Transforming Student Travel

Book excerpt: Transforming Student Travel calls for a paradigm shift in the student tour industry: educators collaborating to create a student-centered, inquiry-based tour. Marcel Proust said, “The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes.” This resource guide explores ways educators can encourage students not only to see with “new eyes,” but also to understand how they know. The International Baccalaureate informs the first part of the book which includes educational research as well as practical suggestions for improving the tour experience, including an integration of academic subjects. Although much has been written about the impact of international travel, this book explores ways educators can transform domestic tours for public and parochial school students. The second part of the book offers resource guides for four cities – Washington, D.C.; New York; Philadelphia; and Boston. Teachers, tour directors, and tour operators, will find discussion questions activities as well as detailed background information for four of the most visited cities by students. Many of the questions and strategies can be adapted for other landscapes.