Since 2016, St Kevin’s College has been on numerous educational adventures with Educating Adventures, exploring destinations across the USA and Europe. Recently, we had the opportunity to sit down with Andrew Kay and Adam Bylsma to discuss their top tricks and tips for successful educational travel.
1. The Planning Stage: Clear Vision and Detailed Preparation
Andrew’s top advice is to have a clear vision of your trip's goals from the start. Advocate for your school's desired outcomes and work with a trusted company like Educating Adventures to achieve them. This clarity allows you to fully enjoy the experience once on the ground.
Adam emphasised that despite using a licensed travel agent, teachers still need to be involved in the planning. A dedicated, detail-oriented teacher is essential for a successful tour.
Key Planning Tips:
- Vision: Define your goals and desired outcomes.
- Trust: Partner with a reliable travel company.
- Dedication: Assign a motivated teacher to handle trip details.
2. Travelling with a Large Group: Managing Logistics and Safety
Taking 40 students abroad can be stressful, but Andrew and Adam shared strategies to ease the process. Ensuring a high teacher-to-student ratio, with each teacher responsible for a small group, was crucial. Additionally, making students wear matching backpacks helped easily identify them in crowded places like Los Angeles Airport.
Top Strategies:
- Staffing: Maintain a high teacher-to-student ratio.
- Identification: Use matching backpacks for easy visibility.
- Local Guide: Utilise a high-quality local guide to handle logistics.
3. Kennedy Space Center VS Space Camp: A Comparative Experience
Both the Kennedy Space Center in Orlando and Space Camp in Huntsville offer exceptional educational experiences, but with different focuses. Space Camp offers hands-on equipment and simulations like the anti-gravity machine, while Kennedy Space Center excels in simulation-based activities and embraces teacher participation.
Comparison Highlights:
- Space Camp: More hands-on equipment, anti-gravity machine, limited teacher involvement.
- Kennedy Space Center: Simulation-based, inclusive of teachers, behind-the-scenes NASA access.
4. Benefits to Students: Expanding Horizons
Andrew highlighted that these tours provide students with a broader world view, exposing them to experiences not available in Australia, like witnessing a rocket launch or exploring an aircraft carrier. Adam noted the inspiring can-do attitude of Americans and the immense scale of their projects, leaving a lasting impression on students.
5. Final Thoughts
Educational travel offers invaluable experiences for both students and teachers.
To learn more about Student STEM Travel to the USA or other Educating Adventures tours Contact out team today.
