All posts by Howard Clemens

Student tour company providing trips to thousands of students over the past 33 years.
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New York City: Preparing Student Travel Groups for Security Checks

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In the post 911 era, many things have changed, due to extra security concerns. Some of the sensitive student travel destinations in the New York City area are potential targets because they are symbols of the United States. These include The Statue of Liberty, the United Nations building, and the Empire State Building. There are other buildings that may also be potential targets in the New York City area. I focus on these three because they are the main three sites that most student travel tours want to visit.

For this article, I have interviewed Karen Goodman, a licensed New York City tour guide who works closely with my company, Educational Travel Consultants. Her knowledge of New York City is extensive. I interviewed her on the topic of how student travel groups may prepare to enter New York City sites.

Q. What advice would you give to student travel groups headed to the Statue of Liberty, the United Nations Building, or the Empire State Building?
A. Always travel as light as you can. When you move along the security line, it’s best not to be singled out, because it takes more time to pass through.

Q. What are some of the items related to tourism and education,that you are permitted to take into these buildings?
A. Visitors can bring ipods and cameras with them, but they must be placed in the basket as they pass through security.

Q. Can you explain the security process at the Statue of Liberty?
A. Yes. All student travel groups pass through security tents before they board the ferry boat. Metal detectors are under these tents. All electronics, including watches, ipods or cameras, go through the metal detector in a basket.

Q. Does this security process at the Statue of Liberty take a little more time?
Yes. Similar to planning a little more time at the airport, student travel groups need to leave some space in the itinerary for the day to allow for passing through security, especially if they are a large group.

Q. Is there anything that student travelers to New York City should try to avoid bringing?
A. Sometimes a student will inadvertently bring a pocket knife. Usually, these are confiscated by security, and they are not returned. It’s best not to bring this sort of thing at all.

Q. Are the tents near the ferry in Battery Park the only security checkpoints for the Statue of Liberty?
A. For now, yes. Once student travel groups board the ferry, the security check is completed.

Q. Does the United Nations have a similar security checkpoint in place?
A. The United Nations has metal detectors that student travel groups must pass through as well. The same rules as the Statue of Liberty apply.

Q. What is security like in the Empire State Building?
A. Since it is an historic building that signifies many things, the security is similar in scope to Statue of Liberty and the United Nations building. Around the escalator area, there are security checkpoints with metal detectors in place. Students should be prepared for similar regulations when visiting the Statue of Liberty and the United Nations building.

Q. Do you have any additional tips for student travel groups headed to the New York City area?
A. Yes, some buildings, such as museums, will have guards that request a look inside a handbag or backpack. Student groups should be prepared to open their bags, if asked. In some buildings, a backpack must be checked at the door. So, if a student is traveling and he or she has a choice about leaving a backpack, it would be a good idea to leave it on the charter bus.

Q. Do you have any concluding thoughts about leading student travel tours in the New York City area, in a post 911 era?
A. I think that most people are aware at this point, that we have extra security regulations to consider when we travel. They set up the tents just six months after September 11th near the ferries to the Statue of Liberty. And it’s been many years now travelers have had to prepare for extra security. This precaution has to be done. Even though it may be time consuming, security is important.

With that being said, be aware of the metal detectors, and prepare for them accordingly.

Student travel groups on tour in New York City need to go light and leave the extra baggage behind. Make the most of a student travel tour to New York City, by planning extra time in the itinerary for security checkpoints at major sites. The security procedures at the Statue of Liberty, the United Nations building, and the Empire State Building are subject to change at any time.

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Performance Cruise Field Trips for Music, Band, and Drama Students

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The next time you consider taking your high school band or drama students on a road trip or educational field trip, especially to Florida, consider taking them on the high seas. Performance and festival cruises have been growing in popularity over the past several years. A performance cruise as a high school band trip may seem more extravagant than other field trips but the benefits of such a student trip make it worthwhile.

Many performance and festival cruises depart from Port Canaveral, Florida on four-day/three-night cruises in the Caribbean and include stops in the Bahamas, usually at Nassau and another port. There are other performance cruises that leave out of ports in California, Texas, Alabama, as well as other Florida ports. One cruise out of Tampa is a five-day excursion in the Western Caribbean and includes stops in Key West and at Cozumel Island, Mexico. Whichever cruise you decide on, with expert advice from an educational travel service, it will be memorable, fun, exciting, and an educational trip for your students.

Performance Education on a Ship
During a performance cruise, students will have an opportunity to showcase their talent in a performance aboard ship or at a port of call or both, depending on the cruise. Additionally, some cruises offer workshops, specialty clinics, seminars, and adjudication. Thus allowing student musicians, singers, and actors to gain confidence, assess their own skills, and learn new techniques.

Student performers will also have an opportunity to interact with a variety of theater and music professionals in an educational setting and learn about performing arts careers. Through critical feedback and instruction from performance clinicians, students will be able to identify their strengths and areas in need of development and improvement.

Students will also have plenty of time to socialize and make friends with peers in other performance groups who share their passion for music or drama. And if their performance is adjudicated, their efforts and talents will be recognized at a special awards ceremony. At the very least, they will get immediate feedback and encouragement from their audience as well as experience performing somewhere other than their high school football field or auditorium.

Performance Cruises for Students are Packed with Fun, Excitement and Educational Opportunities
A typical cruise leaving from Port Canaveral, Florida will sail through the eastern Caribbean to the Bahamas. This English-speaking commonwealth is an archipelago consisting of hundreds of islands and many ports of call north of Cuba and south east of Florida.

Most cruises make a stop at Nassau, the capitol, on the island of New Providence. Students can spend the day exploring this sub-tropical island city known for its sunny days and balmy breezes. Students can take a water taxi to Paradise Island for a day on the beach or to see the underground aquariums at the Atlantis resort. Students can also wander through local markets like the Straw Market, sample island delicacies such as conch fritters, and admire the architecture which is a colorful blend of colonial and old world styles.

The mix of African and European cultures in the Bahamas has resulted in a unique culture and one that is rich in various musical styles that are indigenous to the Caribbean. Students may be surprised to learn that marching bands are central to Bahamian life. Marching bands play at weddings, funerals and many other events rather than at football games or in holiday parades as in the United States. They may hear rake, scrape, calypso, or Junkanoo music in person while they are in Nassau. Hearing these different forms of music may inspire students to learn a new style or incorporate new techniques and sounds into their own musical performance.

Performance Cruises for Students: Field Trips Made Simple
Like other cruises, most everything is included, even meals and some port excursions, too. That means the cost is comparable to a traditional student or band filed trip. The ship board activities and entertainment will leave Chaperones with little to organize once they get their group to the port and aboard the ship allowing them to have as much fun as their band, music, and theater students. Many packages include one free trip for every 15 or 20 passengers in a group. It is always best to work with an educational travel consultant or expert to select and plan the best trip for your high school student performers. For more information about performance and festival cruise packages for student groups, Request a Quote and a professional travel consultant will respond to your inquiry.

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Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island Tour of NYC: Student Travel Groups Learn About American History

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Seeing historic sights in person can bring history to life for students, help put the information into context for them, and spark their interest for further study. One of the important lessons students learn is that the United States of America is a nation of immigrants.

A great way to teach immigration is to take students on an educational field trip to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty as part of a student trip to New York City.

There are a variety of ways for students to tour the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. Guided tours with a park ranger are available as are audio tours. Both the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island offer a variety of special programs for a wide range of grades and students. Teachers can also request a free curriculum guide or a traveling trunk or “Park in a Pack” curriculum kit packed full of learning activities and teaching aids. For more information about the Park in a Pack and other curriculum materials go to www.nps.gov/stli/forteachers/ or www.nps.gov/elis/forteachers/.

The Statue of Liberty
The Statue of Liberty on Liberty Island offers as many opportunities for teaching American history as it does views of New York City.

A gift from the French in 1886, the Statue of Liberty is one of the most symbolic monuments in America. It has been under the administration of the National Park Service since 1933(Ellis Island is part of the same park).

Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi designed and created the statue and Alexandre-Gustave Eiffel built the interior framework of iron and steel. The statue, situated within the star-shaped walls of Fort Wood, stands on top of a granite pedestal.

The symbols incorporated into the statue make great discussion points as student tour groups learn about the history of the monument and America as well as the various meanings the Statue of Liberty has to people around the world.

Student Travel Groups Tour the Statue of Liberty
During a visit to Liberty Island and the Stature of Liberty, student groups on educational field trips with monument passes are able to tour the museum, areas of Fort Wood, the promenade, and take in the view from the pedestal observation deck.

Although the crown and the statue’s structure have been closed to the public since 2001, a glass ceiling allows student groups to view the magnificent engineering within the statue.

Highlights of a Student Tour of the Statue of Liberty
The museum, located within the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty, includes several exhibits incorporating artifacts, photographs, prints, videos, drawings, oral histories, full-scale replicas, and even cartoons to educate student tour groups about history of the statue and its symbolism. Student groups come face-to-face with the original torch, replaced in 1984, from the lobby floor or the second floor balcony.

Ellis Island
Ellis Island was the first federal immigration station. Some 12 million immigrants passed through it between 1892 and 1954. Now it is a physical reminder of these events. It is also a monument to all who came to America in search of a new life. Educational travel groups can tie their visit to a curriculum about immigration, the Industrial Revolution, and the War of 1812 when Ellis Island was home to Fort Gibson.


Touring Ellis Island with a Student Group
The Main Building, dating from 1900, has been restored and is open to the public as the Ellis Island Immigration Museum. The Ellis Island Immigration Museum is an excellent stop on any educational field trip to New York City.

The museum occupies more than 40,000 square feet on three floors in the Main Building. The French Renaissance structure designed by Boring and Tilton is as much an exhibit as the ones inside. The building was restored to its 1918-1924 appearance in the 1980s.

Highlights of the Ellis Island Immigration Museum
The American Immigrant Wall of Honor is a remembrance of all immigrants regardless of where they came from, when they arrived, or through which port they entered. Over 700,000 names are already inscribed on the Wall. Students can look for their family name on the Wall.

Students can follow in the footsteps of the brave immigrants by touring the many rooms in the building. A variety of exhibits chronicle the history of Ellis Island, 400 years of immigration, and personalize the immigrant story with clothing, personal objects, photographs, papers, interactive displays, videos, and oral histories. All of this make Ellis Island a valuable and memorable learning experience for any student travel trip. Visit the New York City page for more details on student travel tours of the big apple.

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Spring is the Season for Student Travel

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Educational Travel Consultants are bringing in the spring with some great ideas for student travel groups headed to New York City.

After working for over 25 years in the student travel industry, we wanted to take a moment to recommend some student favorites in shopping, dining, and entertainment while visiting New York City.

Educational Travel Consultants only works with the best-licensed NYC tour guides, and Karen Goodman is among our finest. She gives some insight into touring New York City with student travel groups, and so do I in this recent article http://educationaltravelconsultants.com/blog/?p=46.

I always try to give student travel groups an ethnic experience when dining out in New York City. Some New York City basics like good Jewish Delis, real Italian food and pastry, and even the classic New York City hot dog can all be appealing food choices for student travel groups. Check out our specific recommendations in the article.

These days, students are influenced by cable television, the World-Wide-Web, and music. To help satisfy student curiosity about a popular cable show, Project Runway, and give students an authentic educational experience, we are offering to add a tour of Parson’s School of Design to NYC student trips. This addition to a trip would work best for the Art Tour of New York City. However, ETC’s professional travel consultants are willing to work directly with student groups who are taking another type of student tour.

Group tours of interesting schools are a great way to get students to think about their future career path. I thought it would be nice to highlight our tour of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater as well, since it is often requested. We cannot get large groups into the actual show, but we can provide tours of the performing arts school, and even schedule interactive dance workshops, with enough advance notice.

Interactive student workshops are a great way to capture student attention, and keep it – especially with a performance focus.

Festival Disney

For a thrilling student performance experience, music directors might want to consider
participation in Festival Disney. The group gets to perform on a Disney stage, tour Walt Disney World, and if they choose, be judged by a panel of professionals.

Learn more about Festival Destiny by reading the entire article. Or visit our Orlando page to find out more.

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Festival Disney: Perform and Compete on a Disney Stage in Orlando Florida

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Student travel groups can achieve performance excellence in the only all-Disney produced competitive music festival. When student performance groups excite international audiences on the Disney stage, they may feel as if they own the world. Bring your student travel group to Disney World in Orlando, for a Festival Disney performance.
Festival Disney provides a venue for talented student performers who have the chance to compete with the finest instrumental, choral, and other types of performance groups from schools across the United States. It is the highest caliber festival in Orlando. No auditions are necessary. The student travel group must simply fill out an application. One caution: do not be fooled by imitators giving a group the impression they are a Walt Disney festival. If it does not say Festival Disney, it is not the official adjudicated music festival of Disney World.
When is Festival Disney?
Festival Disney is scheduled on Fridays and Saturdays and some Thursdays at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando Florida. Student travel groups will perform as scheduled at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa, Downtown Disney Pleasure Island or Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
What Types of Ensembles May Participate?
For student groups who want to perform but are not ready to be judged, their music directors will be able to select a non-competitive adjudication option for Festival Disney. Participation is open to concert bands, jazz ensembles, marching bands, orchestras, choral ensembles, show choirs and auxiliary units.
Does Festival Disney Include Admission to Walt Disney World?
There are usually some great package deals available for student travel to Orlando Florida. Educational Travel Consultants offers student performance groups economic packages that include hotel quad accommodations near Walt Disney World and admission to the park for four or five days. In addition to participating in Festival Disney, student travel groups tour Epcot, Magic Kingdom, Disney MGM Studios or Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
How are Festival Disney Participants Judged?
The adjudicated music festival at Disney includes a highly professional approach to judging competing student performance groups. The panel of adjudicators will provide the performance groups with feedback. If the musical director chooses, the group may participate in an Educational Clinic. Here the feedback is more in depth and judges provide critiques and suggestions on how to improve the level of performance.

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New York City: Student Travel Favorites: Shopping, Dining, & Entertainment

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Dining, shopping and entertainment activities in New York City are educational experiences for student travel groups. New York City was formed by an immigrant population, and still retains these national identities in some neighborhoods such as Chinatown and Little Italy. While many student travel groups originate from small towns across America, these places do not often have the ethnic diversity of New York City. So even touring the city streets in Manhattan can be an educational experience for many.

For this article, I wanted to discover what some of the more popular choices for dining, shopping and entertainment were among student travelers in NYC. I have interviewed one of Educational Travel Consultants’ licensed NYC Tour Guides. Karen Goodman belongs to the Guide Association of New York, where “Guides go on various tours that are sponsored by the Association to keep us up-to-date on new happenings in the city.”

Following is a compilation of some of my own best picks for dining for student travel in NYC, along with Karen Goodman’s thoughts on shopping and entertainment.

Student Tour Groups Can Shop in Times Square
A student group tour of New York City should include shopping visits that are convenient to historic or arts districts students are already visiting. “Broadway is a popular destination for student groups and also a great place to pick up some souvenirs,” said Karen Goodman. “Students can purchase NYC t-shirts, and baseball hats for a NYC ball team or NYC police or fire departments. The Times Square area is filled with these sorts of stores.”

Shopping on Fifth Avenue in New York City
Students enjoy shopping on 5th Avenue, which is convenient to the Rockefeller Center area. Saks 5th Avenue is in the vicinity, as well as Saint Patrick’s Cathedral and Trump Plaza. “More than anything, student travelers seem to love to visit a food vendor or purchase a scarf or shawl from licensed street vendors,” said Goodman. So, shopping on 5th Avenue does not always have to be decadent, it can still be simple and pragmatic and fit the student budget.

Student Travel Groups Shop in Chinatown
Goodman observed that students love to go shopping in Chinatown. “There is a strong ethnic feel,” she says. “Some things are written in Chinese. The streets are windy and not on a grid like other parts of NYC. Student travelers love to purchase the costume jewelry, sunglasses and hats that are available in Chinatown,” added Goodman.

Dining Out In New York City With Student Travelers
Eating out in a city on the scale of New York can be a great adventure. Student groups request Hard Rock Café and Planet Hollywood, because they are widely known.

I recommend ethnic choices for food to many student groups. We all have our favorites. I like to take student travel groups to Jewish delis, out for real Italian food, or to a Chinese restaurant.

My two personal favorite Jewish Delis are the Stage Deli and the Carnegie Deli. At these authentic New York delis students are astounded by sandwiches with one pound of meat. The overlarge portion of NYC cheesecake is also impressive.

Taking students to restaurants in Chinatown for an authentic Chinese dining experience is usually on the itinerary for NYC. I take student travel groups to Jack’s Pizzeria and Restaurant for authentic Italian food. Jack’s pizza is right off Broadway in Greenwich Village. It’s probably the best pizza in New York City. One half block away is an Italian Bakery Ferraras. It has been a bakery since the 19th Century. Ferrara’s is a place where students can indulge their longing for sweets.

Believe it or not, sometimes a real authentic experience for students is buying a hot dog or hot pretzel right on the streets of NYC.

For the student tour group wanting something a little different, I have found that visiting Mars 2010, an alien experience restaurant, may be just what they need.
The choices for dining out in New York City seem endless. And, they are.

Entertainment

Karen Goodman says some of the best entertainment for student travel groups combines culture and education. Goodman says, “Many of the student performance tours will be given a tour of Lincoln Center. Often these groups have the opportunity to take a backstage tour. They are thrilled to see the home of the New York Philharmonic. They also like to visit Carnegie Hall and take that backstage tour, where guides may give them a chance to sing at the stage microphone, briefly.”

Student travel groups that want to take in a Broadway play may select long running Broadway musicals, such as The Lion King and Phantom of the Opera. “Students are also fond of the Disney productions, such as Mary Poppins or Wicked. They are thrilled by the musical Momma Mia, too. Momma Mia is a string of Abba songs, and the audience dances. Students like it because it’s lively,” said Goodman.

Goodman says that a simple walk through Central Park can be invigorating and exciting for student travel groups as well. Here they will see the place memorialized in John Lennon’s name, as well as a glimpse of some splendid gardens and other historic markers in New York City.

This short list of recommended destinations is by no means complete. For even more details on dining entertainment and shopping in New York City for student travel groups, visit http://www.educationaltravelconsultants.com/destination/location/new_york_city.htm

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Specialty Student Travel Tours of New York City With Artistic Highlights

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Creating a specialty tour for student groups interested in an arts career can include tours of popular specialized colleges such as Parsons New School of Design.
The Emmy nominated competition reality series, Project Runway, takes place at this Manhattan school of fashion design. Noted designer Tim Gunn and supermodel Heidi Klumm host Project Runway.

Another learning institution dedicated to the arts is The Ailey School of dance, created by dancer Alvin Ailey, also in Manhattan. The Ailey School is a student favorite, mainly because of the interactive dance workshop available to student tour groups.

Parsons New School for Design
The Parsons New School for Design was founded in 1896 as the Chase School. It was renamed as Parsons New School for Design in 1939 after the late former president of the school, Frank Alvah Parsons.

Parsons New School of Design’s founding faculty were concerned with the practical use of design in everyday life. This included the spaces people lived in, the clothing they wore, the advertising and media they were exposed to regularly, and the furniture and tableware they used.

A modern curriculum developed at the Parsons New School of design and many successful designers remained closely tied to the school. By the middle of the 1960s Parsons had become “the training ground for Seventh Avenue.”

A majority of the Parsons faculty are professional designers who teach part-time. This gives Parsons students a decided advantage. Because Parsons’ students are taught by New York’s successful working artists and designers, they may have greater insight into the world of contemporary fashion.

Parsons’ main campus is in an historic neighborhood in Greenwich Village. Student tour groups who visit Parsons will also tour the Village that is home to design and art studios, galleries, shops and restaurants, as well as avant garde artists, musicians and writers.
A student tour of this facility must be guided by a representative of the school for security reasons and must be scheduled well in advance to ensure accommodations. Village Campus and Fashion Campus tours are offered regularly, from September through December.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
Another popular stop on the itinerary for student travel to New York City is the Alvin Aily American Dance Theater. In 1969, Alvin Ailey founded the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center in Brooklyn, New York with an initial enrollment of 125 students. Ailey joined forces with Pearl Lang in 1970 to establish the American Dance Center in Manhattan. They believed that dance should be available to everyone.

Students from the Ailey school have gone on to successful performing arts careers in theater productions such as The Lion King, The King and I, The Color Purple, Movin’ Out and the Radio City Rockettes. Other graduates of the dance school are teachers, choreographers, administrators and life-long supporters of dance. The Ailey School is now located at 405 West 55th Street in Manhattan. Students will tour a portion of the 77,000 square foot building. They will see a professionally equipped dance studio and the main performance space for Ailey school, a 294- seat Ailey Citigroup Theater. Student tour groups may also visit the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Boutique and library as part of the tour. Located in New York City’s theater district, the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater is easily accessible to student travel groups touring Broadway and Times Square.

On a student travel tour of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, students will learn the history of Alvin Ailey, the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and Judith Jamison, its Artistic Director. Tours are available on Mondays at 1:30pm and Fridays at 12:00 noon. Reservations must be made well in advance by a student travel consultant.

Students taking an art tour or performance tour of New York City may be most interested in a tour of Parson’s New School for Design or the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Yet these destinations can also be added to the itinerary of a history tour of New York City, or tours of other types. Visit http://www.educationaltravelconsultants.com/destination/subject/art_nyc.htm

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A New York City Art Tour Designed for Educational Group Travel

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By Howard Clemens

New York City is well known for the number of artists who live and work there, and the quality of the art displayed in museums and galleries. In this article, I will give some details about the highlights of an art tour of New York City designed for students to enhance their curriculum.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Modern Art are important student tour destinations in New York City. I have written about them elsewhere. Visit the link above, where an article giving more information about these museums is posted.

Educational Benefits of an Art Tour of New York City

The contemplation and analysis of great works of art helps the art student or art history student to better understand the diversity and complexity of art across cultures and time periods. Art students gain insight into technical processes and gather ideas for future work. All students develop an appreciation for high degree of artistry exhibited and housed in museums and galleries in New York City.

Museum of American Illustration

This relatively new museum, opened in 1998, is located at Vernon Court, one of the most famous mansions of the ‘gilded age’ of American architecture. Vernon Court takes up one full block on Bellevue Avenue and the mansion grounds include a garden designed by America’s first landscape architect, Frederick Law Olmstead, and revitalized in his honor. The museum houses the largest collection of illustrative art, which is defined as illustration produced for mass media such as books, magazines, advertisements, and new media. Some notable artists in the collection are Maxfield Parrish, N.C. Wyeth, and Norman Rockwell. Educational student tour groups learn a great deal about art, architecture, and the history of illustration on a visit to this museum in New York – a worthwhile destination for an art tour.

Chinatown and Greenwich Village

For enthusiasts of literature and art, a tour of Greenwich Village in New York City is an absolute must. Jack Kerouac, Bob Dylan, and Emma Thompson all performed here, visited, or lived in the Village. The heart of Greenwich Village is Washington Square Park, which borders New York University, and is always a bustle of performances and activities. Student tour groups will want to see the Centennial Arch, which commemorates the 100th Anniversary of our first president’s inauguration. Educational groups will also want to visit historic homes in Greenwich Village with literary, architectural or historic significance, or maybe take in a meal at one of the Village’s fine restaurants, shop, and most of all: breathe in the air of bohemia.

Whitney Museum of American Art

To give students an overview of 20th Century American Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art is a great place to begin. The Whitney was founded in 1931, and established a name for it based on acquiring the works of new, emerging visual artists. The museum houses over 22,000 works of art in its collection, which is expanding. The Frances Mulhall Achilles Library has more than 37,000 books and exhibition catalogues, and is an excellent place to conduct research on American art. Student travel groups may tour the museum and take in the special exhibits.

Solomon Guggenheim Museum

The Guggenheims are perhaps the best known art collectors and philanthropists in the world. Educational tour groups headed to New York City do not want to miss this world class museum. Teachers will find the Arts Curriculum Online to be a great tool to prepare students for a visit to the Solomon Guggenheim Museum. The Solomon Guggenheim Museum does not highlight an era in art, or an aesthetic. The Guggenheim is a museum which grew out of a sophisticated private collection, and spans many periods and tastes in art worldwide.

Educational tour groups with a focus on art can derive a great deal from an art tour of New York City. Because the options for art in New York are so diverse and rewarding, my company, Educational Travel Consultants, decided to create a tour which focused on just that. For more information on the Art Tour, visit http//: www.educationaltravelconsultants.com or email info@educationaltravelconsultants.com.

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Historic Sites in Northern Virginia for Student Travel Tours to Washington D.C.

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By Howard Clemens

Often when student travel groups decide upon Washington D.C. as their destination, the tour leaders have specific sites in mind for a visit. Many of the sites that student travel groups request the most are just outside Washington D.C., in Northern Virginia. In order to include these historic sites in a student travel tour, advanced planning is required. Usually, I advise educational travel groups to plan one year ahead for trips to the Washington D.C. area. Depending upon the site visited, special advance procedures to clear student visitors may be required.

An educational travel company needs to be retained to plan and execute an effective itinerary for Washington D.C. If popular historic or governmental sites in Northern Virginia are requested, the itinerary will accommodate these sites on one special day, or combine them effectively with other destinations on the student tour.

Here is an overview of some of the popular Northern Virginia sites for educational travel groups:

Pentagon Tour

The Pentagon is located just across the Potomac River from Washington D.C. in Arlington, Virginia. Many student travel groups are eager to see the headquarters for high-ranking officers of the U.S. Military and their aides. Because the Pentagon was attacked on September 11th, and it houses critical military personnel, it is a sensitive site. Despite the challenges to security, the U.S. government still provides student travel tours led by a uniformed and trained member of the U.S. Military. This tour has been provided to the public since 1976, when it was first initiated in celebration of our nation’s 200th anniversary. With proper advance notification, an educational travel group may schedule a one-hour tour of the Pentagon that includes about one and one half miles of walking through Pentagon corridors and grounds and a view of the highlights.

Arlington National Cemetery

Arlington National Cemetery is another historic site that fascinates and intrigues educational tour groups. Arlington National Cemetery was dedicated as a military cemetery on June 15th 1854. Veterans from all of the wars, both foreign and domestic, are buried here and the gravesites number around 300,000. The National Park Service administers Arlington House and its immediate grounds. The U.S. Army oversees Arlington National Cemetery and Soldier’s Home National Cemetery. Educational travel groups touring Arlington National Cemetery may have the opportunity to attend a Wreath Laying Ceremony or take a Tram tour, with advance planning.

Mount Vernon Estate and Gardens

Mount Vernon, the historic estate of George Washington lies just across the Potomac River from Washington D.C. a mere 16 miles distance from the nation’s capital. Mount Vernon is exquisitely preserved. Educational travel groups will be greeted at a brand new building, the Ford Orientation Center, and will tour The Donald W. Reynolds Museum and Education Center which houses 25 new theaters and galleries that narrate the entire story of George Washington’s life. The Reynolds museum displays 500 original artifacts, and offers 11 videos and Immersion Theater as a way of learning about our founding father.

Student travel groups can experience living history by observing a working 18th Century farm and gristmill, as well as other educational programs. Student travel groups may tour the mansion, gardens, working farm, and more.

Educational travel to Washington D.C. is greatly enhanced by trips to Northern Virginia historical points of interest. Places like the Pentagon, Arlington National Cemetery, and Mount Vernon should not be ignored on a student travel tour of the Washington D.C. area. For more information on specific points of interest in the Washington D.C. area for student travel groups, visit http://www.educationaltravelconsultants.com.

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Educational Student Travel Groups Participate in Disney YES Programs

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By Howard Clemens

I take educational student travel groups to Orlando Florida on a regular basis, and have been for the past 24 years. I find that the educational experience students have is greatly enriched when a Disney YES program is on the itinerary. Disney YES Programs stand for Youth Education Series. All of the programs are specially designed to take student travel groups behind the scenes at Walt Disney World and allow these student groups have a unique active learning experience.

When student travel groups visit Orlando, Florida, the leaders should have some general idea of desirable educational goals. Disney Yes Programs will quickly illustrate each program’s usefulness in just about any curriculum. Disney YES programs are designed to blend with educational objectives at the K-12 level and for college students up to age 22. Educators and students will realize that Disney’s YES Programs provide real world content and valuable participation in learning for various fields of study. Disney YES programs take place in the park setting, using exhibits in various theme parks and a creative approach to teach students in an active setting.

Arts and Humanities

Students who participate in Disney’s YES program for Arts and Humanities will have an exciting array of choices to complement their curriculum. Learn about the art of improvisation in “Magic Behind the Show.” Understand the artistic methods behind use of animation software in “Disney’s Animation Magic,” or explore the impacts that new technologies have on contemporary cultures in Millenium Cultures. For diverse viewpoints on American history, students will appreciate “The American Story.” Many of these Disney YES programs take place in popular theme parks such as Epcot®, The Magic Kingdom®, or Disney-MGM Studios.

Life Management (Marine and Wildlife Sciences)

Gaining insight into the natural world through a safe interaction with it, students come to have a fuller understanding of the sciences in this Disney YES Program. Through various approaches, the Life Management program helps students to gain a better understanding of the marine and wildlife sciences as professions. In “Keepers of the Kingdom” educational travel groups obtain a glimpse of conservation and animal care in Disney’s Animal Kingdom®. Or, student travel groups may participate in a “Leadership Excellence, or “Making Waves with a Marine Career” to learn how to better achieve career goals. Students learn about the many faceted roles they will play as professionals in the marine and wildlife science fields in this Disney YES Program.

Natural Sciences

Many student travel groups maintain an active interest in the environment and the natural world and its protection and preservation for future generations. The Natural Sciences program is especially beneficial for a curriculum that reinforces conservation of natural resources in marine and wildlife habitats. “Wild by Nature” helps the student understand animal behavior, motivations, and social habits. “Everyday Chemistry” reveals the chemical substances in everyday things and makes the theory of chemistry more tangible for students. For the student interested in ecological preservation, “Disney’s Ocean Discoveries” and “Team Up for Wildlife” encourage preservation in the marine and wildlife environments. These programs offer deeper insight into the world of nature and will definitely enhance student curriculums in biology, science, chemistry, marine biology, and even more fields of academic interest.

Physical Sciences

The physical sciences are sometimes perceived as elusive, and hard to study. The Disney YES Program brings physics and contemporary technological advances right down to the everyday level. Educational travel students are eager to participate in “Energy and Waves” an experience based program about the natural operation of light, sound, and magnetism and how science can manipulate them. In “How Things Move” student travel groups gain an understanding of the ways in which Disney World rides are designed with the physics of mechanics in mind. “Properties in Motion” is a hands on class that takes students out into the park to actually explore the physics of mechanics at work.

I have seen many students light up and become active, engaged learners when they participate in a Disney YES Program. Though it takes some advance planning to ensure scheduling needs, a good educational travel consultant can make certain a student travel group participates in a Disney YES Program while the group tours Orlando, Florida. Trust me, students who have the experience of a Disney YES Program will leave with a much different perception of Disney World.

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