November 9, 2016
Sell the Experience, Not the Trip
When recruiting students for an educational tour, your goal should be to sell the experience, not just the trip. Sometimes "travel" is considered to be synonymous with "vacation" but it’s important that parents understand they’re not just sending their son or daughter on a vacation. Explain to them why an educational tour is a trip of a lifetime and a worthy investment in their child’s future.
Travel unleashes a perspective of the world that can’t be taught in a classroom. A global perspective enables students to understand the links between their own lives and those of people throughout the world and develop cultural sensitivity. “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness.” Sound familiar? Mark Twain’s famous words speak a truth that is critical to developing minds. Students who travel to other countries are able to see first hand how big (but also just how small) this world is really is. It’s a powerful “Eureka!” moment when the expectation of solely immersing in a culture entirely different and unfamiliar collides with the realization that people all over the world really aren’t so different.
Furthermore, students are given the chance to sharpen their language skills interacting with the locals. Being bilingual has extensive benefits that range from helping students stand out on college applications – to delaying the onset of Alzheimer’s and dementia by up to 5 years, studies have shown. On tour, students will gain confidence through the development of their problem-solving skills and independency. Down the road, these skills will make them attractive candidates to employers. The best employers want graduates who can handle complex issues, recognize cultural differences and speak a second language.
At Passports, we consider ourselves fortunate to have the capability to bring textbooks to life and provide teachers and their students with the trip of a lifetime because we believe that you can teach French, but you can’t teach France.
The investment in an educational tour with Passports isn’t over when that plane reaches down back home, either. In fact, the journey has only just begun. The memories, life skills, and new perspectives internalized subsequent of their experience on tour will continue to influence them for the rest of their lives.
Category: For Teachers
