Teachers – A Back to School Guide to Leading Your Student Trip

TEACHERS – A BACK TO SCHOOL GUIDE TO LEADING YOUR STUDENT TRIP

TEACHERS,

We know that you have a lot on your mind.  Starting a new school year can be really exciting and fun, but we also know it can be extremely hectic.  So, when you decide to lead a student trip on top of all your other duties, we know that it might start to stress you out a little bit.

DON’T WORRY!

We are here to help.  If the idea of taking your students outside the classroom (wayyy outside the classroom…) makes you nervous, you aren’t alone.  Hundreds of teachers and administrators take advantage of the benefits JE offers every year, and one of the main responses we hear from teachers is that using JE gave them the opportunity to actually enjoy their trip, rather than stressing out the whole time.

So, if you are ready to take the first step towards planning an amazing student trip this year, AND you actually want to have a good time doing it, here is our guide to getting started the right way.

1.) NARROW DOWN YOUR TRIP CHOICES

First things first.  Where do you want to take your group?  Do you want to take your graduating seniors on an incredible Senior Class Trip?  Do you want to encourage your students to mature as Christians by taking one of our life-changing Mission Trips?  Or maybe you are looking to take American History outside of the classroom and visit Washington, D.C.?

Whatever the case, before you can start planning anything, it’s best to figure out where you want to go.  To get you started, you can call the JE Office at 888.341.788 to talk with a travel specialist, or you can browse our tours on your own.

2.) GET A PRICE QUOTE

After you have decided on a trip destination, the next step is to price it out.  Pricing is based on your itinerary, your travel dates, and the number of travelers you expect to have.  If you have that information, we would be happy to generate a price quote for you.  You can start the process by filling out our Expedition Quote Form, or you can fill out the form at the bottom of one of the itineraries that you are interested in.

JE Travel Specialists will be glad to work with you to customize your itineraries according to budgetary needs or activities that you are interested in.  Once you are happy with the pricing quote, it’s time to register your expedition with Joshua Expeditions.

3.) FILL OUT AN EXPEDITION FORM

To make your trip official, we ask our Group Leaders to fill out an Expedition Form.  This tells us that you are definitely planning on going on the trip, and gives us time to set up your group’s online accounts, and also gives us time to start planning all of the details of your trips like hotels, airfare, etc.

Once you fill out the Expedition Form, your trip will have an Expedition Number.  This is important in promoting your trip, as potential travelers will sign up for the trip by using that number.

Once you fill out the Expedition Form, we will also send you any promotional materials that we have like posters, videos, or fliers.  As the group leader, you will also receive all the forms that need to be filled out along the way for your trip in what we call the Destination Packet.

4.) HOLD AN INTEREST MEETING

With your Expedition Number, customized itinerary, and price quote in hand, it’s time to start reaching out to potential travelers.  The best way that we have found to do this is to hold a meeting at school for students and parents who might have interest in the trip.  This is a great time to introduce Joshua Expeditions, go through the itinerary, explain the pricing, and tell your travelers how they can register for the trip.

We do our best to make sure that you are prepared for your parent meeting by having all of the resources that you will need on hand.  Other things that your travelers might be interested to know can be found on our Ministries page.  A lot of times groups don’t even know that just for going on their trip, they are helping provide food to orphanages and refugee centers across the world.

5.) HAVE YOUR TRAVELERS REGISTER FOR THE TRIP

It’s time to get your students and chaperones on board.  To register for a JE trip, travelers fill out the Traveler Application that can be found by clicking on “Register” at the top of the JE website.  Once registered, travelers will receive automatic payment notifications.  As the Group Leader, you don’t have to collect any money or remind students to pay.  Our online system can take care of that for you.

6.) SIT BACK AND RELAX

Once your travelers are registered, the hard work is over.  Your Joshua Expeditions Tour Coordinator will handle all the details of your trip including activities, reservations, event tickets, coordinating mission activities,  and booking flights.  JE tours also have a trained Joshua Expeditions guide that meets you at your destination and leads you through the entire trip.  So, you have the opportunity to enjoy the trip yourself, rather than having to worry about wrangling the bus drivers, our finding your way to the restaurant.

**BONUS TIP – EARLY PLANNING IS CRUCIAL

We know that the beginning of the school year is a busy time, so we want to do everything we can to help you plan your trip.  August and September are the best times to start planning trips that are scheduled for spring break or the end of the school year.  Getting your travelers registered as early as possible gives students more time to save money for the trip, allows us to find the best rates and schedules for you, and sets everyone’s mind at ease.

If you are ready to get started, give us a call today.  888.341.7888