EDUCATIONAL TRAVEL
"Certainly, travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living." - Miriam Beard
Educational travel... where the world is your teacher!
What an exciting thought for those of us planning for our "After-50" years!
What a wonderful vehicle for our continued exploration of ourselves and all we have to offer society!
Educational travel in our later years is the perfect way to undertake this self-exploration. It helps us understand and appreciate different cultures. It also changes us by broadening our perspectives and teaching us about new ways to measure our quality of life by what we see in other lands.
Vacations vs. Educational Travel
Today, people tend to think the words "travel" and "vacation" are synonymous. They think of them as ways to avoid work, as ways to seek out leisure, and avoid anything "serious." But please don't confuse the two. There is a real difference.
Vacations are just that - vacations - and they certainly have a valuable place in our lives.
Here, however, we are talking about travel - educational travel. Yes, educational travel is certainly fun, but at the same time you are also learning about the history, the culture and the politics, and absorbing the essence of the places you are visiting. What you are NOT doing, however, is soaking up the sun on a beach or heading toward the 18th hole. That belongs in the vacation part of your life.
As technology shrinks our world and brings us all closer together, the opportunity to learn about our neighbors grows. Don't we owe it to ourselves to delve into this landscape and explore the cultures of different people?
By doing so, we learn all about their history, the rise of their civilization and in some cases, their downfall. By viewing both the highs and lows, we come away with a much better view of not just them, but also ourselves.
Educational travel gives us the ability to do this in ways nothing else can. It gives us the opportunity to immerse ourselves in the exotic spectrum of life on Earth.
Educational travel leaves us with much more than a typical vacation. We gain a deeper knowledge of the world. We get to experience life; to truly live it. It can be a life-changing experience.
Format of An Educational Travel Program
Most educational travel programs offer the participant a combination of lectures, field trips and free time. Here's a quick overview of a typical international program.
In the morning, you might listen to a lecture by a well-known expert in a particular field (for example on the building of the castles in Germany.) Then you might view a slide show while listening to a presentation on the family history of the castle inhabitants.
After lunch you would visit one of these castles with your group, armed with what you had learned in the morning and escorted by a competent and knowledgeable guide. Later, you might eat dinner with a local family whose ancestors were directly affected by the daily activities at the castle. At day's end, you drift off to sleep aware that you have experienced a day full of learning, exploring, and personal growth.
Each day's format would roughly follow this outline of lectures, field trips, cultural interaction, and reflection. Each day would be full of activities guaranteed to stimulate the brain cells and keep you challenged, while still having fun.
Benefits of Educational Travel
Here are just a few of the many benefits you will derive from educational travel:
- View beautiful and historic sites.
- Learn about the culture and history of faraway places.
- Discover, learn and grow.
- Challenge inhibitions while gaining new perspectives.
- Gain a global viewpoint.
- Satisfy your curiosity about places of special interest.
- Develop lasting memories and friendships.
- Step outside your comfort zone.
Some Miscellaneous Thoughts
- Traveling by yourself is easier on an educational travel program because you'll be in the company of like-minded adults, a nice mix of both couples and singles.
- If you prefer, there are organizations that will match you with a traveling companion.
- Regardless of physical capability, special interest or budgetary challenge, there are a host of exciting travel options for you to consider, both in this country and abroad.
- The travel industry is aware of the growing interest in travel for enrichment and more and more companies are gearing their offerings in this direction.
- There are also service/educational travel programs that offer the opportunity to give of your skills and experience by volunteering in different locations.
Getting Started
Today, travel providers are very aware that educational travel is here to stay. As the Baby Boomers - the most educated generation in history - move into their later years, travel organizations are scrambling to offer programs with educational content.
Not all of them however, are doing a good job. The less reputable firms simply toss in a lecture ot two and call it an educational travel program. So, as with everything else, it's imperative that you do your homework.
Look over the itinerary, study the curriculum offerings and decide for yourself if the program you are interested in suits your needs.
Here are some of the very best in educational travel providers:
Elderhostel, Inc. - Today, Elderhostel is not only the Nation's first not-for-profit educational travel organization for adults age 50 and over, it is the largest. From their offices in Boston and their state-of-the-art Call Center, Elderhostel offers over 10,000 domestic and international progarms of the highest educational quality in over 90 countries, to over 200,000 older adults every year.
Close Up Foundation - Since its founding in 1970, Close Up has worked to promote responsible and informed particpation in the democratic process through a variety of educational programs. Each year, more than 20,000 students, teachers and other adults take part in Close Up's programs in Washington, DC.
Smithsonian Journeys - Although Smithsonian Journeys are not exclusively designed for just older adults, but rather for adults of all ages, we are including them here becuase of the high quality of their programs.
Classical Pursuits - While not geared specifically toward older adults, Classsical Pursuits offers a varirty of learning vacations for adults of all ages from all over North America.
ElderTreks - Twenty-year-old ElderTreks is the world's first adventure travel company designed exclusively for people 50 and older who are interested in exciting small group activities on the land and sea in more than eighty countries.
Explorica: Educational Travel & Student Tours - Explorica's educational tours help teachers and students connect to cultures, languages, and people through authentic learning experiences.
Senior Summer School, Inc. - Senior Summer School offers adventurous older adults an affordable opportunity to enhance their summer through leisure, education and disvovery.
Don't forget the INTERNET - Just type "educational travel programs" into your favorite search engine.
