Your Ultimate Guide to Creating an Off-Campus Student Travel Policy for your School

Ever thought about how those field trips are like little windows to the big world outside the classroom? Well, imagine having a simple and clear guide to make those trips even more awesome. That's where a well-crafted off-campus student travel policy comes in. It's like having a roadmap to help everyone – students, teachers, and parents – understand what’s needed, how to get the green light from the school administration, and how to create fantastic learning adventures that go beyond the usual. Let's dive into creating this guide together, so our students can explore and learn in the best way possible.

Making the Most of Student Travel: Building Your Off-Campus Travel Policy

Going on a field trip isn't just about a day off from school. It's about getting out there, discovering new things, and learning in ways you can't inside a classroom. A solid student travel policy is like your secret recipe for making these trips unforgettable. Let’s break down exactly what this policy should include:

1. Why It Matters

- Explain why these trips are important – not just for fun, but for learning too.

- Share how going beyond the classroom can help students grow and see the world from different angles.

2. Getting the Green Light

- Break down the steps for getting a trip approved.

- Tell everyone what forms, info, and deadlines are needed, and how the school will review and give the thumbs up.

3. Learning Everywhere

- Show how each trip should connect to what students are learning in class.

- Stress the need to make sure each activity aligns with what they're studying.

4. Types of Trips

- Tell the difference between short day trips and longer overnight ones.

- Explain what to think about for longer trips, like ones in your country or even abroad.

5. Who Does What

- Define what teachers, chaperones, students, and school staff do during trips.

- Make it clear who’s responsible for what, how they should act, and how they communicate.

6. Tech to the Rescue

- require using digital tools to keep everyone on the same page. Mobile phones are ubiquitous and so better to leverage this connectivity for swift communication and coordination.

- provide approved Group Travel Management Systems (GTMS) for your school or entire district to choose for keeping up with schedules, tracking who's there, matching students with chaperones, sharing pics, and keeping communication flowing.

7. Staying Safe

- Put safety first – always.

- Describe health stuff, emergency plans, and how to report anything that goes wrong.

8. Show Me the Money

- Explain the money side of things, like costs and how to pay.

- Make sure everyone knows where the money goes and how it's handled.

9. Staying in Touch

- Create a plan for staying connected between trip leaders and school staff.

- Stress the need for quick updates and reporting issues back to the school.

10. Looking Back and Ahead

- Encourage students and teachers to think about the trip after it's over.

- Talk about ways to see what worked, what didn't, and how to make the next trip even better.

By putting this off-campus student travel policy in place, you're not just writing rules, you're making learning come alive. With this guide, you're setting the stage for amazing journeys that teach students more than any textbook ever could.

By the way, Chicago Public Schools has a great written policy. You can check it out here.

Happy travels,

David Schwall

This newsletter is brought to you by Travel Technologies, LLC.

Visit www.GroupTravL.com today and email [email protected] for a demo today

Travel Technologies builds the most powerful student Group Travel Management System (GTMS). With its TravL App schools, churches, and youth organizations easily manage student off-site trips while they’re on-the-go.

Features

• Integrated Messaging Platform - 2-way communication. Not broadcast only.

• Interactive Schedule - Make updates to the schedule in real-time.

• Comprehensive Roster - Students, Chaperones, Leaders. Assign students to Chaperones.

• Photo Gallery - Leaders capture photos for everyone to see, save, and enjoy forever.

• Upload and share documents and more.

Parents and School Administrators back home can join the trip to see the schedule, view photos, and get message updates from Trip Leaders.

If you don’t have a Group Travel Management System (GTMS) now is the time. Trust the TravL App and stop trying to piece together a solution. WhatsApp, GroupMe, Facebook, Twitter, don’t work. They’re not comprehensive and they frustrate more than they help solve.