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.