Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut

Our sincere condolences to the families of staff and students of Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. 

May you find strength and support, among neighbors and friends in your community. 

You are in our hearts today.

Teach and Travel Teach and Travel, about Washington DC

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Teach and Travel Teach and Travel, about Immersion

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Teach and Travel Teach and Travel, on Travel Insurance

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Teach and Travel Teach and Travel, November 2012

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Fundraising Tips

Fundraising Tips

While a group trip is a much less expensive option for families than taking their entire family somewhere, the cost can sometimes be an extra burden, especially during difficult economic times. Naturally, you want to be able to take as many young people as possible on your trip. Holding a fundraiser is one way to make that possible. 

Here are some tips for choosing and managing your fundraiser: 

Choosing a Fundraiser
It's no surprise that some fundraisers are more lucrative than others. Ultimately, choosing which fundraiser method is best for you depends on you, your students and your community. What works in a large metropolitan area will not necessarily work in a small midwestern town. There are many ideas for fundraiser out there, get creative and choose something that your group can have fun with: 

• Top product fundraisers include: cookie dough, cheesecakes, wrapping paper, pretzel dough, magazines, gift items, candles, candy, and pizza kits.
• Have your group write letters to businesses in the community. In some areas, especially small towns where everyone is aware of the trip, people are willing to help out.
• Use scratch cards. The cards are filled with low money amounts. Donors are asked to scratch off a circle and pay the amount listed.
• Schedule a fundraising dinner at a local restaurant. This is becoming more popular and you have probably seen it before. - A restaurant will offer around 20% of the receipts from people supporting your group to your fundraiser.

Fundraising Timeline
Creating a timeline that will offer your students the opportunity to generate the maximum amount possible for their trip is one of the most important elements of running a successful fundraiser. As you consider the timing, make sure you are aware of other fundraising activities happening at your school and community, and try to pinpoint a time for your fundraiser that doesn't coincide with others. 

Once you have determined when you would like your fundraiser to occur, work backwards and create a timeline starting six months out. The Association of Fundraising Distributors and Suppliers (www.afrds.org) has created a basic timeline to follow: 

Six Months Before 

• Work with your tour planner to ensure your fundraising deadlines match the trip payment deadlines.
• Write down your purpose and goal for the fundraiser. Why are you raising money and how much money will be required? Be specific when creating your purpose and goal - the more clearly your goal is stated, the likely you'll have etter support from school administrators, parents and even the students.
• Assemble your team. Very often, trip leaders try and do too much when it comes to fundraising. Take advantage of our active parents and assemble a team to help with the project.
• Choose the right fundraising activity for your group. See "Choosing a Fundraiser" above for tips.
• If you are choosing a product fundraiser and are working with a company, don't simply choose the first one you find. Make appointments with 3-4 companies and be prepared to let them know your group's financial goals, the approximate number of participants who will be involved, and your past history with fundraising efforts. From this information, an experienced fundraising company can present you the best options for you.
• Collaboarte with other groups in teh school to make sure you aren't competing with them.

One Month Before 

• Make your final plans.
• Contact your fundraising representative (if you have one) and touch base with your fundraising team to review logistics, create alist of materials needed, and determine how many adult volunteers you will need.
• Set your master schedule for the fundraiser. Include details such as advance promotion, arrival dates for materials, any kick-off activities for students and adults, deadlines for orders and money to be turned in, delivery of products and a meeting to review the entire fundraising event.

One Week Before 

• Reconfirm everything - including: gather sales materials from the fundraising company, working with school administrators and custodians on room needed, locations for product delivery, etc.
• If you need to promote your event, put up posters and send fliers home with students.
• Call your volunteers to remind them of their responsibilities.

During the Sale 

• Be sure your bookkeeper is keeping track of peperwork and payments, that parents know when products will be delivered or need to be picked up, and be ready for any troubleshooting.

One Month After 

• Evaluate your fundraiser. Sit down with your volunteers and review the entire fundraiser, from planning to execution. Identify areas of strengths and weakness for the future.
• Share your results - make public your financial results and share your in-depth evaluation with school administrators and your fundraising company (if applicable).

Student & Youth Travel Association 8400 Westpark Drive, 2nd Floor, McLean, VA 22102-5116 | Phone: (703) 610-1263 | Fax: (703) 610-0270 | info@syta.org

Addressing Safety & Security

Addressing Safety & Security

As the group leader, the safety and security of your group is certain to be an overriding consideration throughout the planning stages as well as the trip itself. Advance preparation can help prevent any unpleasant experiences. Safety is a team effort. SYTA members are committed to providing student and youth travelers with a safe and secure travel experience. When it comes to travel safety, knowledge is power and communication is key. Each person involved with a trip must understand their role in order to ensure that participants are in the safest possible environment at all times. 

By following the tips below, you can feel confident that your next trip will be a positive, life-changing experience for everyone involved. 

Click here for a downloadable version of SYTA's Safety Tips. 

General Safety Tips 

• Advise your participants to limit the amount of cash they bring. Give everyone a guide of how much money they will need, or, advise them to bring a credit card or ATM card if there will be an opportunity to use it.
• Gather health care information from each family, and if you are traveling abroad, make sure each plan offers coverage. Ask your tour operator about purchasing travel insurance - which will often cover extras such as theft during the trip.
• Pack a simple first aid kit containing bandages, antibiotic cream, pain relievers, etc.
• Find out in advance which participants are taking medication. Advise them to keep any prescription medication in its original container, and bring a photocopy of all current prescriptions so they can more easily be replaced if lost.
• Have your participants make copies of airline tickets, passports and visas when applicable. It's a good idea for you to collect and hold on to these copies.
• Work with a tour operator that uses additional nightime security.

Safety Tips for Motorcoach Travel: 

• Set rules to ensure that young people remain seated. Most accidents occur when passengers are standing in the aisles.
• Listen to emergency procedures and know how to use emergency windor exits.
• Make sure everyone knows the motorcoach number when off the coach.
• Keep your participants well clear of the door when waiting for it to open.

Safety Tips for Air Travel: 

• Set rules ahead of time so your group knows to keep their seatbelts on at all times while seated.
• Pay attention to the pre-flight safety demonstration and make sure you know where your nearest exit is.
• Advise any of your participants that wear contact lenses to bring glasses for the flight. The recycled air can dry out eyes.

Safety Tips at the Hotel: 

• Advise participants to keep doors locked and chained and never open their hotel room to a stranger.
• Read the fire instructions on the back of the room door, and know where the nearest fire emergency exit is located on the hall.
• In case of fire, never get into an elevator.
• Make sure your group knows to never leave valuables including passports in the hotel room. Use the hotel safe or an in-room safe if available.
• Make sure each person knows how to contact the front desk and the groups leader's room.
• Never enter your room if it is unlocked or if you are alone and someone is following you down the hall. Let them pass you before entering.
• Make sure your hotel door is shut and locked behind you.

Safety Tips while Touring: 

• Make sure each participant has the name, address and phone number of the hotel at all times, as well as the tour company's 24-hour hotline.
• Advise your group to keep a small amount of money in their pockets to pay for small purchases so they do not have to open their wallet in a busy place.
• The best place to keep a wallet is in a sippered pocket on the inside of a jacket, or in a front pants pocket. Never carry a wallet in the back pocket.
• Use only authorized agents when exchanging money.
• Be awre that traffic laws vary in different places and look both ways when crossing the street.
• Do not leave luggage unattended in public areas and never accept packages from strangers.
• Institute a buddy system rule and make sure no one strays from the group.

Student & Youth Travel Association
8400 Westpark Drive, 2nd Floor, McLean, VA 22102-5116 | Phone: (703) 610-1263 | Fax: (703) 610-0270 | info@syta.org

Staying Connected

Staying Connected

We all know that it is easier than ever to stay connected, but group travel is also a great way for your child to gain some independence while still in a chaperoned setting. Depending on whether your child is traveling with a group or independently, there will be different ways of keeping in touch. 

Group Travel 

Your child will likely have a very full itinerary, so only expect to hear from them at the end of the day. 

• Check with your group leader about any specific rules they may have regarding cell phones.
• It is not likely that your child will have access to the Internet for email, unless your group leader allows the use of cell phones and your child has a web enabled phone, in the case of some international trips, the group leader schedules some time at an Internet cafe so everyone can get in touch with home.

Independent Travel 

There are many options for staying in touch for independent travelers. 

• A cell phone or laptop computer works best for domestic travel. Many public places have free wi-fi service.
• For international travel, your child can buy a phone with international service.
• Alternatively, many countries have internet cafes, where for a few coins, people can use computer terminals with Internet. This saves carrying a laptop computer and is often the easiest option.

© 2009-2012 Student & Youth Travel Association. All rights reserved.

Aligning Lesson Plans

Aligning Lesson Plans

Your group trip should have relevant ties to your classroom work. Not only will this help you when you seek administrative approval, it will also make the trip more meaningful for your students. 

Advanced planning and preparation can help you maximize the integration of your curriculum into your travel experience. Here are some simple ways to help your students and youth get the most out of their trip: 

• Coordinate the itinerary to your lesson plans from the beginning of the planning process.
• Think about what you want your students to get out of the trip, and discuss these things with your tour operator so they have the same understanding as they offer guidance on your itinerary.
• Rely on your tour operator to advise interactive activities during the trip that tie directly to your curriculum.
• Prep your students ahead of time. Visiting an art museum in Madrid or Chicago will have much more meaning and impact if your students know what they are seeing. Many attractions are happy to send you curriculum materials that you can use prior to your visit.
• Bring in experts on subjects that are particulary important. An excellent speaker is easier to find than you might think- local colleges, museums, historic sites and societies all have experts on a wide range of topics.


© 2009-2012 Student & Youth Travel Association. All rights reserved.