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by A.M. Davis
Apr 4, 2009
Many of the student tour companies are clamoring for teachers to travel with them by offering large 'stipends', rewards, finders fees/referral bonuses, and other travel perks beyond a free trip. I've heard as much as $400 per student for European trips and $325 per student for Washington, DC/east coast trips. then there are the wine and dine 'works...See MoreMany of the student tour companies are clamoring for teachers to travel with them by offering large 'stipends', rewards, finders fees/referral bonuses, and other travel perks beyond a free trip. I've heard as much as $400 per student for European trips and $325 per student for Washington, DC/east coast trips. then there are the wine and dine 'workshop' weekends, teacher conventions, and 'fam' trips.
I was under the impression that these incentives are patently illegal and negate fiduciary trust, especially if one is a public school teacher. Additionally, I've recently been told by a friend, who teaches at a prestigious private school, that the NAIS (National Association of Independent Schools) has also come out against these practices.
Where do you all think these companies get the money to pay you and give you weekends and gifts? Their own packets of a 'fund'? No! They come directly from your students and their families!
in fact, these bribes (yes! bribes) directly cut down on the overall quality of the trip for your students. The first thing to go is educational content, professional educational tour guides, better class of hotel, nutritious food, and safety.
Whom do you serve? What do you stand for? If you don't think that you get paid well enough as a teacher that you have to resort to this type of larceny, then quit. Get out! Find another profession. Become a bona fide salesperson for the tour company, rather than someone who is fronting as a teacher to represent a tour operator.
And by the way, it is just as shameful to take these payoffs as to offer them.
I've become so furious that I refuse to be associated with any of these companies.
by Middle school mom
Apr 17, 2009
I am not a teacher. I am a parent that recently attended an Explorica tour with 3 Spanish language middle school teachers, my daughter and 13 school mates. The trip was 1 week: Madrid, Mallorca and Barcelona. (I have traveled to Barcelona twice in recent years and to Madrid many years ago.) This was my first "tour" experience so I did not have much...See MoreI am not a teacher. I am a parent that recently attended an Explorica tour with 3 Spanish language middle school teachers, my daughter and 13 school mates. The trip was 1 week: Madrid, Mallorca and Barcelona. (I have traveled to Barcelona twice in recent years and to Madrid many years ago.) This was my first "tour" experience so I did not have much in the way of preconceptions. Flights to Madrid via Paris and back to Philly we fine. Madrid hotel was a Holiday Inn Express that, while clean and perfectly acceptable, was located in a miserable area off the expressway on the outskirts of Madrid. 1 very treacherous(pedestrian) mile to the subway and 3 trains into the city center. There were no shops or markets near the hotel. We were surrounded by car dealerships and acres and acres of macadam. Hotel in Mallorca was a resort and a short bus ride from the main town of Palma. Even though it was off season, this was our nicest accommodation and by far the best tour food. Barcelona hotel was a Travelodge and located in a desolate warehouse and convention center area. I did not see one pedestrian there - very apocalyptic! At both the Madrid hotel and the one in Barcelona we were isolated and had to rely on the Explorica provided bus or the metro. And we found out that you cannot count on getting bus transportation from Explorica. Our first day in Madrid, the bus picked us up at the airport transported us to our hotel and then that was it! We hoofed it all day to/ from the city center via metro and you can imagine what it looked like as all 18 of us were walking back to the hotel from the metro station at 10PM after being up 36 hours straight. It would have been very nice to have had a bus ride then! I think Explorica gives you a bus when you have baggage and when they are giving you a "city tour". My daughter and I were able to avoid the worst of Explorica's planning. The day before departure, our teachers were notified of an important detail, one that they had been trying to clear up for weeks - the ferry ride from Mallorca to Barcelona. Sounds lovely right? Not when it is an 8 HOUR FERRY RIDE! There is a 4 hour, high speed ferry but that was more expensive. So Explorica put our group on the slow boat with all the long-haul tractor trailers and trucks. Because I get dramatically seasick my husband bought my daughter and I plane tickets ($150/ea at the last minute). Our flight lasted 30 minutes! We actually had the Barcelona "free time" mentioned in our itinerary while our travel companions didn't arrive in port until about 8:30PM - no Barcelona free time for them and all were seasick, some drastically, due to a hail storm at sea with high winds and terrible waves. This tour was poorly organized. We often did not know from one day to the next what was happening due to "last minute" changes. There is more but basically the message is: FIND ANOTHER TOUR COMPANY.
Word to the wise. Explorica employees routinely troll through this board and even post phoney posts here. I know this because I got a call from one based on one of my posts!!!
For all I know, other companies also either attack one another or praise themselves all the time here. Caveat emptor!!!
by Judy Gardner
Apr 28, 2009
ATTENTION ALL MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL TEACHERS AND PARENTS:
The Wake County Wildlife Club and its wildlife conservation partners will offer an opportunity for youth to rediscover the outdoors at a half-day workshop on Friday, March 5th, 2010 following Standard Course of Study. "Project Graduation" opportunities are also being developed by m...See MoreATTENTION ALL MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL TEACHERS AND PARENTS:
The Wake County Wildlife Club and its wildlife conservation partners will offer an opportunity for youth to rediscover the outdoors at a half-day workshop on Friday, March 5th, 2010 following Standard Course of Study. "Project Graduation" opportunities are also being developed by mentors able to support students with wildlife stewardship, habitat and conservation topics.
Studies confirm that students lack environmental education programs that blend science with civics while meeting national education standards. "Take a Walk on the Wild Side" is designed to bridge this educational gap.
For more information and to confirm your interest:
Please reply by e-mail to: [email removed]:
* Your name and daytime contact information * Name of your school/organization/homeschool group * The age range of your students * An approximate count of students that you expect may attend * Any suggestions that you have related to topics of interest.
TAKE A WALK ON THE WILD SIDE! 30th Annual Dixie Deer Classic North Carolina State Fairgrounds in Raleigh Friday, March 5th, 2010
Students will participate in a variety of age-appropriate activities that will spark their interest in North Carolina's precious wildlife resources. All classes will be interactive.
* A Hands-on Soil Lab Students will be encouraged to form their own hypotheses regarding a variety of soil topics such as soil texture, soil permeability, soil pH, and soil nutrients. * Habitat - North Carolina's wetlands are home to many native and transient species, providing a highway for wildlife. Learn more about this fragile environment, and what you can do to protect it! * Snakes play an important role in maintaining a healthy environment. Learn more about the snakes you'll find in North Carolina and how to treat each with the respect they deserve. * What's in Your Backyard? Get to know more know the wildlife that lives in your neighborhood - birds, bats, owls, and flying squirrels to name a few - and what you can do to support them as a responsible wildlife steward. * Managing wildlife in urban settings Students will learn to appreciate the delicate balance that wildlife managers must weigh when developing plans for a sustainable fture for all wildlife. * Animal sign - Participate in a "wildlife practical" that will test your skills and teach some fundamental wildlife management principles that are key to conserving our wild friends. * Make a turkey call, then try it out! Reintroduction of this native bird is one of the best wildlife conservation success stories ever told. Get to know more about this amazing animal, then take this call home and try to talk turkey! * Endangered means there is still time. Do you know the #1 reason why most species become endangered in teh first place? Learn more about the threats to wildlife species in North Carolina today, and what you can do today to protect these species. * Wildlife Careers - Researchers, educators, foresters, park managers, and law enforcement professionals will be on hand to introduce students to these exciting wildlife careers. * Outdoor skills workshops are being considered * Up to 12 stations are planned in all. We invite your suggestion on additional topics that would be of interest to your students.
WHY IS THIS WORKSHOP IMPORTANT TO ATTEND?
Time spent outdoors offers:
* A chance to unwind, time to think, and time to reconnect with friends and family * Memories that are cherished for a lifetime * Physical exercise - a reason to stay in great shape * An opportunity to reconnect with nature, promoting conservation of North Carolina's wildlife and their habitats for all to observe and enjoy.
These are all values worth promoting. Yet studies confirm that students lack environmental education programs that blend science with civics while meeting national education standards. "Take a Walk on the Wild Side" is designed to bridge this educational gap.
Please also remember that "Target" stores and others offer educational grants for field trips! Applications are due no later than October of each year.
On behalf of the Wake County Wildlife Club Youth Day Organizing Committee, thank you for your support! We look forward to hearing from you.
Judy Gardner President, North Carolina State Chapter QDMA (919) 552-9449 (eve) (919) 998-7244 (day) [email removed])
[link removed]
Hi everybody I am a Spanish teacher and I am planing a trip to Mexico for 2010 for my 8th grade students. Does anybody knows if Explorica is a good option?Please I really apreciate any feed back or comments about this company. Thank you so much Maria
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