For a high school musician, there is nothing quite like an experience outside of their comfort zone. Travel to a performance-centric destination that awakens the senses, invites inspiration, and lets them model themselves on a tangible aspiration.
But as music educators, what can we do to ensure a student’s school group travel experience is truly transformational?
In this article, we’ll help you turn performance travel for students from yet another field trip into something truly formative.
Select the Right Student Travel Destination
Sure, you could toss a dart at a map. But choosing the right destination is going to be key to offering a truly memorable student experience.
Try to identify a destination that best aligns with your educational goals. Is this a general awareness trip for students? Or is this a send-off for your seniors? By noting your educational goals first, you may find a destination that is simpler to identify.
The place you choose might not be atop your students’ (or even your own) must-see destinations. But once you dig into your destination’s offerings, you might be surprised at how eye-opening it can be.
Plan to Plan
Your trip will inevitably feature a lot of small experiences. Plan different scenarios that include or exclude certain experiences. This way, you can find the right balance between a diverse experience for your students and something that is actually achievable.
There’s nothing worse than having an itinerary that’s precluded by rose colored glasses. As a pro tip, be sure to include travel time between venues as you put your plan together.
Show Your Students the Money
It’s a good idea to have your high school educational performance tours’ budget set up front. After all, you likely shouldn’t promise an amazing trip to your students until you know what you can afford.
So break down everything from tickets, hotels, meals, and more. If your performing arts educational play tours consist of more than just a few students, even better. It’s going to be imperative to have every dollar accounted for.
As you go through this process, you may find that your operating budget doesn’t cover all of your needs. When and if this happens, it’s time to get baking and shift into fundraising mode!
Keep Safety Conscious
While on your school group travel excursion, safety is key. Put a plan together with your students so they know what will be different from back home. This could include:
- Mapped locations of all your trip destinations
- Emergency phone numbers
- Means of contacting loved ones back home
- Evacuation plans and rendezvous locations in case of an emergency
- And more
By including your students in your safety planning, you can ensure they are as conscious of its importance as you are.
While an inspiring trip should be atop your aspiration list, a safe trip should top it.
Partner with a School Group Travel Expert
A standard travel agent can only do so much. A group travel expert like Peak Performance Tours can offer insights about venues, travel routes, and more. And all of this will help your trip go smoother. Contact Peak Performance Tours today.
