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Educational Travel Consultants Ushers in Spring: Student Travel to Philadelphia and Boston

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Student travel groups tour in the spring because the school year is winding down and it’s a pleasant time to be outdoors. A student travel trip at this time of year can help reinvigorate the learning experience, when students are distracted thinking about other things, such as their summer vacation plans or their newest girlfriend or boyfriend.

Increase in Interest for Travel to Boston and Philadelphia
This year, we are seeing an increase in interest in student travel to Philadelphia and Boston. This blog contains some detailed information about student travel to both destinations. Both Philadelphia and Boston were a hotbed of activity during the Revolutionary period, though each city offers its own unique experience of many different periods in history.

Philadelphia and Boston: Birthplace of Our Nation
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Boston, Massachusetts were both part of the original 13 colonies and have a history that can be traced to early American settlement. This makes each destination an excellent choice for an overview of colonial history. Students learn about many different aspects of society during the colonial period, and they are able to take a closer look at some of the major historical figures of the period, too.

Add Destinations to a Washington D.C. Trip
For students visiting the Washington D.C. area, there’s an informative article on this blog that provides some ideas about day or overnight trips to nearby destinations. These include Philadelphia and Lancaster, Williamsburg, or Gettysburg. These add ons to the Washington D.C. student travel tour help provide a broader overview to several crucial periods in American history: the Colonial period, the RevolutionaryWar, and the Civil War. There are other periods in history that are highlighted at these student travel destinations, but these are the major historical periods that are covered in many social studies curriculums.

A Charter Bus Can Take Student Groups to Williamsburg, Philadelphia, and Gettysburg
The logistics of getting students to locations that lie about 2-3 hours outside of Washington D.C. are not so bad. Securing a charter bus to travel to Williamsburg for an all day tour and an overnight visit is an economical and comfortable way to travel. An Educational Travel Consultants representative can assist groups that are flying into the Washington D.C. area in planning an itinerary and booking a charter bus for excursions outside of Washington D.C.

Walking Tour of Historic Olde City Philadelphia
Student groups selecting the Philadelphia walking tour as an activity will want to plan ahead by wearing comfortable walking shoes and bringing along some water for the trip. The walking tour of Philadelphia is centered in Olde City and the surrounding area but city blocks are much longer than some may anticipate. Students should pack lightly, bring what they need, and come prepared to enjoy the day and learn about our nation’s beginnings.

If you are a teacher or chaperone planning a trip to the Washington D.C. area, consider the educational benefits of adding another location and more historical information to a student group trip.

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A Round Up of Student Travel Destinations

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Performance Cruise for Student Travel

Band directors, music teachers and music students – have you ever considered taking a student performance group on a cruise? Student performance cruises are a great way to bring the group together and help them focus on a performance. Whether it’s a high school band, orchestra, or ensemble, the performance cruise will be a trip they will never forget.

The student travel group will be able to go island hopping in the Caribbean, and disembark from a choice of ports in Florida. Convenient ports of call, multiple destinations, great food, and wonderful performance venues are all good reasons to book a performance tour for a student travel group today.

Request a Quote for your group.


Some Hints for Planning an Educational Field Trip to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island

There are a few things to keep in mind when planning an educational field trip to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island in New York City.

The National Park service recommends that groups maintain a ratio of 1 adult to every 10 students. Chaperones must remain with their students at all times on the ferry and while touring the islands and monuments.

To enter the Statue of Liberty, each member of the group needs a monument pass. It is best to get these in advance because there is a limited number available at the ferry stations.

Also, due to security measures at the ferry landings and the monuments themselves, allow for extra time to pass through primary security screenings similar to those of airports.

And be sure to consult the National Park Service’s guidelines concerning items that are banned from the monuments. As noted in the article published on the Educational Travel Consultants website, it is probably best to encourage students to visit the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island without backpacks or large purses.

New York City Student Travel

The best idea for students travel groups destined for New York City is to pack lightly. When visiting buildings such as the Statue of Liberty, The Empire State Building, and the United Nations Building, students should expect to go through security.

An article recently posted to the Educational Travel Consultant’s blog contains a recent interview with Karen Goodman, a licensed New York City tour guide, who gives student groups tips on how best to prepare for post 911 security regulations in buildings. We understand that security regulations are important and respect the need for them. Learn how to be prepared and save time on tours of New York City.

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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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Make Plans for Spring Student Travel: Incorporate Living History or Civil Rights into the Tour

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As student travel groups begin to look forward to spring tours, it is a good idea to consider a few matters in preparation.

Washington D.C. Post 911 Security Procedures in Government Buildings
Travel Light on Student Tour of Major Sites
Washington D.C. is a major student travel destination. Some of the government sites there have been impacted by post 911 security regulations.  Student travel groups, teachers and chaperones can review some of the procedures at the major buildings by reading the article just compiled.  Pay attention to the details on ways that students can prepare to visit these buildings. The tips  are time saving, and help keep student travel groups on schedule.

Nobody likes to be stripped of their belongings when they get on an airplane or are about to enter a building or a concert. The best way to know about what students can or cannot  bring to certain sites  is to read up beforehand. For the article, I interviewed Ann Greenwald, a licensed D.C. tour guide who has been working with student travel groups for a number of years and has some excellent inside tips for tour groups headed to the Washington D.C. area.

Put Living History on the Itinerary
With ipods, cell phones, and portable dvd players plentiful among students, we understand that it’s hard to captivate students (even on a tour of an exciting new city). The answer to keeping a student group’s full attention while on tour is incorporating some living history into the itinerary.

When it comes to integrating living history programs into student travel, nobody does it like ETC. We work hard to customize tours to suit a student group’s needs. Living history programs are available throughout the United States at various historic sites. Many cities on the Eastern Seaboard are incredibly rich with living history choices for student travel tours.  Learn about living history destinations in Washington D.C., Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, Boston Massachusetts, Williamsburg, Virginia and Atlanta, Georgia by reading the living history article on this blog.

Civil Rights Tour of Atlanta and other Destinations
As the country once again prepares for a presidential election, we find civil rights at the forefront of political discussions these days.  Student tour groups interested in a more diverse view of history may elect to take the Black Heritage Tour of Atlanta, where Martin Luther King’s career as a pastor, educator, and civil rights leader took off, and he was shaped into the political leader we remember him as today. Learn about black history by visiting Martin Luther King’s former residence in Atlanta, seeing the museum and library and visiting the church where he once preached. What better way to inspire student travel groups to consider multiple perspectives of history then to visit these actual historic places?

For the student travel coordinator who would like to visit some, though not all of the black heritage destinations, it is possible for ETC to create a custom tour with some of the highlights of the Black history tour of Atlanta.

Student travel coordinators may also elect to take part or all of the Black Heritage Tour of Washington D.C. and Baltimore or Alabama.

Blog, Washington D.C.

Washington D.C. and Vicinity – a Revolutionary War Tour

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Many student travel groups I have toured with are visiting the East Coast for the first time. I like to offer these types of groups a view of Early American life that spans many of the Eastern states, with a focus on the Revolutionary War period.
In order to understand the Revolutionary War within the larger scheme of things, I advise teachers coordinating student tour groups to visit Yorktown and Mount Vernon in Virginia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Washington D.C. Boston, Massachusettes is also on the list of destinations for the Revolutionary War Tour, but in the interest of keeping the trip brief and manageable, Boston is usually excluded. History and government teachers may want to offer an overview of Boston and the role it played during the Revolutionary War period prior to the student travel trip.

For student tour groups taking the tour from the West Coast or the Midwest, flying into Norfolk, Virginia, and flying out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania makes a great deal of sense for the Revolutionary War tour because it saves time. Students coming from closer locations may want to consider alternate flying routes to save time and cover the most distance possible. The educational travel professionals at my company schedule the student tour with everyone’s comfort and convenience in mind.


Yorktown Virginia – A Must See on the Student Travel Tour
Yorktown Battlefields are a primary destination for the Revolutionary War tour of the East. In 1781, General Lord Charles Cornwallis surrendered with 8,300 troops, ending the American Revolution in Yorktown. Yet the story leading up to this surrender, and the battles fought before it took place are engaging and numerous. Student travel groups will want to take the 7-mile or 9 mile driving tours of Yorktown Battlefields to have a fuller understanding of the scope of this final battle and Cornwallis’ surrender.

Yorktown Battlefield Museum
The Yorktown Battlefield Museum details it as the place where Virginia’s colonial government was established in 1691. Because of its strategic location on the York River, one of the main tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay, Yorktown was a highly contested Naval post during the Revolutionary War, and so was the appropriate place for the final battle to be fought. Student tour groups will learn a great deal about the culmination of the Revolutionary War at Yorktown and therefore, should not miss this destination.

Teachers may visit http://www.nps.gov/york/forteachers/yorktowneducationalprograms.htm and with enough advance notice, may book special interepretive programs that are in sync with curriculum objectives.


Historic Revolutionary War Sites Near Washington D.C.
Not far from Washington D.C. is one of the most famous estates on American soil. Mount Vernon was George Washington’s Home, and was a working farm as well as an estate home in the Early American style. Both are well preserved. Living history programs including an actress who plays the part of Martha Washington, Our First Lady, and demonstrations of Early American farming techniques are some of the highlights of the Mount Vernon tour. Students can visit the Eighteenth Century house, farm, and gristmill for an authentic glimpse into what it must have been like to live during Washington’s time.

Philadelphia: Important Sites for a Student Tour of Revolutionary War
Since the creation and signing of the Declaration of Independence from British Colonial rule occurred in Philadelphia, many would consider it the birthplace of democracy. Thus, Philadelphia is on the Itinerary for the Revolutionary War Tour. There are many prominent sites to enjoy in Philadelphia.

Independence Hall: Visit the place where the signers of the Declaration of Independence sat and had discourse on this historic document before penning their names in old fashioned ink. Independence Hall is a well preserved and maintained site and is well worth the visit.

Liberty Bell: Though it is broken and not in use the Liberty Bell is on display for all to see now at a special location between 5th and 6th on Market Street in Philadelphia. The Liberty Bell Center has exhibits and a movie to explain the significance of the Liberty Bell in American History.

Betsy Ross House: Nestled in Old City Philadelphia, not far from the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall is Betsy Ross’s historic home. Betsy Ross made the first American flag and is one of the earliest women patriots. Student tour groups will enjoy a short tour of her home and the story of how she made the first American flag.

Christ Church: Located near 2nd Street and above Market, Historic Christ Church dates to 1695 and is an appropriate place to visit for the revolutionary War Tour. Christ Church was one of the first parishes of the Church of England in the new world. The Christ Church Burial Ground includes the tombs of some famous early Americans including Ben Franklin who was interred there. This historic, early American landmark is a site that student groups will not want to miss.

Washington Crossing Park
George Washington led 2,500 troops across the Delaware River on Christmas Day in 1776 from Buck’s County Pennsylvania to Trenton to attack an army of 1,500 and won. This victory came at a low point in the Revolutionary War. Students will want to visit the Pennsylvania side of Washington Crossing to see the museum, and should time permit, cross to the New Jersey side to see the landing area and the road used by the continental army to march to Trenton and attack. The trip to Washington Crossing is a short one hour journey from Philadelphia and well worth it for its historical significance during the Revolutionary period.

There are other historic sites that date back to revolutionary times and are significant. For this tour, I have concentrated on the major high points of the war and the major historic sites. Student travel groups wishing to book a tour with a Revolutionary War theme can email: info@educationaltravelconsultants.com for more information.

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Performance Tours for Student Travel Groups

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At Educational Travel Consultants, our tour guides are specially trained to take performance groups on tour. We take pride in the fact that our tour guides are trained for performance groups. When my full time profession was education, part of my duties included oversight of a student choral group. This is where I first got to know these types of students very well.

After 24 years of coordinating and executing student travel tours, I can say that the musical and performance group tours are some of the most exciting, and complex tours we produce.

A performance group has different needs than a regular student travel group. At Educational Travel Consultants, we cater to this need. First of all, many are taking instruments along on tour with them. These instruments need to be accounted for prior to arrival at the airport. A list of carrying cases, instruments, and unusual dimensions must be collected by the tour guide prior to the trip in order for instruments to travel well and reach their intended destination.

A tour guide assigned to a performance group must have special skills. Not all tour guides possess these skills. But, it is my belief that a tour guide must be trained well, in order for the trip to go smoothly. When hiring tour guides for performance tours, Educational Travel Consultants looks for the following skills, or trains tour guides with aptitudes for these duties. These include: coordinating the set up of the performance group, an assessment of the room allocated, electrical, instrument, amplifier, and microphone placement, and the position of keyboards and larger instruments on stage. The tour guide must also be trained in how to work directly with the bus driver, so he or she can make certain that the parking and unloading location selected is appropriate for movement of instruments, equipment and students.

Educational Travel Consultants brings these value added services to our student travel groups because we know that assigning selected staff and providing proper training are key to the success we have with student performance tours.

Email info@educationaltravelconsultants.com if you would like more specific information on ETC performance tours.

Blog, Washington D.C.

Washington D.C. and Williamsburg Virginia: A Time to Tour

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There’s never been a better time to sign up for a combination tour of Washington D.C., Williamsburg and Jamestown.

Washington D.C. is a great learning experience for student tour groups because students get to observe our government in action. Student travel groups can also stop at historical points of interest such as Arlington National Cemetery, Mount Vernon, and the Pentagon, for even more insight into U.S. history.

Just a mere 2 hours south of the Washington D.C. metro area, Williamsburg Virginia awaits. A visit to Williamsburg and Jamestown helps students to envision the settlement of the colonies hundreds of years earlier.

This year, Jamestown celebrates its 400th Anniversary of the English settlement, in 1607. Jamestown’s 400th anniversary is characterized by numerous keynote events, and is being celebrated throughout the Southeastern Virginia area even outside of Williamsburg and Jamestown.

But the most exciting development for student tour groups in 2007 is the enhancement of exhibits at Jamestown Settlement and at Colonial Williamsburg.

In preparation for the anniversary celebration, Jamestown Settlement underwent renovations and large additions were made to the new visiting center. This new state-of-the-art visitor center has interactive exhibits for the active student learner. Students may visit a replica of an Indian village, and board the three ships that took the English to Virginia: the Susan Constant, the Godspeed, and the Discovery. Inside the museum, real documents and artifacts surrounding the settlement of Virginia are on display.

Colonial Williamsburg has always excelled at presenting living history programs that appeal to the student traveler. Depictions of the heyday of Virginia’s second capital, Williamsburg, include narratives developed from historical documents that include the perspectives of women, slaves, Native Americans, criminals, and more.

Find out how your travel group may schedule a tour of Washington D.C., Williamsburg and Jamestown. Email info@educationaltravelconsultants.com and an educational travel professional will get right back to you.

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The Art Tour of New York City

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New York City is such a fantastic city for student travel. It can be viewed in so many different ways. I have found that student travel groups that focus on the academic subject(s) being explored are rewarded with a deeper educational experience.

Over the last 25 years, I’ve been developing educational travel tours for a variety of school age groups. I began to notice a pattern in process. There were many art educators and art students who wanted to take a tour of New York City focused on art. I decided to develop a tour that did just that.

There are literally thousands of venues for visual art in New York City, if we include well-known galleries, public sculpture, and more. For the Educational Travel Consultants Art Tour, I decided to focus on some of the major art museums and add related entertainment.

There are several key areas of the city I chose to cover on the New York City Art tour. Many students are aware that Greenwich Village is the part of New York most inhabited by artists, so I schedule an afternoon in the Village for art tour groups so they may really capture a feel for the contemporary New York City art scene.

The major destinations folded within the art tour are: Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Museum of Modern Art, Solomon Guggenheim Museum, and the Whitney Museum of American Art. Student groups focused on art or art history are more likely to request some of the bigger names in New York City Museums. As well they should. These museums showcase and collect the work of some of the greatest American artists. Some even collect the work of international artists, and offer glimpses into art history throughout the ages.

For the art student, the chance to see timeless works of art and learn about the history of the artist and the art is often a once in a lifetime opportunity. To help your educational travel group conduct a tour of New York City, visit http://www.educationaltravelconsultants.com/destination/subject/art_nyc.htm for additional art tour destinations of interest.

Blog, Washington D.C.

Smithsonian Museum in Washington D.C.: Educators Can Create Student Travel Trips in Sync with Curriculum Goals

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The Smithsonian Museum is vast and cannot be taken in just one day. Student travel tour organizers need to think carefully when planning a trip to the Smithsonian Museum. There are so many options to choose from and educators may benefit from tying the trips to the Museum in with curricular goals.

Nevertheless, there are some Smithsonian Museums that seem to be requested more by educational travel groups. I have highlighted them in a recent article, outlining the educational benefits of different museums. educationaltravelconsultants.com/blog/?p=20.

This article gives a basic overview of selected Smithsonian Museums and also offers suggestions on academic fields of interest, which may tie into visits to specific museums.

To help educators plan their student travel tour of Washington D.C. better, I will point you in the right direction on the World Wide Web, to find great educational resources for the trip.

Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum
Visit http://www.nasm.si.edu/education/classroom.cfm for online educational activities that tie in nicely with a visit to the National Air and Space Museum. Classes that are equipped with computers can take educational field trips before they make their visit to Washington D.C. A review of online activities could prove useful in the classroom, and teaching resources will integrate the visit to Washington D.C. into classroom activities.

The National Museum of the American Indian
Native American Code talkers were critical in the U.S. Armed forces during World War I and World War II, because native languages were used as code, and formed a basis for communication. Have students visit the website http://americanindian.si.edu/education/codetalkers/ that makes the history of Native American code talkers come alive.

The National Museum of Natural History
The National Museum of Natural History has excellent educational resources to help plan student travel tours more effectively. Visit http://www.mnh.si.edu/education/. Students can learn about the Future Female Scientists Program and some of the hands on educational programs at the museum, such as the Discovery Room and the Insect Zoo.

The National Portrait Gallery
The National Portrait Gallery has a wide range of programs for student groups of various age levels. Some of these educational programs are geared towards special age groups (such as 4th-12th Grade) or are organized thematically, such as American Writers, Great American Women, and Portrait Stories. Visit http://www.npg.si.edu/educate2/educate20.htm
For complete information about all of the educational programs available at the National Portrait Gallery.

Blog, Washington D.C.

Don’t Miss Northern Virginia Historical Points on a Student Tour of Washington D.C.

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A well rounded student travel tour of Washington D.C. should also include a day or a half-day dedicated to visiting sites just across the Potomac River in Northern Virginia. For example, the Pentagon, Mount Vernon, and Arlington National Cemetery are some of the sites student tour groups wish to visit. To take in all three would be quite a feat, though it is entirely possible if the right amount of advance planning is involved. But educational student tours of the Washington D.C. area should at least include one, if not two of these historic sites.

Pentagon Tours: Book Early
There are many reasons to plan your trip early. The most pressing reason is that some sites, such as the Pentagon, are under heavy security. Therefore, student groups must be registered for a visit prior to arrival at the Pentagon, to undergo the necessary review for a visit. If student groups are not registered early, then chances that that student travel group will see the Pentagon tour are not good. We are in the early stages of planning these types of student tours for 2008. It is not possible to effectively plan a Pentagon tour for a student tour group for 2007.

Arlington National Cemetery a Popular Student Travel Destination
Arlington National Cemetery is also a great place for students to gain a wide overview of domestic and foreign wars the U.S. has been involved in, and understand the soldiers’ contribution. Tram tours and attendance at Wreath Laying Ceremonies are good possibilities for student travel groups that plan early. The coordination of such tours for a large group is easier with advance planning. A visit to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is always in order upon a visit to Arlington National Cemetery, and frequently requested.

Visit Mount Vernon for Living History and Active Learning
A student tour of Mount Vernon can also be lots of fun for the group. It offers some respite from the bustling city life of Washington D.C. For a moment in time, students can imagine themselves back in time on an Eighteenth Century farm and gristmill. Or, they can visit the new Ford Orientation Center, or participate in a wide variety of living history programs and tours. A visit to Mount Vernon is well worth the effort of leaving Washington D.C. for the day (or a half-day). Mount Vernon is just 16 miles from Washington D.C.

We do our best to make everyone happy on our educational travel trips, especially the students.