Unpacked, a blog by Director's Choice

Top 11 Reasons Why Students Should Travel

Written by Stephanie Fox | Sep 26, 2017 3:06:00 PM

Did you know….

New data supports that student travel is more than just a good time. Travel actually helps students improve their experience in the classroom.

The Student & Youth Travel Association (SYTA) released the results of its two-year-long study. The research project is the first of its kind and examines the student travel market. According to insight provided by SYTA research, student travel can have a number of benefits for students. Children not only gain social skills but also improve their comprehension skills. This is a result of students working to retain the information learned on the trip.

Benefits of Student Travel:

  1. Encourages their willingness to know, learn and explore
  2. Increases students' confidence and independence
  3. More collaborative and sensible behavior
  4. Provides time out of the classroom and learning in a hands-on environment
  5. Pushes them to adapt to new situations
  6. Encourages their classroom participation
  7. Increases their test scores
  8. Improves their self-esteem
  9. Provides students with cultural awareness
  10. Heightens students' awareness of others
  11. Changes students' whole perspective

The results, drawn from 2,143 responses representing 1.2 million students, illustrate the strength, impact, and preferences of the student travel industry.

Overwhelmingly, teachers believe in the social impact of travel.

In fact, 79% percent of teachers answered that they organize class travel in part to broaden students' horizons. Also, more than 50% reported that travel has a direct impact on understanding the curriculum and classroom performance.

Interestingly, the United States is one of the only countries that does not build student travel into its academic calendar.  If you are interested in traveling with your student group, we can help.  Planning an overnight trip for your students should include elements that maximize these benefits but should be made with a safe, SYTA accredited travel operator.

Read SYTA's full report: Student & Youth Travel Digest: A Comprehensive survey of the Student Travel Market.