An Explorica student tour is a great way to bring to classroom material to life. More interactive and effective than assigning readings or showing a video, taking your students on tour and teaching on location is a remarkable way to capture their interest and convey the significance of any topic. It’s particularly true when you choose destinations that highlight the academic focus of your curriculum.

A good example comes from Dave Robinson, a history teacher and the head of the Canada and World Studies department at Port Perry High School in Durham, Ontario. This year Dave organized a monumental student tour program to Vimy, France, the site of Canada’s victorious WWI battle of Vimy Ridge.

His tour, entitled, Return to Vimy Ridge, was based on Explorica’s classic itineraries, but organized to maximize the impact of his history lessons. Indeed, his group was able to attend the 90th anniversary ceremony of the battle, where even the Queen of England was in attendance. The high–profile event proved to be touching and poignant, moving many of the guests—including the record–setting number of students and their chaperones—to tears.

The success of the Return to Vimy Ridge program exemplifies the power of international student travel to have a profound effect on young learners. Explorica is proud to promote such profound educational endeavors and is happy to provide the necessary resources and support for interested Group Leaders.

In fact, Explorica offers a number of educational tours that cater to unique interests. The Art of France and Italy, Battlefields of Europe and even Mysteries & Muggles: Harry Potter’s England highlight a particular theme throughout each itinerary. It’s a great way to showcase curriculum–specific attributes of a region.

After all, educational travel brings all sorts of historical, artistic and cultural content into the realm of each student’s personal experience. And by incorporating your curriculum into your itinerary, you make the information or event relevant and personally important.