As we welcome students back to the classroom after a summer filled with strange weather, we look forward to our future. As always, our youth is who we turn to when we try to imagine what we want our world to be. We quickly see how much the changing world landscape affects their young minds and we look at the different ways to expand their outlook, their understanding and their learnings. Education has always been the key to enriching their lives and improving their opportunities.
Travel has long been linked to helping the educational experience. Through the difficult years of the pandemic, nothing about that has changed in our belief. We at Fourwinds believe, as strongly as ever, that travel is the best form of education. There is no greater teacher than experience. And the ability to craft that experience alongside learnings in the classroom, to bring to reality what to some feel like just words on a page, causes such a profound impact that we cannot overstate the importance of including these opportunities for your students.
Travel, in all segments and like most things in our world today has gotten significantly more expensive. Rising costs across the board have caused prices to be a continued struggle. But as an operator in this world, this is not a new struggle for us. We have been working creatively with our clients, and partners to create enriching experiences and opportunities for our student travelers for almost three decades. Whether that means finding walking tours versus theatre shows to fill their days, or enjoying a local food-cart meal versus a sit-down restaurant or just simply trying to pack in long days to shorten a trip to stay within our community budget, we continue to work tirelessly to figure out some way to make your trip a reality.
Destination-wise, the trends have come back with force. The monuments and museums in Washington DC, the magic of Disney, and the bright lights of New York continue to fill with the chatter of excited students’ voices. The streets of London, Paris, Berlin, and Dubai all continue to offer wonder and excitement as the stark differences sit juxtaposed with the similarities of the human condition. As you embark on how to shape your curriculum and how to shape your travel opportunities, the important thing to think about is not just how to ensure your student gets their first opportunities to see the skyline of Manhattan, but what other destinations would also offer valued experiences. How can we explore the history of the American Revolution in smaller towns that may be more economical for your families?
And lastly, how flexible can you make your calendar? A lot of time moving your trip a few days or weeks away from other holidays can help keep prices down. Sometimes just shifting it by two days can avoid an overlap with a conference or a festival which means you are no longer competing with sold-out hotels and limited busing or crowded trains.
Fourwinds, and my family, have always been focused on one thing. Conquering your dreams. If you allow your students to imagine, to dream, let us help you make them have those wonders of the mind, become memories of the soul.
