Month: November 2024

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Student Trips – 7 Safety Tips For Students Traveling Internationally

Most students who have the opportunity to travel internationally do so only after having studied about that country’s language, culture and more for many months or years. In that way, the trip becomes the culmination of a growing wealth of knowledge that the student holds in his or her mind about that country.

For this reason, international student trips are definitely something to get excited about. Whether traveling with a small study group or a large school group, your student trip should undoubtedly be something to remember for a long time.

Of course, for students, parents and teachers alike, student safety during the trip should be priority one. You can never be too prepared when you travel.

If you are interested in student trips to international destinations (using Japan as an example), here are 7 safety tips to consider:

1. Each student should have a travel buddy when riding on any domestic transportation systems:

Just as scuba divers always dive in pairs, so students traveling internationally for the first time should have a travel buddy with them whenever the group is on the move – either en route to or from Japan or traveling domestically within the country. Before your group departs for Japan, be sure each student has a travel buddy assigned to him or her.

2. Rent a cell phone once you arrive:

In order to stay in touch with the group while in Japan, getting a cell phone is smart move. Unless your own cell phone will work in Japan (check with your carrier before your trip), you will want to rent a cell phone upon arrival. You can do so using a picture ID and a credit card at airport kiosks.

3. Make sure the trip’s chaperone or organizer gives clear instructions when traveling from one place to another:

The times during which students can be most prone to having problems while traveling are when they are in transit in-country from one place to another. Japan’s rail system is magnificent – but also very complex. Many signs are only written in Japanese. The organizer needs to constantly be giving clear instructions – including backup plans – at each step of the way.

4. Designate meeting places when visiting attractions:

When visiting a temple, shrine, or other attraction in Japan, make sure to designate easily-recognizable meeting places where the whole group can convene at a certain time. This is a good way to collect any stragglers who may have gotten lost.

5. Check the U.S. Embassy website for travel alerts:

The website of the U.S. Embassy in Japan offers regular travel alerts and updates. Be sure to check there regularly to be kept abreast of any unfolding situations of which you should be aware.

6. Avoid areas notorious for crime:

Roppongi in Tokyo and a handful of other places in Japan’s large and midsize cities are known for criminal activity. Learn these places – and avoid them if at all possible.

7. Be aware of your surroundings:

This final tip is one of common sense: just remain aware of your surroundings – including being aware of the other members of your group – as you travel in Japan. This is the easiest way to stay safe and have a great trip.

Consider these 7 safety tips as you travel internationally on a student trip.

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What Does a Food Delivery Service Do?

There is no doubt that when you are looking to save some time in the evening that a food delivery service will be the perfect choice for you. If you haven’t used one of these services before, you are going to find that they offer some great benefits. Perhaps one of the best things you can do is to take a moment to look at everything that this service does.

One of the first things the food deliver service will do is prepare a delicious meal for your family. Generally, you are going to choose from a few different options on their menu and determine which ones are going to work best for you. Once you have made your choice, the service will begin to prepare your dishes according to order. You will find that this can be a delicious and effective approach to making dinner for your entire family.

Along with this, you will also find that the food delivery service ensures your food is kept fresh and that it has been properly handled as well. That means that they prepare your food in a sanitary kitchen with employees who are committed to using high levels of personal hygiene. That helps you to feel comfortable enjoying the food that is prepared for you and understanding it is a delicious and flavorful option as well.

Delivery is of course another aspect that the food delivery service will handle. In this process, you are going to find that these individuals will have your food delivered to you right on time. There will be no concern for late or cold food either, since most of these individuals will service an area that they have a good understanding of. This will of course also allow them to give you a general idea on the amount of time it will take to get your food delivered to you as well.

Above all, you are going to find that the food delivery service is going to give you more time to spend with your family. Instead of having to focus on preparing a meal, you and your family can enjoy the chance to sit down together and enjoy a nice hot meal that has been prepared to the highest standards possible. That will give you a delicious meal that you can enjoy and that will make the entire experience remain one of the best choices you are going to have in this process as well.

Remember, there are going to be different styles of food you can choose from in this process. Your goal should remain to deliver the highest quality food to your family and to enjoy all the different elements that come into play as you make a delicious and healthy choice that will feed your entire family and give them something that they might be able to look forward to, especially if you plan on ordering takeout food on a regular basis as well.

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Brush Up on Spanish Speaking Skills: Cultural and Immersion Tour of Puerto Rico

For many students studying Spanish, the ultimate way to test their speaking skills is to become immersed in a culture where it is the primary language. These days, student travel groups may be less inclined to visit Mexico, due to news of attacks on American citizens traveling there. Europe may be overpriced for smaller school trip budgets. Puerto Rico is a great alternative to other destinations. Best of all – no passport is needed, since it is a U.S. Territory.

If the school group leader requests it – this tour is done completely in Spanish. Students are challenged to speak Spanish while they travel. Student travelers will eat locally made Puerto Rican food, learn Salsa dancing from locals, play dominoes and briscas, dine and converse with local guides and residents and swim and lodge where locals enjoy the beach. Student travel groups will tour San Juan and Ponce, two of the largest cities in Puerto Rico, and also have the opportunity to explore rural areas, like the pristine beaches of Boquerón and Luquillo, the fishing village La Parguera, and El Yunque, the only tropical rainforest in the United States.

Read on to find out how this tour is structured to teach the Spanish student through an immersion in Puerto Rican culture.

Dining Out in Puerto Rico
Student travelers will have authentic culinary experiences while touring. Eating locally prepared dishes is one way to learn more about everyday life in Puerto Rico. In San Juan, students will try authentic Afro-Caribbean dishes at Piñones restaurant. While visiting the small fishing village of La Parquera in western Puerto Rico, students will be treated to a homemade dinner and snacks prepared by locals. In Ponce, the group will eat an elegant Puerto Rican dinner at San Juan’s top salsa spot and may sample some churros – a fried pastry that is sometimes dipped in chocolate. While visiting El Yunque rainforest on the Northeast coast of Puerto Rico, students will sample Pinchos, a traditional Spanish snack eaten with toothpicks or skewers.

Experiencing Puerto Rican Culture
Salsa dancing is more popular than ever in Spanish speaking countries. Meanwhile a wave of enthusiasm for learning Salsa is sweeping the United States and other countries. On the first evening of the tour, students will take professionally taught Salsa lessons and participate in a workshop at one of Puerto Rico’s most prestigious dance schools. A few days later the group will dine in a top salsa restaurant in San Juan where they will listen to live Salsa music – where they may choose to practice some of the dance moves they learned.

On day two of the tour, students will see a Puerto Rican dance performance and participate in a workshop where they will learn the history and the moves of dance from Bomba y Plena to the current Reggaetón.

Towards the end of the tour students will learn to play dominós and briscas, two favorite local games, while relaxing after supper.

Spanish Language Learning Exercises
Foreign language teachers will be interested in hearing their students speak Spanish on tour, so the local tour guide has developed some fun and ingenious ways of learning. On the first day of the tour he will teach the group how to sing Marc Anthony’s Preciosa, Puerto Rico’s unofficial anthem. By the final day of the tour the guide will ask students to sing Preciosa by heart.

Near La Parguera, students will have the opportunity to tour a public school and see how children in Puerto Rico learn. The Principal will guide them around the school. Students will have a chance to test their Spanish by posing questions they may have about education in Puerto Rico – and be answered in Spanish.

While touring Ponce’s old and new farmers markets, students will participate in a Scavenger Digital Hunt. They will learn the Spanish names for native fruits, vegetables and meat products. This is a fun, hands-on way to learn new Spanish words using technology and real time interactions with the people of Puerto Rico.

This tour includes visits to rural areas and cities. It can be adapted to any student travel group’s needs or preferences. Because a Puerto Rican tour guide created it, the sites selected offer an insightful local viewpoint on culture, language and food.

For more information on scheduling a Cultural and Immersion Tour of Puerto Rico, visit http://www.educationaltravelconsultants.com or email [email protected] to request a quote.