade leadership class.