Want to take your students on a once-in-a-lifetime trip? Trip planning may sound like a big undertaking, but it doesn't have to be! With the right support, it’s exciting and easy.

Looking for guidance? Search no further!

We’ve got a rundown of our educational travel process for you right here.

1. Gather ideas and inspo

Sometimes, a brilliant idea strikes, and you’re ready to pursue it. If that’s you, great—skip to step two!

If you’ve got to look around a little for what inspires or motivates you, that’s okay too! A good place to start is with some potential destinations and itineraries. Hint: We've got plenty to get you started on the Brightspark website! Maybe survey your students to see where they’re excited to visit. Another tip is to speak with other teachers or administrators at your school and in your network to gather more information (maybe one of them has travelled with students before).

Then, once you have a mental picture of what you’re looking to achieve through the trip or where you want to go, you’re ready to explore these ideas with a professional. In addition, it never hurts to speak with a seasoned trip planner for additional guidance and tips! At Brightspark, we have an excellent teacher-to-teacher program—just ask your Sales Consultant about it to get started. They'll connect you with a seasoned Group Leader who can run you through the A-Zs and provide invaluable insight (you may even get a funny on-tour story or two!).

2. Design your dream itinerary

This is where you’ll get into the nitty-gritty of the experience with your Sales Consultant. With their assistance, you'll narrow down the search and finalize your tour destination! We’ll help you set up everything for your trip: the theme, budget, must-have and would-be-nice activities, dates—you name it! You’ll even select your preferred hotels, transit, and attractions to make this ideal for your students, then leave the rest to us.

3. Spread the word (with tons of support)

Once you’ve booked your trip, all that’s left to do is tell your students about it and get them signed up! We’ll give you all the information and resources you need to spread awareness all over the school, including a simple online registration process, destination posters with trip details to hang around the building, and more.

We’ll also support you with hosting a parent information meeting (either virtual or in-person). This is the fun part, where you get to show off all your hard work planning. 😊 You can even have a Brightspark rep with you at the meeting to answer any tough questions! Plus, your Sales Consultant will help you at every step, and parents are welcome to contact our Customer Service team with any questions they have before or after the meeting. We truly are at your beck and call!

Another tip is to set up a fundraiser. This can be to help students with the cost or just get more people talking about the trip! Need a fundraiser idea? Check out one of our favourites here.

4. Prepare to come aboard

Before you know it, it’ll be time to go! You’ll connect with your Sales Consultant one last time before you head out to review the final details. We’ll help you determine student packing lists, rooming assignments, travel documents, spending money, meeting points, and anything else you need. If you forget anything, don’t worry—we have it all online for you too. 😊 And then, you’ll be off discovering a new destination and expanding your students’ worldviews!

There you have it! Booking and taking an educational tour is fun and easy when you have a dedicated team behind you! We consider every detail so you can focus on educating your students and expanding their horizons. Speak with a Sales Consultant today to get started on your next adventure.