January Edition:
Interview with Wendy Way
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Interview with Wendy Way |
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Three Trip Types for 2013 |
View the January E-Newsletter in its entirety.
Read past issues of Travel Talk, ACIS' monthly e-newsletter.
INTERVIEW WITH GROUP LEADER, WENDY WA
Meet Wendy Way, an ACIS group leader and social studies teacher from New York. Wendy has shown hundreds of students the world by traveling with them to destinations like France, Spain, Italy, Austria, Switzerland and Germany. We sat down with Wendy this month for a Q&A session about her pre-trip process, her trip highlights and to find out why she continues to travel with ACIS. Plus, we're introducing three trip types for travel in 2013 so you can choose the perfect tour (and budget!) for your next adventure.
You currently have 42 participants registered for your upcoming Insider's Spain and France tour. How do you successfully recruit large groups for your trips?
Wendy: Invitations are sent out to students about two weeks before the meeting and I hold it in my room after school. I generally invite about 65 students for the 44 spots that I have available on the trip as I know not everyone will be able to go.
I create a video of all of the places that we'll be visiting using Windows Movie Maker and I add text to the images, and music to set the tone. When the students get to the meeting they are given a manila envelope with the registration booklet and the trip flyer as well as a letter to parents with frequently asked questions. Students are instructed that they cannot open the envelopes until told to do so and I discuss the costs of the trip, the registration forms, etc. but I don't tell them where we're going in order to build anticipation. When all of the paperwork information has been discussed I present the video to the class. When the cities and places start showing up on the screen the kids start screaming—some of them even start crying. It's amazing to watch—you can actually feel the excitement in the room. After the video I tell them they can open the envelopes and I show them the forms that I had been discussing and tell them the payment deadlines. Students actually start bringing in deposits the next day!
How far in advance do you start planning your trips?
Wendy: I start planning 15 months before with the research and pricing of the trip that we are thinking of doing, and I present the trip information to the students about 14 months in advance of the trip.
What motivates you to continue to take students abroad?
Wendy: I was very lucky when I was growing up to get the opportunity to travel—my parents took me all over the world. I gained valuable information and lessons about the world we live in which ultimately inspired me to become a history teacher. I wanted to pass on these opportunities to my students—travel is the best education that one can experience.
What are your top three travel highlights that you'll never forget?
Wendy: 1. Experiencing a Swiss dinner in a 300 year old Alpine house on a mountain and then walking back down the mountain at night through the forest with the students carrying torches—it was magical (and a little scary!)
2. While visiting Rome, my students had the opportunity to go to a service at St. Peter’s with the Pope!
3. On a free evening the students got to swim in the Olympic pool in Munich where Mark Spitz won all of those gold medals—how cool is that?!
What do you think ACIS provides that other educational travel companies can't or don't provide?
Wendy: Quality. ACIS may cost a bit more than the other educational travel companies, but having traveled with those “other” companies I can tell you there's such a difference in the level of quality. Staying in 3 and 4 star centrally located hotels, eating culturally relevant food, visiting sights that are iconic, etc. make the travel experience the best it can be for what, for some students, may be their only trip to Europe in their lifetime (although let’s hope this isn't the case!)
If you could give one piece of advice to teachers traveling with students, what would it be?
Wendy: Be flexible! Sometimes I have to stop and tell myself that the kids are teenagers, many who have never traveled before. Things go wrong, schedules change, people get cranky, and you just have to go with it. Travel is an adventure—sometimes a frustrating one. The kids look to you as a model of what to do—just keep smiling and laughing and they will too.
Wendy is an Insider...what are you? For 2013, we're offering three different kinds of trips to fit your vision and your budget—all living up to the same unparalleled ACIS quality standard.
Insider: Our most immersive trips, built around unique cultural experiences.
Classic: Timeless favorites, full of exploration and cultural encounters.
Explorer: More flexibility and an excellent value. Travel your own way and at your own pace.
When your participants register by April 1, 2012, they'll save $100 on all Insider and Classic tours and $200 on all Explorer tours. Visit the Explore-a-Tourium to search for trips or contact your tour consultant for more information.
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