Why ACIS Is the Most Trusted Name in Student Travel Since 1978

ACIS: A Legacy of Educational Travel Excellence

The story of ACIS (The American Council for International Studies) starts with one man: Peter Jones. He first started traveling when he attended university in England. He found it invigorating as he saw new places and met new people all of which allowed him to understand his own life differently. This passion he grew for travel led him to work as a tour manager for an educational travel company, and he eventually established his own premier educational travel company. In 1978, ACIS was born alongside a few colleagues of Peter all of whom believed in one thing: Travel changes lives. Every trip that ACIS organizes is given the utmost attention to detail from itinerary development, to the location of the hotels, to what is arguably the most important, the people hired to guide teachers and students throughout their journey. This dedication and experience since 1978 is why over 500,000 educators and students alike have decided to travel with ACIS.

Proven Quality and Satisfaction 

From 2023, around 98% of group leaders that traveled with ACIS have rated their tour as “good to excellent” thanks to the dedication that upholds our trips. However, don’t just take our word for it; See what real group leaders have to say about ACIS!

“I have traveled as a group leader for almost 20 years with ACIS, and their service is beyond exceptional. We have had all manner of issues on trips that are no one’s fault – lost passports, sick students, chaperones who need doctors, delayed flights, missed connections, a global pandemic – and each and every time, ACIS not only had a solution, but came up with a way to make the trip more enjoyable. On one of our last trips, we missed a connecting flight in Boston (took off late from Rome because of plane issues) and ended up being stranded for a full 24 hours in Boston. Not only did ACIS put our entire group up in a top notch hotel, they arranged food for several meals, a water taxi to take us into the city, and sent a tour guide to escort my students to the St. Patrick’s Day parade that just happened to be the one day we were “stuck” in Boston. My students returned to school telling everyone how they went to Boston and Italy for spring break. There is no one I’d trust more than ACIS with my students” (ACIS Group Leader Melissa B). 

“I have used ACIS several times over the years and have never been disappointed! There are always hands-on experiences, authentic dinners, top-notch local guides, and we’ve always stayed in very nice hotels right in the thick of whatever action we were there to experience. They are committed to ensuring your trip/tour is top notch. They will send reps in the field to meet up with you to ensure all is well. The tour managers that have accompanied us have also been just incredible!” (ACIS Group Leader Melinda W).

The ACIS Philosophy: Travel Changes Lives

When you travel with ACIS, you’re just visiting museums or going sightseeing, you get to really experience the live culture of the country you’re visiting. We make sure that every moment on your trip counts through cultural immersion and exceptional service. We work with teachers to identify key learning objectives in their curriculum and weave them throughout their journey whenever possible. Take our Discovering Stem in Iceland trip for example, where students are able to learn about the volcanic system in Iceland and how it came to be, or our Language Immersion in Spain trip where students have the opportunity to participate in a service project focused on addressing desertification and deforestation.

We also maintain cultural immersion through our knowledgeable and enthusiastic Tour Managers who make walking through a new land fun and exciting. With all of our itineraries, we meticulously choose our travel partners to ensure they keep responsible travel principles in mind. Itineraries also include locally-owned businesses overseas so that students are exposed to a wide variety of culture and perspectives. Throughout any trip ACIS also ensures that the needs of the group are always met and that in the case of an emergency our staff are able to help with whatever you need with just a call away.

Why This Trust Matters for Teachers

When traveling in a completely different country, safety is the first thing that comes to mind at ACIS. We ensure the safety of all of our travelers just as much as we ensure everyone can have a safe and educational experience from the moment you enter the airport to depart to the moment you get back home. Before every trip, group leaders discuss security measures during the group’s arrival briefing. Our staff also constantly monitors global conditions and is trained on emergency protocol response along with having 24/7 support at any point during any trip. We also offer a wide variety of protection plans if group leaders are uncomfortable traveling to their destination. Just know, we got your back while you’re learning and having fun!