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PRESENTATION OVERVIEW

In this session we will offer a practical guide to setting up “Sister School Partnerships”, discuss travel opportunities both domestic and abroad and address common pitfalls when planning trips.

Additional topics to be discussed are: project collaboration (between sister schools), service learning on trips, student sponsorship, and visitors/hosting opportunities.

We will provide insider travel/booking tips, website resources and a short list of do’s and dont’s

In conclusion we would like to offer our opinions and rationale behind expanding ISSN student travel collaboration.

Ogden/Chicago partners with official “Sister Cities and Sister Schools”Mayoral initiative lends additional resources, business partnerships and legitimacy.

Students’ Benefits:+City Hall & Mayoral visits+Sister Schools Signing+Committed Sister Schools provide: -teacher leads, collaborative projects -custom itineraries

-a culture of care for all aspects of the trip

SISTER SCHOOL PARTNERSHIPS

SISTER SCHOOLS

DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL

‘ A M E R I C A N ’ E X P E R I E N C E S

Ideally done with:-Younger students or low SES (due to decreased cost)-ISSN Partner (more later)

-Larger group or whole class-As a teambuilding event over a long weekend-Hotel Stay

P A S S P O R T R E Q U I R E D

Can be:

-Part of a credit course or done for partial HS credit

-Home Stay over a period of 10-13 days

-Completed over school breaks, including summer

AVOID AT ALL COSTS

-Booking through a third party (Orbitz, Travelocity…)

-Tour Groups (E.F., Trip America…)

-Taking groups of 90 students anywhere (or talk to Theresa M. to do it right)

-1st time trips that have not been meticulously pre-planned

-Staying anywhere that is not a city center or next to the host school (4th arrondissment)

Projects:

A minimum requirement for students to engage in prior to travel

Opportunity for those that do not travel via V.C., Skype…

Set around a international topic, grade requirement and is cross disciplinary

Service:Predetermined requirements done in collaboration with and NOT for the host schoolTasks are S.M.A.R.T.Student “by-in” is 100% and kids are motivatedEnvironmental concerns and the like work better than “social ills”

PROJECT COLLABORATION AND SERVICE LEARNING

PROJECTS AND SERVICE

STUDENT SPONSORSHIP & BUDGETING

At Ogden we employ a mix of strategies when approaching financing:

Each trips is evaluated based on overall price, current student interest, age and depth of partnership, grade bands traveling, and reciprocal requirements (hosting, cost to school…)

We charge students full price for trips (air, lodging, activities, food, inter-country travel*)

We sponsor students for 50% of total trip costs

We also sponsor students through Ogden’s rental income, Principal cultivated anonymous donors and from local business sponsors

We NEVER charge students for chaperone expenses (above* including sub-coverage)

SPONSORING & BUDGETING:

HOSTING

HOSTING…

It’s a TWO way street: hosting relationships must be equal, that includes:

-Length of trip

-# of students traveling, # of chaperones traveling

-Expectations (activities, time in school, home stay requirements)

-Exchange rate

-Common policies (trip, health and emergency insurance)

-Transparent rules for special circumstances (SPED students, home situations)

Ogden sponsors a myriad of events to support our host parents (from packed daily events, pick up and drop off at airport, sponsored weekend events and waiving the hosting fees), having said that our biggest challenge is getting host families to host.

-Engage students first then call parents directly to hosting meetings

-Promote hosting through student presentations, special events and local field experiences for Ogden students

-Ogden Staff hosts chaperones

BOOKING TIPS

W E B - R E S O U R C E S

www.budgettravel.com/

www.ricksteves.com/

www.kayak.com

book the alerts to get notification

secure airfare, when comparable, directly from airline

G R O U P T R A V E L B E N E F I T S

Lower air rates for 6+

-assign names later

Train and transit discounts (bulk buys for metro, tube, subway)

Lower hotel rates for chaperones or mini-trips

Prepay for excursions, admissions to avoid over budget expenses

ISSN: NETWORKS, PARTNERSHIPS

ISSN provides a space to “virtually post” all upcoming trips, partnerships and international school based

events for that fiscal year

ISSN Schools can:

Send school representatives on partner ISSN trips to scout locations, find a “sister school, see a partnership in action or to chaperone (Language B option)

Send students to visit each others school (Henry Street NYC to LA) as discrete exchanges

Use partner schools to provide a low cost travel option, or for students unable to travel internationally

Trifecta Partner with schools based on: curricular need (ACT), grade level commonality (application to University) or project/lab goals (testing water pollution in East, Chicago and Danube Rivers)

C

HEERS

&

SAFE

TRAV

ELS