There’s no better way to learn than through real-world experiences. Field trips can expose kids to different cultures, viewpoints, and lifestyles, which can help them develop tolerance and empathy while expanding their social awareness.
Current data from the National Education Association backs up the relative need for field trips to quickly advance a child’s education: children who take school trips have better grades (59%), and higher graduation rates from high school (95%) and college (63%).
The promise of a day of adventure in the “real world" instead of another day sitting at a desk can be the equivalent of going to Disneyland for some students. While there are numerous proponents of field trips abroad, there are also many challenges to ensure this trip will be fun, educational, and most importantly, safe.
The promise of a day of adventure in the “real world" instead of another day sitting at a desk can be the equivalent of going to Disneyland for some students. While there are numerous proponents of field trips abroad, there are also many challenges to ensure this trip will be fun, educational, and most importantly, safe.
Below are some common hurdles schools encounter when organizing a field trip.
- Field trips can be expensive, making it difficult for some students, and the educational institution, to afford participation.
- Organizing a field trip takes a miracle, requiring school leaders to meticulously plan, including coordinating transportation, collecting permission slips, selecting appropriate locations, and developing an effective lesson plan; poor planning can significantly diminish the experience, especially on longer trips.
- Safety is always a concern, as there is a risk that something could go wrong. Additionally, the larger environment outside the classroom can lead to discipline problems among students.
"While there are numerous proponents of field trips abroad, there are also many challenges to ensure this trip will be fun, educational, and most importantly, safe. "
You can only travel so far in a classroom. That’s why field trips can be an essential part of any educational curriculum. More than 89% of students said educational trips had a positive, lasting impact on their education and career because enriching field trips made them more engaged, intellectually curious, and interested in and out of school.
There are many pitfalls when planning a field trip abroad, but that does not mean it's not worth the effort. With good planning and hard work, your class can spend some much-needed time sightseeing and exploring, giving many students a travel opportunity that might not be possible elsewhere.
Below are some tips for school officials on how to plan the best field trip:
- Don’t skip your homework: Spend some quality time researching the destination in advance to ensure the trip will produce your desired learning experience. Most field trips demand the completion of numerous forms and the preparation of a business case showing how the trip can accomplish certain objectives tied to the school’s curriculum. Luckily, most museums, attractions, and locations have educational materials to explain how their attraction supports teacher lesson plans and curriculums.
- Invest in Travel Insurance: Travel insurance compensates you if you need to cancel your trip for a covered reason, get injured abroad, or lose your luggage or other personal belongings while traveling. Interested in this line of coverage for your field trip? Consult with your Keenan Account Manager to inquire.
- Gather emergency contact information and field trip permission slips: Every person on the trip should submit emergency contact information and a signed permission slip approved by a school official. More so, make sure to have medical waivers with official insurance information filled out by all participating kids. And while on the trip, be sure each student carries some form of identification, a student ID, passport, or state ID should suffice.
- Involve students and parents in the preparation: Getting your field trip planned and approved takes the support of not only school officials, but students and parents too. Prepare your class for their upcoming school field trip by getting them interested and excited about what their experience may be like. Engage the parents and other teachers to support school-wide field trips and help raise the funds so everyone can afford the experience or prepare the required documentation so everyone can attend.
- Assign a designated field trip coordinator: Something that is important but commonly gleaned over when planning a large field trip abroad is a field trip coordinator or representative of the district that engages in any contracts for the excursion. Avoid having a teacher sign any documentation before there has been a formal review of the agreement at the district level.
- Make your field trip meaningful: A trip to Washington’s National Mall – a common field trip destination and an amazing trip overall – might not resonate with your students if you’ve been studying Ancient Egypt all year. Focus on how the trip fits into your course curriculum and educational goals. More so, make sure the trip is exciting. A field trip should be a day out, not a day off. Find a field trip destination where students won’t sit around like they typically do in the classroom. They should be able to touch, explore, and share their experiences.
While so important, planning and preparing a field trip can be tough. At Keenan, we collaborate with several subject matter experts in school districts, providing valuable insight and key solutions on best strategies to avoid any missteps on a field trip.
To read more about issues impacting schools and businesses and how our insurance expertise can benefit your organization, visit Keenan.com or contact a member of your account team.