Create a Travel Club

A great way to keep students engaged and recruit new group members is to create a travel club. All of your tour participants can be members, and you can also open the club up to any student interested in learning more about the cultures of the world. The club can be student led. Find motivated students to take the lead, and they’ll be fostering a culture of global citizenship that will be sure to engage current travelers and entice future ones. Plus, some schools that don’t sponsor their teachers’ tours will allow you to talk travel at school if it’s in conjunction with the club.

What Does a Travel Club do?

The short answer is anything it wants! Most travel clubs have activities that will share the world’s cultures with their members. Here are some fun ideas to consider:

Food, food, food!

  • Nothing draws a crowd like the promise of delicious treat. Host an international potluck for lunch or after school, encouraging students to bring in dishes or desserts from all over the world.
  • Host a cookie baking contest where students bake cookie recipes from different parts of the world. You could even turn this into a fundraising bake sale to help support your club or your trip. Check out our blog post featuring cookies from around the world!
  • If there is a local international market, pick up some snacks from around the globe to share with the club.
  • Head to local international restaurant to try something new and delicious!

Movie Nights

  • Hold your meeting in the school auditorium and project an inspiring film or documentary about traveling or a different culture. Maybe even show some foreign films to really get an immersive experience! Check out some favorites here, here and here.
  • Show episodes of travel-related shows like Parts Unknown or Passport To about destinations you plan or dream of traveling to.

Yearbook Spotlight

  • Show off your worldly crew in your annual yearbook’s Club Spotlight section! Maybe you can even use a photo from abroad.

International Pen Pals

  • Give your students an opportunity to connect with other students around the world by participating in a global pen pal exchange.

Music

Holiday Celebrations

  • Celebrate and learn about holidays & traditions like the Catalonian Christmas Log, Holi and Chinese New Year.

Prepare for your Trip!

The travel club is, of course, also a wonderful place to also talk about your trip and prepare for it. Not only can you get excited about what is on this year’s itinerary, you can also brainstorm where you’d like to go next!