Parents come to educators with pages of questions leading up to a student trip—and rightly so! Whether you’re planning your very first class trip or you’ve been traveling with your students for years, these topics broached by parents are always good to have top of mind.
Unrealistic expectations.
Be clear with parents right off the bat when it comes to things like payment deadlines and behavioral guidelines. Some parents may ask to join the trip as a chaperone. If they do, be sure they know what’s expected of them and that while having fun and learning is the goal, they must maintain a professional presence.
What students should pack.
Whether it’s wondering about towels for the pool or bedding for their bunks, parents are going to want to know their child has everything they need for their trip. Be sure to outline a full packing list far in advance in case some purchases need to be made or if they need to apply for a passport. Get started with ideas from our Ultimate Student Group Travel Packing List.
Safety and medication concerns.
Safety is key to ensuring everyone has an enjoyable trip. Be sure parents know to provide any and all important medical information before the trip and make them aware of how students will be transported and who they’ll be accompanied by on their trip. Traveling to a country where a language other than English is spoken? Ask parents to have their child’s documents translated to the local language via resources like Google Translate in case of an emergency.
How accommodations will work.
Whatever your lodging, reassuring parents of their children’s sleeping arrangements will provide peace of mind. Be sure to also make considerations for LGBTQ students and have a class discussion about the topic beforehand, if needed.
Written by: Hemisphere Educational Travel