No, really, tell no one – at least not before you run the basic idea of a trip by your Administration. There is no absolutely no reason to start getting anyone excited about a trip if you don’t have the support of your Administration. 

As you begin to discuss the possibility of traveling with your group, be certain that you inquire about the number of days you will be permitted out of school and important dates on the school calendar (Prom, state mandated testing, end of the grading period or semester, exams, etc.). At this time, you must also be prepared to discuss some of the educational benefits of student group travel and what you hope to accomplish through the trip.

Once you have administrative approval to proceed with further exploration of the trip idea, go to your student’s parents and/or booster group. These are the people who will ultimately be footing the bill or helping to raise funds, so make certain they are committed to supporting the trip financially.

With the support of your Administration and parent group behind you, you can now begin considering destinations. Do some homework on a couple of destinations that are of interest to you and appropriate for your students; speak to your colleagues who travel; contact a student group travel professional and discuss several options you are considering with them; and then as the Director, a.k.a. benevolent dictator, make a decision.

One of the easiest ways to sabotage a trip is to open the destination decision to a vote, Ultimately, someone will be unhappy and the trip may not be supported to the fullest extent possible. Remember, you can never make everyone happy, so make a decision and live with it. Only now, with your destination decision made and the blessings of your Administration and parent/booster group in hand, do you announce the trip to the students!

I hope you will find this helpful as you begin making plans for your group’s next trip!

For assistance in planning your next trip, contact us at info@ccistravel.com.