This is the first in a series of posts about student field trips; namely to Washington, D.C., New York City, Philadelphia and/or Boston. With tough economic times and budget crunches at schools, some may think these trips are not fiscally feasible. You might be surprised.
PART I: THE BENEFITS OF STUDENT TRAVEL
For those of us who teach on the west coast, or in America’s heartland, class trips to Washington, D.C. are often a culminating activity for leadership classes, history classes, senior or 8th or 5th grade year, etc. The benefit of these trips are obvious, but vary slightly based upon your originating location. If you’re on the east coast already, these trips might be done as day trips. For those of us a few thousand miles away, they are lengthy and costly.
The benefits of the trips are fairly straight forward:
- “Living” history to teach the subject.
- Seeing the foundations and inner workings of democracy and the democratic process.
- To teach civics, instill patriotism and give students a sense of the importance of being a democratic citizen.
I have taken students to the east cost seven times. I teach middle school in Los Angeles, for a public school in the Los Angeles Unified School District. Our school has approximately 1,500 students. We are deemed to be a “failing” school in many ways. 100% of our students receive free meals. The socioeconomic situation for our students’ families does not make doing a trip like this easy.
Having said all that, my seven trips have given me the perspective to look back and see some benefits begin to blossom. Former students that have gone on the trips have gone on to top-notch universities, become political science majors, volunteer for elected officials, and more. I believe middle school is the best age for these trips. Students are most impressionable at that age, and they are just old enough to understand the importance and significance of what they’re seeing. In eighth grade for example, students endlessly hear about the Bill of Rights. They are told of the Vietnam War. The see the White House on television. For New York, most of our students have heard about 9/11 but have little, if any, recollection about it.
Going to the places mentioned above (and others) brings these things to life. It ignites an interest in students that could lead to many of the things we try to teach our kids: social justice, equality, the sacrifice for freedom, and much more. Nobody would argue that such trips aren’t a good thing. Some teachers dread the planning and preparation, and the red tape faced when doing the work. There are also risk-management issues, and of course, in today’s times (especially), budget issues.
This June, I will take students to the east coast for the eighth time. No child will be “left behind” for financial reasons. These trips can still be done in these economic times. It will take some sweat, but it’s worth it. Part two of this series lays out the beginning steps in planning trips like this, part three offers planning advice. Planners might be parent groups (PTSA), teachers, school administrators, or school districts.
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Mr. Franklin has been teaching for the Los Angeles Unified School District for eleven years. He has won District and County Teacher of the Year awards, as well as the prestigious Bank of America Community Hero award. Before teaching, he spent five years at Learning Forum, which runs summer camps world-wide that increase student academic potential.
Related posts:
- Back To School Savings In A Tight Economy With A Tight Wallet
- Los Angeles Public School Choice: Part III
- Public School Choice in L.A.: Designing a School
- School Administrators and Teacher Evaluations
- Candy/Chocolate Sale Fundraisers at School
Tags: D.C., field trips, school budgets, Steve Franklin, Washington
“Washington, D.C.” School Trips: A Guide for Planning During Times of School Budget Crises (Part I) http://bit.ly/f6b65q via @parentella
[...] trips to the east coast; namely to Washington, D.C., New York City, Philadelphia and/or Boston. Read part one here. With tough economic times and budget crunches at schools, some may think these trips are not [...]
[...] trips to the east coast; namely to Washington, D.C., New York City, Philadelphia and/or Boston. Part one focuses on the benefits of these kinds of trips, part 2 discusses why it is more cost effective to not use a travel [...]
[...] trips to the east coast; namely to Washington, D.C., New York City, Philadelphia and/or Boston. Part one focuses on the benefits of these kinds of trips, part two discusses why it is more cost effective to not use a travel [...]