2020 Student Travel Planning Guide

2020 EDITION

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COMPREHENSIVE STEM DESTINATIONS

Cities bursting with science museums, factories, universities and nature

6 EXCEPTIONAL EUROPEAN STUDY ABROAD OPPORTUNITIES CUTTING-EDGE TECHNOLOGY IN THE STUDENT TRAVEL SECTOR

FIELD LEARNING GUIDE Step out of the classroom and introduce your students to scientific professionals

A Premier Travel Media publication / StudentTravelPlanningGuide.com

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REVOLUTIONIZE YOUR CURRICULUM WITH DISCOUNTED, GUIDED TOURS Get out of the classroom and into history with a customized field trip to Colonial Williamsburg. History lives here and your students will never forget it.

Roam through 18th-century America. Meet the patriots and be inspired by the moments of our independence.

Book your school or youth group trip today: call 1-800-228-8878, email groupsales@cwf.org, visit colonialwilliamsburg.com/grouptours

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contents

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FEATURES 6 Emerging Technology in the

Student Travel Sector

See how leading student travel operators are revolutionizing the industry with cutting-edge digital technology.

10 The Benefits of Student

Travel Clubs

Student travel expert Lisa Curtin breaks down the benefits of school trips for both students and educators alike.

12 6 Exceptional Study Abroad

Nations in Europe

Explore picturesque mountainsides, quaint cobblestone villages and bustling industrial cities in an uncommon destination.

14 Air and Water Show Observation decks and scenic cruises provide unforgettable views for school groups.

17 STEM Prep How to prepare your class for an unforgettable STEM adventure.

ON THE COVER: Photo courtesy of iStock.com/SDI Productions

SPECIAL SECTION STEM City Spotlight Cities with STEM-centric museums, parks, factories and universities.

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Dallas Seattle Houston Colorado Springs & the Front Range 28 Huntsville & Northern Alabama 31 Smoky Mountains/ Pigeon Forge

50 34 36 39 42 44 47 50 52

rlando & Atlantic Coast O Cleveland Indianapolis Detroit Chicago New York City Boston Washington, D.C.

Visit studenttravelplanningguide.com for more STEM City Spotlight locations STUDENT TRAVEL PLANNING GUIDE 2020

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2020 EDITION Editorial & Advertising Office 621 Plainfield Road, Suite 406 Willowbrook, IL 60527 P 630.794.0696 F 630.794.0652 info@ptmgroups.com www.ptmgroups.com Publisher – Jeffrey Gayduk jeff@ptmgroups.com Senior Editor – Randy Mink randy@ptmgroups.com Associate Editor – Miles Dobis miles@ptmgroups.com Contributing Writers – Lisa Curtin, Vanessa Day, Liam Dwyer, Jaylyn Fahey, Meghan King

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wenty-first century American education is one of constant evolution. Textbooks can be accessed online instead of weighing down backpacks, video chats make the classroom more accessible than ever, and digital interactivity has revolutionized the way young minds study and retain information. While our education system has made great strides to keep pace with this technological progress, it often lags in retooling a school staple: the field trip.

Since we were students ourselves, the prospect of an outing beyond the confines of campus was exciting primarily for the novelty of being outside the typical classroom environment; learning something new in a different location was usually secondary. But this generation of students is different. As the developed world pivots from manufacturing and agriculture to the service and technology industries, STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) is increasingly emphasized. Field trips, a key supplement to the educational experience by displaying practical applications of classroom concepts in a real-world environment, have evolved as well. Once a staid visit to a museum or historic mansion, field trips now allow students to meet with university researchers, tour biomedical facilities and participate in an incredible slate of programming offered by the National Park Service.

This edition of Student Travel Planning Guide seeks to provide a comprehensive overview of STEM field trips across the nation. In fact, our editorial team has been so thorough in its research that nearly double the coverage can be found on our online portal. These city profiles go beyond the typical museums and tours and reveal the accessible STEM experience no classroom can hope to match. From whale watching in Boston to the physics of roller coasters in Los Angeles, you’ll be sure to find an illuminating activity to spark STEM interest in your students and rejuvenate your department. As well, our front-of-book features showcase observation decks for stunning city views, tech tools offered by industry-leading student travel operators and tips for teachers embarking on their first STEM adventure.

Director, Design & Production – Lisa Hede lisa@ptmgroups.com The publisher accepts unsolicited editorial matter, as well as advertising, but assumes no responsibility for statements made by advertisers or contributors. Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information is published, but the publisher makes no warranty that listings are free of error. The publisher is not responsible for the return of unsolicited photos, slides or manuscripts.

Student Travel Planning Guide (ISSN 2154-4905) is published annually by Premier Travel Media Inc. 621 Plainfield Road, Suite 406, Willowbrook, IL 60527. Postage paid at Willowbrook, IL and Lebanon Junction, KY. This publication is distributed free to youth group travel organizers and travel suppliers catering to the market.

Single copies for all others is $9.95.

Send Address Change To: Premier Travel Media, Inc. 621 Plainfield Road, Suite 406 Willowbrook, IL 60527 Copyright 2019. All rights reserved. Materials may not be reproduced in any form without written permission of the publisher.

FREE

WHITEP APER

Happy Travels, Miles Dobis

This revolutionary whitepaper from Student Travel Planning Guide starts the dialogue about how educators can partner with tourism professionals, public entities and private industry to expose their students to field-based learning opportunities.

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STUDENT TRAVEL PLANNING GUIDE 2020

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studenttravelplanningguide.com/stem-whitepaper

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[frē-trɪp-ʃɪp] noun 1 : $20,000 to show your students the world 2 : The best educational travel scholarship you’ve never heard of 3 : Fuel for “favorite teacher” status Redefine how your students learn.

Enter at eftours.com/win

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National Geographic Encounter: Ocean Odyssey

PARDON THE INTERRUPTION:

EMERGING TECHNOLOGY MAKING WAVES IN THE STUDENT TRAVEL INDUSTRY Technology is playing more of a role for students as they explore the world. Many companies are incorporating it in innovative ways to promote engagement during school trips.

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By Vanessa Day

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echnology is a distraction. That’s a common feeling among society today. The mini computers in our hands capture attention with digital games, live streaming videos and social media feeds, all keeping us in an endless thumb scroll. Rather than shun these mobile machines, many companies in the student travel industry are embracing them. They are finding innovative and disruptive ways to incorporate them into their itineraries to make the travel experience even more fulfilling and educational for students.

How are tour operators lifting students’ eyes from the screen to the real world?

They’re using some of the technology that has emerged in recent years to transform smartphones into helpful tools rather than diversions from the travel experience.

In addition, organizations are utilizing technology to improve the trip-planning process during every stage, as well as increase their efficiency when it comes to everyday activities. And the movement is not limited to tour companies. Individual attractions and destinations are also getting into the tech game with their own apps to enhance student visits and make the trip more memorable for everyone.

a secure online payment system for parents where they can manage their balance and pay it down in convenient increments that work with their timeline and budget.

While these tools may seem basic, they create a straightforward experience for administrators and parents. “We want our technology tools to assist group leaders at every stage,” says Showalter. “Giving them everything they need right when they need it.”

TECH ON THE GROUND If students can get distracted by smartphones in a classroom, what’s to prevent the same thing from happening in a museum or on a guided city tour? Attractions, destinations and tour operators have addressed this issue, turning the phones into educational tools through modern technology.

The National Park Service (NPS) has developed several free phone apps for its parks to help group leaders plan a trip and “discover the stories that make our parks

National Geographic Encounter: Ocean Odyssey

PLANNING AND MANAGING One of the most time-consuming and complicated elements of student trips is planning. As a result, tour operators have been using technology more and more to ease stress and make life easier for group leaders and parents.

“We have been looking to implement technology at every stage of the trip,” says Robb Showalter, Brand Development Manager at Bob Rogers Travel. “Our online MyTour system allows groups leaders to access trip details, traveler details, payment information, tasks that need to be completed, important documents and more.” Leaders can access this information at any time and from anywhere.

Bob Rogers Travel also offers its Individual Payment System (IPS) to let families pay the company directly, says Showalter. This removes the need for directors to collect payments, giving them one less thing to worry about. Super Holiday Tours also offers

National Geographic Encounter: Ocean Odyssey

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special,” according to the NPS website. The apps include features like maps that highlight the locations of main points of interest, walking directions to get students from one place to another and in-depth insights about monuments with the help of lively text, photos and even podcasts.

NPS has also incorporated some more advanced technology into its apps to make them even more engaging and educational.

For example, Park Lens is an augmented reality (AR) feature that labels all the major sites in each park when the students hold up their phone against the background. Students can easily share their experience with the Postcard feature, which lets them send a digital postcard to family or friends from a specific park with one tap of a button.

The Smithsonian Institution has created several unique apps that can be used before, during, and after groups visit any of its museums. “Ripped Apart: A Civil War Mystery” immerses students into the world

of a Smithsonian researcher, letting them solve puzzles, decipher documents and explore items from the museum’s collections on their phone. “The Hirshhorn Eye” is an app that can be used at the Hirshhorn Museum in Washington, D.C. It uses image recognition to deliver information about the art piece directly from the artists.

Attractions are also integrating interactive technology into the educational experience, such as the National Geographic Encounter: Ocean Odyssey experience in Times Square.

An immersive environment developed by the special effects team behind Game of Thrones, the cutting-edge journey takes visitors from the South Pacific Ocean to coastal California.

Photorealistic sea creatures interact with seemingly endless simulated environments like a kelp forest and coral reef, and an immersive soundscape is created from global underwater sound archives Tour operators are also incorporating this kind of technology into their own student

trips. EF Educational Tours aims to create immersive, educational experiences, and it has found that technology can enhance student learning, according to Emily Harburg, PhD., Director of Emerging Technology & Innovation. “Through various tech tools, we want to help our travelers further engage with the environment around them, while still being fully present in that location,” says Harburg.

Through EF Educational Tours’ augmented reality apps, students experienced Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I have a Dream” speech come to life at the Lincoln Memorial and let them listen to a World War II veteran tell the story of landing on Normandy’s Utah Beach.

These kinds of enhancements allow students to better understand these stories through the eyes of those who lived it, says Harburg.

EF Educational Tours also offers a scavenger hunt app that can be used on various Europe itineraries. At the Louvre in Paris, students explored the art museum by topic or genre, using the scavenger hunt to

Costa Rica

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Interactive digital display at Jamestown Settlement

focus on specific pieces and learn more about them. “As the Louvre can be so overwhelming,” says Harburg, “it was a way for them to personalize their learning experience.”

The Moments that Matter app from Bob Rogers Travel is a simple, yet effective way for students and educators to stay connected during the trip. It includes group messaging and photo sharing, so students can communicate with each other throughout the trip. It also has traveler location tracking so students are accounted for and easily located if one gets lost.

images to share their experience. This is the kind of technology tour operators could utilize in their own tech suites to continue the lesson well after the trip has ended.

Another area with growth potential is safety. Several travel apps exist to help personal and business travelers stay safe,

and student tour operators can partner with these apps to create the same sense of security for students. FoneTrac, for example, offers global monitoring from a command center, and the app can be used to send a panic alert from anywhere with real-people assistance. The app offers licenses to organizations to help them enhance safety for their travelers.

Today’s students live in a digital world.

Rather than view it as the enemy to travel, tour operators have found ways to make technology an accessory. But both tech and consumer expectations are evolving rapidly. “Emerging technology could drive even greater customization,” says Harburg, “and make it easier for groups to travel and adhere to their unique preferences and interests.” The possibilities to enhance the student travel experience are almost endless, says Showalter, and it’s exciting to see where companies will take it in the future. ■

THE FUTURE OF TECH AND STUDENT TRAVEL Tour operators are actively using technology in itineraries and in the planning process, but as the digital world changes, so do the techniques companies need to use to engage with customers. “Students have a more complete understanding of how to utilize technology in their everyday lives,” says Casey Cole, Sales Manager with Super Holiday Tours, “which includes how they travel and the experience they expect as a result.”

It’s the growing expectations that will push companies to innovate with different applications and tools.

Post-trip reflection, for instance, can be improved through technology. Rather than have students put together a slideshow presentation or a scrapbook of memories to show what they learned; educators can consider something a little more digitally focused. Google Tour Creator lets students build a virtual reality tour with their own

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VadimGuzhva/Bigstock.com

Students will learn about themselves, others and the world beyond their doors.

THE BENEFITS OF

By Lisa Curtin

STUDENT TRAVEL S CLUBS

tudents today travel all of the time.

Maybe it’s the sports team or band and choir traveling, but these are traveling groups. Their travel may not be under the heading of a travel club, but nonetheless they are traveling. Riding on chartered coaches, overnighting in hotels, eating meals on the road and visiting attractions, all while chaperoned by school personnel, can be a rewarding experience.

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A school travel club can level the playing field for students who are not athletically or musically inclined. Maybe a student simply has an interest in history or science, or maybe vocations such as the trades or farming. Perhaps these same students would love the opportunity to travel to a new place, visit historical sites that they read about in a textbook, research architecture beyond their community or discover new farming methods in different regions of the country or world—the educational possibilities are endless.

STUDENT TRAVEL CLUBS BUILD SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL CONFIDENCE A travel club is a unique learning experience. The best clubs are those that encourage all to join, offer unique and interesting destinations that span a wide variety of interests and allow peers to budget and raise funds necessary for the trip. All of these learning tools build confidence and reinforce positive social emotional behavior. Students will learn about themselves, others and the world beyond their doors. A travel club may even be a motivator for a student who is academically challenged. Academic success can be linked to student depression or even isolation. Students who feel either of these emotions may not see the reason for taking their education seriously. They fall behind because they do not feel connected.

A travel club inherently builds connections which can help alleviate depression and the feeling of isolation.

communities can be a powerful catalyst in changing students’ lives. A service-learning club prepares students to understand why specific needs exist and how their acts of service will make a difference. Students are challenged to learn empathy - not sympathy - for others as their service efforts become a part of the greater good in this world.

Students show growth in personal acts of compassion and words of gratitude as they create a ripple effect. They are, in fact, changing the world by changing their world.

When quality service-learning takes place, everyone benefits. “ “However, all of these dynamics are enhanced even further when travel to other communities is introduced. The SaLT (Service and Learning Together) organization, based in the northern suburbs of Chicago, does just this. Not only do students engage in local service projects throughout the Chicagoland area, they truly make this world a better place, one connection at a time.”

Starting a service club may be a way that educators can approach the idea of a student travel club within their school.

Travel can begin close to home, servicing local needs and perhaps branch out to other destinations, serving communities across the country and beyond.

STUDENT TRAVEL CLUBS AS VOCATIONAL TRAINING A student travel club could also serve as vocation training in the tourism industry.

Many cities, states and countries list tourism as the second- or third-largest contributor to their economy. Ask any student in 8th -12th grade about today’s top industries, as I have, and less than one percent will respond with tourism. They don’t really know it exists. A student travel club can open their eyes to this robust part of most of the world’s economies.

An introduction to the industry, let’s call it Tourism 101, should be a part of every student travel club member’s orientation. ■

CONSIDER A SERVICE-LEARNINGBASED STUDENT TRAVEL CLUB There are many reasons why educators may want to start a student travel club in their community, with many of the reasons why schools should support such an endeavor already discussed in this article. Another lens for student travel is focusing on a servicebased student travel club.

In a recent interview with Ida Fiore, science teacher at Northwoods Junior High School in the Chicago suburbs, and cofounder of SaLT, she offers the following: “A service-learning-based club combined with travel experiences to other STUDENT TRAVEL PLANNING GUIDE 2020

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EXCEPTIONAL STUDY ABROAD NATIONS IN EUROPE

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Explore picturesque mountainsides, quaint cobblestone villages and bustling industrial cities across Europe.

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By Meghan King

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hether students are traveling abroad for their first or 21st time, it’s important to be prepared and have all the necessary documents. A passport is essential in order to travel from home to anywhere outside of your country of residence. Most international governments and universities require that a student’s passport is valid through their visit (at least three months past departure date from destination).

In order to obtain a passport, travelers must either renew their current passport or apply for a new one. For first-time travelers, the U.S. Department of State recommends applying for a passport at least six to eight weeks before the departure date from the United States.

1: AUSTRIA Innsbruck, the capital of the Austrian state of Tyrol, is home to a diverse population, with about 25% of its population composed of students. From city life to campus life, Innsbruck is only about a 20-minute walk or 10-minute bike ride from Universität Innsbruck (University of Innsbruck). Originally founded in 1669, the university hosts about 30,000 students, 42% of whom are international students.

With more than 100 programs available to students, there are numerous ways for

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students to immerse themselves while they study abroad, whether they choose to enroll for a semester or a year.

2: CZECH REPUBLIC As an exciting and charming city located about 200 kilometers southeast of the Czech Republic’s capital city, Prague, Brno (BURnoh) offers a lively club and entertainment scene as well as a wave of hip cafés,

restaurants and bars that have helped to put the city on the map. With 13 institutions of higher learning and 89,000 students inhabiting the city, Brno is home to one of the fastest-expanding universities in Europe, Masarykova Univerzita.

3: DENMARK Widely cited as one of the world’s most livable places, Denmark is home to some

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even more to see. But studying abroad in Wales is where you’ll meet some of the people who call one of the friendliest places in the United Kingdom home. As the third-largest university in Wales, Swansea University hosts about 19,000 students. With staff and students representing over 130 nationalities, Swansea University welcomes students to International@Campus Life, an international student services center. Through either fulltime, exchange or fee-paying student programs or even the Swansea University Summer School, students can experience university life at a beach-front campus.

5: NETHERLANDS As the second-best non-native Englishspeaking country in the world, according to the Education First (EF) English Proficiency Index (EPI), the Netherlands is considered the “gateway to Europe.”

Within a city where modernity and medieval coexist is one of Europe’s leading research universities: Universiteit Utrecht. As the largest university in the Netherlands, Utrecht University is home to about 30,000 students, with over 50 degree programs and over 200 courses taught in English. With about 1,500 international students and 120 nationalities annually, Utrecht welcomes students who opt to enroll as full-time, exchange or visitors. Students who want to enroll in shorter study programs are invited to participate in an international internship or attend Utrecht University’s summer school program.

5 of the world’s best non-native English speakers according to the Education First (EF) English Proficiency Index (EPI) (2018).

As Denmark’s second-largest city, Aarhus is home to one of the leading public universities, with international impact across the Aarhus Universitet research spectrum. Founded in 1928, Aarhus University is home to more than 44,000 students, 12% of which are international students who represent over

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120 nationalities. Aarhus University offers research-based teaching, which means that students get first-hand experience while they learn about their passions. It even hosts over 60 English-speaking programs.

4: GREAT BRITAIN (WALES) Studying abroad in the United Kingdom is exciting. With cities such as London, Glasgow and Manchester, there is so much to do and

6: SWEDEN Sweden’s combination of businesses, students and researchers from around the world have created a unique and strong research-based global industry, including the location of Europe’s two largest research facilities. The city of Lund is home to Lund Universitet, which has consistently been ranked among the world’s top universities. About 20% of Lund University’s student population are international students from over 130 countries.

Students looking to study abroad here have the option to enroll as a full-time student, an exchange student, through a study abroad program or even in the Study Abroad Swedish Language Programme for those who want to develop their Swedish language fluency. ■ STUDENT TRAVEL PLANNING GUIDE 2020

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AIR AND WATER SHOW

ZipQuest in Fayetteville, North Carolina

Students will be granted immaculate views and educational experiences on these cruises and observation decks.

By Jaylyn Fahey

F

rom ziplining to boat tours to in-sky experiences, students will learn about ecosystems and encounter animals in their natural habitat. These outdoor activities are great for group bonding while learning about culture, history and more across the United States.

ILLINOIS Experience Chicago in 360 degrees on the 94th floor of 875 North Michigan Avenue (formerly known as the John Hancock Center).

Step onto the observation deck, and you’ll see everything from the Magnificent Mile to the waters of Lake Michigan. With interactive touch screens, guests can learn about the urban landscape from every angle in addition to the city’s history, architecture, scenery and culture.

360chicago.com

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Boston Harbor Cruises

NORTH CAROLINA

MASSACHUSETTS

MONTANA

The New England Aquarium has partnered with Boston Harbor Cruises to give visitors front-row seats to view the ocean’s most fascinating and magnificent animals…whales!

Stellwagen Bank Marine Sanctuary, your destination, is one of the world’s most active marine sanctuaries. Here, you will encounter acrobatic humpback whales, finback whales, minke whales, white-sided dolphins, sea birds and more. If for some reason there are no whales out, the New England Aquarium will give you a free ticket for a future whale watch. neaq.org

Ranked #1 among Whitefish attractions on TripAdvisor, Scenic Lift Rides are a mustdo in the summer. Choose from an enclosed gondola or an open chairlift, then sit back and enjoy the mountain scenery as well as views of Whitefish Lake, the Flathead Valley and Glacier National Park on the ride to the summit. Once at the summit, enjoy 360-degree views before returning down the mountain, or spend some time at the Summit House in the full cafeteria-style restaurant and bar or in the Summit Nature Center. skiwhitefish.com

MINNESOTA

NEVADA

The Padelford Riverboat tour in St. Paul is the perfect mix of an educational and recreational cruise. The Mississippi River tour can be tied into nearly any subject being taught in school. There is another tour for fourth to sixth graders called Big River Journey. This is a hands-on learning experience where students use microscopes to peer into the tiny world of aquatic invertebrates, study river geology, bird watch with binoculars and more. mnfieldtriplibrary.org

Fly high over the strip of Las Vegas on a 12-story zip line. The FLY LINQ Zipline is an adrenaline-fueled sky-high experience for thrill-seekers looking for an exhilarating ride. Flyers can ride seated at $25 during the day, superhero position at $35 and even backwards. Nighttime flies are available for those who really love the adrenaline rush. Bring your GoPro, or buy one at the launch deck, to show all of your family and friends your crazy experience. caesars.com

If you are looking for an amazing teambuilding opportunity, look no further than ZipQuest, located in Fayetteville, North Carolina. This group-based recreation experience is meant to foster and strengthen the bonds between group members in a unique and fun way, using nature as the backdrop.

Goals include better communication within the group, an increase in motivation and sharper critical thinking skills. Your group can choose from a number of activities from a six-hour zipline excursion to a three-hour waterfall zipline expedition. zipquest.com

PENNSYLVANIA Open 365 days a year, take a ride up 57 floors to the One Liberty Observation Deck.

With a bird’s-eye view, you will see City Hall, the Ben Franklin Parkway, the Ben Franklin Bridge and the rest of Philadelphia.

You can get a closer look at landmarks with the six touch screens placed throughout the deck. Here, you can get a closer highdefinition look at noteworthy sites around the region. As you tap, you’ll learn about that landmark’s history, architecture and culture. phillyfromthetop.com ■

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Group Travel Videos CONNECTS

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Students, Faculty and Parents Integrate your school community with this innovative photo-sharing app

ut-of-the-classroom trips can be invaluable experiences for student groups, but the logistics can be intimidating for even the most seasoned administrator. Fortunately, there is a holistic solution that requires a simple download. Group Travel Videos—an intuitive and comprehensive photo-sharing app created by PhotoVision—is a revolutionary way for students, teachers and parents to interact during a school trip.

Deploying smartphone technology, Group Travel Videos allows teachers to track their pupils through GPS technology, students to privately share photos within their group and tour operators to update itinerary information.

Before their journey, participants can

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download the app on either their mobile device or tablet. Special passwords ensure privacy for your students, and various functions of the app (messaging, navigation) integrate seamlessly with the rest of the interface. Users receive the option to join as an administrator, trip participant or family member back home, which will lead to three different experiences.

Students can take photographs through the app and post them through their customized account. Photos can also be downloaded onto the student’s or parent’s phone or computer to have for printing later. In addition, an entertaining keepsake DVD created with the shared photos will be sent to every group member at the conclusion of the trip, ensuring

the priceless memories last a lifetime.

“After many years in the industry, we’re finding that students and their families simply aren’t maintaining their digital images,” says PhotoVision founder and president Dave Martinson. “The DVD allows these memories to live for a lifetime and is commonly used in presentations that promote next year’s trip.”

The app’s GPS capabilities allow teachers to locate pupils (only during the trip dates) as well as send a group message in case of an emergency or change of plans. In addition, a passenger list allows planners to keep track of group members on the app, and a document storage section can upload assignments, lesson plans and other information.

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F IEL D L EARN IN G GUIDE Mount Rainier National Park

Jason Paha

WHAT TO KNOW WHEN

PLANNING A STEM ADVENTURE How to craft an educational and unforgettable STEM experience

By Liam Dwyer

I

t’s no secret that STEM has taken the nation by storm. Many teachers plan field trips that encompass these important staples of education, but with so many choices and so much information out there, it can be hard to narrow it down and know where to start. The whole nation is brimming with science, so which city do you choose to visit? Are the mainstream museums worth the investment? What lessons and what preparation do some of the best locations provide on their website?

THE ROAD LESS TRAVELED When looking for the next great destination to take students, the usual suspects start to pop up: big cities like New York, Washington, D.C and Chicago and big museums like the Smithsonian.

While great in their own right, looking down paths less traveled might serve your interests better and help avoid the repetition of “another museum day.”

Take New York and the world-famous Natural History Museum. What might be overlooked are the amazing Ivy League colleges and international businesses with amazing opportunities for high school students. Institutions like Columbia University offer laboratory tours and scientific programs aimed directly at teaching middle and high school students.

Companies can also be a surprisingly good STEM destination. Many laboratories and factories often host classes for the community and offer tours of their working facilities.

DON’T NEGLECT THE WILDERNESS There have been several studies that prove learning and achievement increase with outdoor learning, and if that holds true for the regular school day, why shouldn’t that extend to field trips as well? For educational opportunities, it is best to look at the larger or better-known

wildlife areas for a better chance. Places like Mount Rainier or the Indiana Dunes are more likely to have learning center and readily available park rangers than a small forest preserve.

PREPARE AND ENHANCE Looking into preparation material can make a difference, and it is usually handcrafted by the facility to ensure maximum effectiveness. These materials, usually found under the “learn,” “educate” or “teacher” tabs on-site websites include everything from descriptions of the animals that find a home at the zoo to pre-packaged labs and lesson plans that introduce students to topics or more complex ideas that they might encounter.

Some sites even offer whole tours and itineraries to help chaperones and teachers lead students themselves through a location, with fun facts and interesting activities to keep their attention. ■ STUDENT TRAVEL PLANNING GUIDE 2020

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WE ST

National Videogame Museum

Frontiers of Flight Museum

DALLAS THE CULTURAL HUB OF NORTH TEXAS, THE DALLAS METROPLEX IS A GREAT PLACE FOR YOUR NEXT STEM TRIP.

MUSEUMS & ZOOS

The Perot Museum of Nature and Science strives to be a catalyst for learning through experiences that broaden understanding of our world and improve achievement. This museum offers hands-on discovery and adventures through topics such as life science, physics and astronomy. During field trips, students will expand their knowledge through auditorium- or lab-based programs, hall exhibits and more.

Students and their schools also have the option to sleep over and get a behind-the-scenes look at the museum as well as participate in an interactive science show.

Since opening to the public in 1992, the Dallas World Aquarium has provided an

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in-depth look at species from five continents through over 85,000 gallons of saltwater.

Adventuring through the canopy of a South American rainforest or the massive 22,000-gallon walk-through tunnel provides students with an in-depth study of conservation, habitats, animal anatomy.

The Fort Worth Museum of Science and History engages its diverse community through creative, vibrant programs and exhibits that illustrate science in Texas and the American Southwest. The field trips change seasonally and give students the opportunity to explore the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History and experience STEM with unique curricula through many exhibits, the

Omni Theater and planetarium. The museum offers many exhibit options for students to explore including a 9/11 tribute exhibit, space exploration programs and more.

Boasting the title of fourth-best zoo in the nation, the Fort Worth Zoo is a place that encourages the strengthening of bonds between humans and the environment through its main principles of conservation, education and entertainment. The zoo’s exciting field trips offer an up-close and personal view of the animals and give students hands-on experiences for learning.

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The field learning opportunities let schools and students explore a variety of programs, a guided tour overnight adventures.

Explore the legacy of President John F. Kennedy from the very spot that Lee Harvey Oswald shot and killed him. The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza, formerly the Texas School Book Depository, serves as an impartial, multigenerational destination and forum for exploring the memory and effects of the assassination of President Kennedy through his legacy and its impact on society. Through these programs, students can explore a variety of programs such as the many myths and conspiracies that surround the Kennedy assassination, conduct a crime scene investigation of the Texas School Book Depository or even learn about President Kennedy’s life before his campaign and presidency.

After expanding from the main terminal building of the Dallas Love Field Airport, the Frontiers of Flight Museum serves as an interactive chronological experience of the history of human flight. As an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, this museum creates a unique learning environment for students to explore STEM and flight through guided tours and classroom programs among a variety of

Trinity River Audubon Center

programs. Take your students to new heights in exploring the challenges of flight and the importance of weather.

The National Videogame Museum serves as a place to preserve the history of the video game industry, both physically and the stories and information of it. This interactive museum lets visitors play the games on display in order to help them learn about video games in an educational and exciting way. The field trips that the museum offers allow students to get a first-hand look at video games and their history. They also help to give students a look at STEM within the video game industry. ■ UNIVERSITIES & ACADEMIA

As part of Navarro College, the Cook Center Planetarium provides a close look at astronomy and science-themed programs in its large theater with a 60-foot-diameter circular screen and 200 seats. Although primarily used by the college, the planetarium is a great space for all students. ■ INDUSTRY & TECHNOLOGY

As the first nuclear power plant in Texas, the Comanche Peak Nuclear Power Plant

Fossil Rim Wildlife Center

gives visitors the opportunity to learn about the history of electricity. The Comanche Peak Visitors Center is located just a few miles from the nuclear power plant but here students can research the history and process of energy production in the form of interactive exhibits, group tours and more. These tours give students an up-close view of the power plant itself and a control room simulator. ■ NATURE/OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES

After opening to the public in 1984, Fossil Rim Wildlife Center is home to over 60 exotic species throughout its open-range 2,700acre space. It’s the first facility of its kind to be accredited by the American Zoos and Aquariums Association and offers a wide range of programs such as safari trips, behind-thescenes tours and educational tours. Fossil Rim’s many workshops allow students to learn about conservation, animal nutrition and wildlife.

Fossil Rim Wildlife Center also invites students for a variety of camps, such as a mini-camp or an overnight camp, to get an in-depth look at the center and all that is has to offer.

Sitting on what once was an illegal dump site, the Trinity River Audubon Center is part of the 6,000-acre Great Trinity Forest and is the largest urban hardwood forest in the United States. The center is one of the National Audubon Society’s flagship environmental education centers in the Central Flyway and serves as a reclaimed haven for a vast array of birds and other wildlife in an increasingly urbanized metropolitan area. Advertising a “natural education with a twist of STEM,” this adventure will be a fantastic opportunity for students to explore hands-on programs through guided or self-guided tours and even overnight adventures about ecology. ■ STUDENT TRAVEL PLANNING GUIDE 2020

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Museum of Flight

SEATTLE WITH ITS PREMIER TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES, A PLETHORA OF MUSEUMS AND NEARBY NATIONAL PARKS, SEATTLE IS SURE TO FULFILL THE STEM DREAMS OF ANY STUDENT GROUP FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO VISIT. MUSEUMS & ZOOS

When visiting Seattle, a trip to the Museum of Flight provides students a fun and interactive way to learn about the history and evolution of air travel. Housing over 175 aircraft and spacecraft along with thousands of photographs and artifacts, here students will have more than enough to see and explore. The Museum of Flight offers a variety of exhibits aimed at inspiring a love of science and technology in kids such as the Challenger Learning Center and the World War I Fighters exhibit. Students are free to look around and explore or engage in structured, self-guided tours that take them to different parts of the museum that can be tailored for students of any grade.

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There is one premier science museum in Seattle that stands above the rest, the Pacific Science Center. A staple of the area, this museum offers hundreds of hands-on exhibits designed to inspire a love of science and technology within students. Exhibits like the Tinker Tank allow students to hypothesize and innovate in real time with daily engineering and design challenges, and exhibits like “What Is Reality” use the latest technology to explain complex ideas to any age. Coupled with admission is a free trip to the planetarium, where shows for all ages show the depths of the cosmos, and a trip to the Exploration Labs means students get a direct lesson on topics like science, engineering and technology. ■

Microsoft Campus Visitor Center

UNIVERSITIES & ACADEMIA

Ranked 14th in the world, the University of Washington offers several options for smaller groups interested in the latest technological design tools being used today. The school offers two short tours through the university’s “maker spaces,” where students are able to see 3D printers, a laser cutter and sewing machines in action. One such tour takes students through the university’s 8,000-square-foot McCarty Innovation and Learning Lab, which is filled with

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professionals and students designing and building using the lab’s high-tech tools, which are sure to spark the imagination of any prospective student that visits. ■ INDUSTRY & TECHNOLOGY

A short distance from Seattle proper, the Future of Flight Aviation and Boeing Tour allows a rare look inside an active assembly facility, which also happens to be the world’s largest building by volume. Students can watch as the latest Boeing airplanes are pieced together and enjoy a tour of the facility with well-educated guides answering their questions. Students then have the opportunity to explore Boeing’s 5,000-squarefoot interactive exhibit hall, which starts with an immersive cinema experience highlighting the effects to break past the newest obstacle in air travel. With a virtual space elevator that simulates traveling to the edge of the atmosphere and an advanced flight simulator, the exhibit has plenty to explore.

A STEM adventure to Seattle is incomplete without a trip to the Microsoft Campus Visitor Center that, if planned out, can lead to days of learning and entertainment. The

Pacific Science Center

Microsoft Campus Visitor Center showcases the latest technology the company has developed and allows students a chance to try out the newest laptops and computers on the market as well as the latest advances in gaming technology. Strapping into the Oculus Rift racing simulator game Forza not only entertains but also shows the potential technology has and the directions it is moving towards. Arrange ahead to time to participate in one of the many workshops offered at Microsoft stores, like the one directly across from the visitor center, to enhance the trip’s learning potential. Students have the option to take part in 90-minute to four-day-long workshops that teach coding, video game creation or small business development and idea cultivation. ■ NATURE/OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES

Leave the papermâché volcanoes in the classroom and go visit a real active volcano at Mount St. Helens Volcano Outdoor School.

The program offers both day and overnight trips designed to teach students about the effects of volcanoes on the local populace to both plants and animals. Students can take

Mount Rainier

the 2.7-mile guided Hummocks Hike or go on a GPS scavenger hunt designed to get kids to think critically and make inferences about the local landscape. With the overnight trip, students have the option to camp outdoors for the night or sleep in cots at the visitor center, with a day-and-a-half of activities planned throughout.

Looking to get up close and personal at ground zero to the Mount St. Helens Volcano?

The Johnston Ridge Observatory is just what you are looking for. Located at the heart of the 1980s explosions blast zone, the observatory offers interesting information and an up-close look on the causes and aftermath of a volcano explosion. A short distance from a large picnicking area and offering several hiking trails that allow a view of the dome and crater of the still active volcano, Johnston Ridge Observatory provides a more flexible experience at the famous mountain than other options, and it’s free.

Towering in the sky, Mount Rainier stands as America’s tallest volcano and serves as a perfect place to cultivate and understanding of nature and science. The National Park Service hosts various field trip programs for all grades that take students hiking up the side of Mount Rainier (learning survival skills along the way) and exploring the wilderness to study the intricate relations of abiotic and biotic factors. For longer trips, the Mount Rainier Institute has three- and four-day programs that allow students to conduct field studies in the wilderness, stay overnight at the park and hold a symposium at the end demonstrating all they have learned. ■ STUDENT TRAVEL PLANNING GUIDE 2020

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Houston Museum of Natural Science

HOUSTON THE LARGEST CITY IN TEXAS AND AN IMPORTANT SITE FOR SPACE TRAVEL, HOUSTON IS RANKED AS ONE OF THE TOP DESTINATIONS FOR STEM STUDENTS AND PROFESSIONALS.

MUSEUMS & ZOOS

The Houston Museum of Natural Science (HMNS) brings learning to life through education centered around the natural sciences. Established in 1909 to “enhance in individuals the knowledge and delight in natural science and related subjects,” HMNS sees over two million curious visitors every year. HMNS houses a treasure trove of exhibits that include permanent and special collections.

Permanent exhibitions include the Morian Hall of Paleontology (curated by a world-renowned paleontologist, Dr. Robert T. Bakker). Here, student groups can take a “prehistoric safari” of evolution and see displays of fossils and ancient skeletons in action-oriented positions.

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The expansive Wiess Energy Hall has the distinction of being the most comprehensive and technologically advanced exhibition on the science and technology of energy anywhere in the world. The hall features not-to-be-missed attractions like “Geovator,” “Energy City,” (a 3D landscape representation of Houston).

“EFX 3000,” :Unconventional Hydrocarbon Revolution” and “Energy Jukebox.” Other exhibitions at HMNS include Welch Chemistry Hall (supported by the Houston Medical Center, Rice University, University of Houston and the Houston chemical industry), Hamman Hall of Texas Coastal Ecology and the Farish Hall of Texas Wildlife, which showcases rare, endangered and extinct species. In addition to

Health Museum

exhibits, HMNS facilitates STEM workshops, onsite outreach programs and summer camps for educators and students ranging from tots to teens.

For a less overwhelming experience, the satellite branch of the Houston Museum of Natural Sciences at Sugar Land also offers a diverse selection of field trip opportunities.

The “Full STEAM Ahead” program includes a guided tour of the Wiess Energy Hall and a screening of Arcs to Auroras in the Burke Baker Planetarium (a show that explores how

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magnetism creates everything from solar wind to the Northrn Lights).

The Health Museum is where student groups can learn about the human body, health and the medical sciences and be engaged with the renowned “Amazing Body” and the worldclass DeBakey Cell Lab, where students can gain insights on cellular biology across seven interactive lab stations. Students can suit up like real lab scientists, complete with lab coats and gloves, and test microbial agents, isolate DNA from wheat germ and view chromosomes from real fruit flies.. Students can explore the structure and function of organs in the Dissect It Yourself labs. The “Doc for an Hour” program allows student groups to complete authentic medical tests using professional lab tools, work with a state-of-the-art human patient simulation robot, analyze test results, develop a diagnosis and suggest treatment for illnesses. Hands-on cooking activities at the Nutrition Lab is an informative session on the importance of micro and macro nutrients in a balanced diet. Students can also watch educational movies and talks related to the exhibits at the McGovern Theater.

For a wild and educational experience, the

Houston Zoo offers learning programs like “Camp Zoofari,” where students between the ages of four and 16 can participate in interactions with animals. Additionally, college students can sign up for internship opportunities in the fields of conservation, education and water quality. The zoo has daily supervised hands-on activities featuring primates of the day and giraffe feeding sessions.

Students can explore exhibits at the zoo like the Hamill Foundation Black Bear Exhibit and African Forest, where the Southern White Rhinoceros and Masai Giraffe are popular residents. The Kathrine G. McGovern Texas Wetlands features three native Texas species (bald eagles, whooping cranes and American alligators) that were once near extinction, and the Bird Habitat features over 200 species and 800 individual birds in the Fischer Bird Garden, Tropical Bird House and Birds of the World exhibits.

The Kipp Aquarium, located within the zoo premises, has over 200 species and 2,000 individual fresh and saltwater fish as well as marine invertebrates. It includes the Gulf of Mexico exhibit, a 10,000-gallon tank filled with iridescent fish and cownose rays.

Houston Zoo

Students interested in learning more about the underwater habitat along with ocean conservation and sustainable programs can sign up for the Behind the Scenes experience at the aquarium. During the tour, they’ll learn about how saltwater levels are maintained, animals are fed and environments keep the fish comfortable. ■ UNIVERSITIES & ACADEMIA

The University of Houston STEM Center has many resources and activities for students and educators to participate in. The summer

Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center

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camps feature curriculums designed by an Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (Intel ISEF) finalist and offers students the chance to work with groups and conduct science experiments, learn the science behind sports and work alongside Science Fair participants to learn what it’s like to showcase their science projects. The G.R.A.D.E. Camp gives 8th to 12th grade girls the opportunity to design their own robots and interact with Houston-area female engineers and engineering students to learn more about engineering and career options. ■ INDUSTRY & TECHNOLOGY

Undoubtedly, one of the biggest draws in Houston for STEM students is NASA’s Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center (JSC).

Spanning 1,620 acres in the Clear Lake area, JSC is the home of mission control, NASA’s lead for International Space Station operations and the Orion multi-purpose crew vehicle and numerous advanced human exploration projects. Every NASA astronaut and international space explorer who has crossed the threshold of the International

Space Station or flown on the space shuttle has trained at JSC. At JSC, the NASA Stem Engagement program inspires, engages and educates the next generation of explorers through social media channels, lectures, workshops and competitions. Internships are also offered where students can use their creativity and innovation to work on projects impacting NASA’s mission. ■ NATURE/OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES

Moody Gardens in nearby Galveston is a sprawling educational tourist destination with a water park and three different glass pyramids that contain three distinct biomes that feature thousands of plant and animals to discover. The 10-story Rainforest Pyramid houses river otters, monkeys and tropical birds that populate an abandoned “Mayan ruin.”

Massive pools fill the 12-strory Aquarium Pyramid, which houses approximately 10,000 marine mammals in environments that represent the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and the Caribbean Sea. Coming soon to the Discovery Pyramid is “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea,” where students will embark on

a journey with Captain Nemo to ice caves in the Antarctic Ocean and the lost city of Atlantis. Moody Gardens offers over a dozen STEM field trip programs aimed at students from kindergarten to 12th grade, including “Rendezvous at the Reef” (where students learn delicacy of biodiverse coral reefs), “Expedition Shark!” (which explore shark migration patterns in Gulf ecosystems) and “Tropical Tracks” (where groups are accompanied through the Rainforest Pyramid with a conservation expert).

For students interested in the nature and outdoors, the 155-acre Houston Arboretum & Nature Center has much to offer. Nature trails, outlook posts, viewing decks and birding platforms are a great way to explore the reserve. The Discovery Room is an interactive center with exhibits microscopes, field guides, discovery items, puzzles and games highlighting urban wildlife and natural habitats. With an exclusive summer group and school program, students and educators can learn about wetland habitats in the Texas Gulf Coast grasslands and explore onsite aquariums stocked with native animals. ■

Houston Arboretum & Nature Center

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Denver Museum of Nature and Science

COLORADO SPRINGS & THE FRONT RANGE FROM DENVER TO BOULDER TO COLORADO SPRINGS, THE WHOLE STATE OF COLORADO IS FILLED WITH EDUCATION BETWEEN THE GROOVES AND PEAKS OF THE MOUNTAINS. MUSEUMS & ZOOS

With school groups offered free admission every single day, the Denver Museum of Nature and Science is a must-see. There are numerous school programs for 6th to 8th graders the museum offers including “Unraveling Mummies: Modern Technology, Dissection and Ancient Egypt.” Here, students will use CT scans and dig into a sheep heart. At “Mystery at the Museum,” students will solve puzzles involving toxic plants and animals to solve the mystery of the poisoned scientist. You can also visit the planetarium to experience the creation of the Milky Way, the violent death of a star and birth of a black hole.

Students with their eyes to the stars will want to spend substantial time at the Space Foundation Discovery Center in Colorado Springs, which celebrates mankind’s continued exploration of the universe. Highlights of the center include the Mars Robotics Laboratory (where students navigate a rover across a simulated Martian surface), the AGI Space Missions Laboratory (which utilizes stateof-the-art visualization software used by space industry professionals) and Science on a Sphere (a dynamic spherical projection that can display weather patterns across the solar system). The center offers field trip programming from early education to high

Space Foundation Discovery Center

school, with themed programs that include “Charting Mars,” “Electric Earth” and “Cosmic Connections.”

Try out Edventures at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs. Sixth to 12th graders will go on an exploration tour and let nature be their muse as they explore the zoo’s nature trail and express themselves through creative writing. A WildNight is a one-day sleepover at the zoo that includes a giraffe feeding, an up-close encounter in the Loft, zoo admission for the following day and a STUDENT TRAVEL PLANNING GUIDE 2020

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fun-filled night of exploration in the moonlight.

There are over 10 different animal exhibits, including African Rift Valley, Asian Highlands and Monkey Pavillion. Conservation is a very important aspect of the Cheyenne Zoo. If you want your students to learn more about animal conservation and action you can take, you can book a keeper interview to meet with a member of the animal care staff.

Every day is a new day at Fort Collins Museum of Discovery. Each day has a different program related to science, history, theater or art. Learn what challenges engineers, astronauts and scientists faced to get humans to land on the moon in “The Apollo Story” or watch a film to explore Earth’s atmosphere, oceans and biosphere. Then take your students to “Wildlife and Wildlands” to see plants and animals that called Fort Collins their home millions of years before there was a Fort Collins. This exhibit has a biodiversity wall, home to the flora and fauna of our four ecozones today. In the “Sun, Earth and Universe” exhibit, students will learn how scientists study the Earth, our solar system and the universe. They will design, build and test their own model spacecraft. ■ Red Rocks Park and Amphitheater

UNIVERSITIES & ACADEMIA

The University of Colorado Boulder offers 54 mathematics and science degree programs. The morning starts off with your own adventure on one of the many trails through the Flatirons, then you will explore the CU Boulder campus. As a teacher, you can identify which program your students are most interested in and then go from there.

For example, the Engineering Center gives daily tours and allows students to explore the facilities. It is also possible to take a tour of CU Boulder on the way to downtown Boulder or Rocky Mountain National Park.

The capital of Colorado is a fantastic place to tour and explore the mountains. The University of Colorado Denver offers several college visit options during the year, many of which will allow students to have a conversation with current students. Tours will make sure students are up to speed on the admission process and programs they may be interested in. Options of tours include Daily Tours, Friday@DU, Admitted Student Visits, Group Visits and Directions & Logistics. Students can request to speak with an academic representative from any department of their choosing. ■

University of Colorado Boulder

INDUSTRY & TECHNOLOGY

iD Tech is the perfect week-long STEM camp for middle and high school students. For girls who like coding, robotics, creating apps and video production, iD Tech has a program for it. For ages 13-17, assemble and take home a laptop, learn about cybersecurity and encryption or develop and code games. There are even more advanced programs for students up to age 19. In the Advanced Laboratory for Emerging Technologies program, students will use the latest data science, coding, artificial intelligence and machine learning to make the world a better place. ■ NATURE/OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES

With crests at over 12,000 feet along 300 miles of hiking trails, starry nights and wildlife, the 415-square-mile Rocky Mountain National Park will make your students feel like they are on top of the world. Students can observe and take pictures of the wildlife to learn how they act in their environment. The park hosts a program called “Astronomy in the Park,” where students will observe the night sky with the help of a park ranger and expert astronomers.

Surround yourself in the jagged, tall, peaceful Red Rocks Park and Amphitheater – it is a must-see in Colorado. Besides concerts taking place here, students can also hike, bike and learn the geology of the park and how the “walls” formed. After exploring the 868-acre land and processing the history, sit down and relax for a breathtaking golden sunset.

Camping will teach students respect for the wilderness, a sense of direction and more. ■

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HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology

HUNTSVILLE & NORTHERN ALABAMA THE ROCKET CITY DELIVERS OUT-OF-THIS-WORLD MUSEUMS AND LABORATORIES. MUSEUMS & ZOOS

When visiting a place with the nickname “The Rocket City,” a trip to the U.S. Space and Rocket Center is a must. It currently houses the first space shuttle, (Space Shuttle Pathfinder), a Saturn V rocket and a number of significant military rockets from history. These massive displays serve to bring the Space Race to life before your students’ eyes and supplement the many hands-on exhibits and simulators within the museum proper. The U.S. Space and Rocket Center also offers an “Ultimate Field Trip,” granting groups full access to all the museum’s simulators and exhibits. The center even has a scuba program available

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that was originally created to train astronauts in microgravity and an “Area 51 Challenge Course,” a ropes course with multiple difficulties for any age.

Within the center are also a variety of featured exhibitions that allow for a handson experience. The Spark!Lab is a permanent interactive space where students become engineers as they work on design challenges and use critical-thinking skills to solve problem. In the lab, they can explore new ways to clean up the ocean floor or create a new space machine. For a longer visit, check out Space Camp®, a two-, three- or six-day all-inclusive overnight program.

With immersive, hands-on experiences, this

U.S. Space and Rocket Center

program is designed to inspire the next generation of scientists, engineers and astronauts.

For those in grades 10-12, customized Youth Leadership Retreats are three-day/ two-night programs that help participants develop competencies that are in high demand in today’s global workforce. Problem solving, purposeful communication, leadership initiative, and increased self-confidence are brought into play through various challenges and team building.

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Take a short break from the museums and universities and consider a trip to the Harmony Park Safari. This two-mile trek in a working educational ranch has animals like bison, kangaroos and emus wandering freely as you drive through. These animals can and will walk right up to the vehicles, and buckets of feed for them can be purchased along with rental vehicles to prevent your own from the horns and anger of the animals. At the end of the trek is the Safari’s reptile house for smaller, cold-blooded animals. ■UNIVERSITIES & ACADEMIA

Cutting-edge research requires state-ofthe-art laboratories and faculty, something the University of Alabama Huntsville can boast both of. The school has strong relationships with organizations like the Missile Defense Agency, DIA Missile & Space Intelligence Center and NASA and is responsible for $99 million in annual research expenditures. Aside from the normal campus tour, the university holds several summer camps ready to train the

NASA Human Exploration Rover Challenge

next generation of engineers and cybersecurity warriors. Its engineering camp has students apply math, chemistry and physics to solve problems, and in its unique cybersecurity camp, they learn about cybersecurity in plugged and unplugged environments. The school also holds the prestige of hosting the

Alabama Science and Engineering Fair, where students from across the state compete.

The NASA Human Exploration Rover Challenge provides students with the opportunity to create and try out innovative transportation technologies for extraterrestrial use. The annual event continues the historical

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conventions of the previous NASA Great Moonbuggy Race, which ran for 20 years. The competition is open for teams of high school students, grades nine through 12, who then compete with other teams at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville. In preceding contests, the goal was to race against challenging terrains, but has now evolved into a more difficult task of making real-time decisions about which mission objectives to take on and which to forego. Teams gain points by building a suitable rover in the given time and then successfully completing obstacle courses simulating the harsh geography of space. ■

U.S. Space and Rocket Center

INDUSTRY & TECHNOLOGY

When it’s not busy conducting genomicsbased research to impact human health and well-being and implementing genomic medicine, the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology is engaged in direct STEM outreach at its facility in Cummings Research Park. A trip there is an entrance into a real

working lab and a chance for students to use real equipment to be in genome and biotechrelated activities and experiments. The lab can serve as a full-day or half-day trip, where activities like “Investigating the Genetics of Cancer” and “Cytogeneticist for a Day” delve into topics and techniques that are rarely

MISSISSIPPI ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT EXPERIENCE MERIDIAN, MISSISSIPPI

...ON MISSISSIPPI’S

WORLD-CLASS MUSEUMS

Mississippi’s impressive state-of-the-art museums teach, inspire and ignite the minds of generations young and old.

Don’t miss out on experiences that educate and enthrall.

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available to those outside of a college setting.

Also available is the institute’s summer camps and APPLE (Advanced Placement Program for Learning Enhancement). ■ NATURE/OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES

The Huntsville Monte Sano Park is 2,140acre area atop a mountain that allows for an unforgettable view of the area. It has 20 miles of hiking trails, 14 miles of biking trails and even a disc golf course. All of this beautiful landscape is supplemented by some great educational locales, like the Civilian Conservation Corps Museum and Wernher Von Braun Planetarium. Right after a stroll through the park’s Northern Alabama Japanese Garden, watch a program about black holes on the planetarium’s dome. The Wernher Von Braun facilities include two observatories, a solar telescope and an astronomical library.

Nature preserves are usually places for observation and contemplation, but at Hays Nature Preserve, education is thrown into the pile as well. Jam-packed with activities almost every day of the week, the preserve can accommodate almost any type of activity you might have in mind with its great natural resources and partnerships with local science groups and businesses. In the past, they’ve had students collect samples from their lake to be observed under a microscope, followed by discussions on the importance of the microbes they found. They’ve had activities like “Build a Nest,” where students use engineering and design to build a nest better than a bird, using material found around the preserve and then have them tested against wind and rain. ■

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Dollywood

SMOKY MOUNTAINS/ PIGEON FORGE THE SMOKY MOUNTAINS REGION OF TENNESSEE AND NORTH CAROLINA IS AN EXCELLENT PLACE TO LEARN ABOUT MATH AND SCIENCE THROUGH OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES. MUSEUMS & ZOOS

Students will learn about science, math, geography and more at the Titanic Museum.

They’ll find out why and how the Titanic sank so quickly through various activities. They will make a boat out of aluminum foil, put it in water and slowly add one penny at a time. They will make a model of the Titanic using numbers, calculate the speed of the vessel and create a pie graph based on numbers of passengers. This museum is very hands-on and makes students think. By the end of the day, students will be able to read a map based on log positions and track the route of the Titanic until it sank.

Dollywood will be the all-time entertaining and educational field trip your students will

love. Dollywood’s “Science in the Park” program will make the theme park your classroom. All you need to do is download a PDF and let the park be your oyster. It includes STEM activities and problems to solve for many rides including Thunderhead, Wild Eagle and Mystery Mine.

Answers are included at the bottom. After having completed the activities, students can let loose and enjoy all of the rides, slides, attractions, shows and water park.

Located in the heart of the Smoky Mountains, RainForest Adventures Discovery Zoo features over 600 animals representing over 130 species. Its website includes guidelines for how teachers can prepare for the trip with a pre-exploration

Titanic Museum

vocabulary list, a quest for during the trip and a quest for after. Another option is signing up as a field trip, which will begin with a 45-minute live presentation by a zookeeper and a question-and-answer session. The students then have 40 minutes to view the exhibits. A scavenger hunt is an option for them as well. ■ UNIVERSITIES & ACADEMIA

Southwestern Community College in Sylva, North Carolina was awarded a grant STUDENT TRAVEL PLANNING GUIDE 2020

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from NASA to enrich STEM education throughout schools and communities. This organization expands opportunities for STEM education in western North Carolina.

This includes working with local math and science teachers, professional development workshops and orientation sessions describing NASA and STEM-related career choices for middle and high schoolers. On a tour of Southwestern College, students can learn about the Early College program, where students can earn an associate’s degree or technical certificate.

Plan a trip to the Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont to engage in exceptionally hands-on three-to-five days.

Using the park as a classroom, students will work closely with faculty to meet their academic needs. There are many lessons to choose from such as air quality, “River and Reflections,” astronomy, trips to Cades Cove and plenty more. From ecology to geology, physics and navigation, students will get a large dose of STEM. The Institute provides

Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont

lesson plans like this, where you can ask questions about mean, median and mode.

The Institute at Tremont provides many camp opportunities for ages nine to 13.

“Smokies Science Investigations” allows students to swim with the fish to identify the species that thrive in the Smokies. This camp aims for students to learn about the natural world and methods scientists use to study it. In “Teen High Adventure,” teens will spend six nights outside to understand living ethics and learn firsthand about plants and animals. Middle schoolers can sign up for Discovery Camp, where they will search for salamanders, collect insects and hike through the wilderness. ■ INDUSTRY & TECHNOLOGY

Located in Pigeon Forge, WonderWorks is an interactive amusement park that combines education and entertainment. WonderWorks features over 100 hands-on activities for middle and high schoolers. Students will design and ride their own roller coaster, lie on a bed of nails, analyze fingerprint ridge patterns and climb a ropes course. Each activity is STEMrelated. For example, students will experience energy, gravity and light, explore Earth’s natural disasters and be introduced to physical science with art, math and movement. The “Wonder Zones” that visitors can explore range from the “Physical Challenge Zone” and “Space Discovery” to “Imagination Lab” and “Light and Sound Zone”. ■ NATURE/OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES

Straddling the border between North Carolina and Tennesee, Great Smoky

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Mountains National Park is a perfect getaway destination for leisure, laughs, and most importantly, learning. From black bears to wildflowers to hiking and biking, this park has it all. Friends of the Smokies offers guided hikes and events that increase awareness of the national park. The Great Smoky Mountains Association offers hikes and activities that enhance knowledge and appreciation of the park. The Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont offers workshops and classes for environmental education. Lastly, Smoky Mountain Field School is an educational outreach program that teaches about wildflowers, mushrooms, stream life and forests.

One of the most popular destinations in the Great Smokies, hiking Cades Cove is a must.

Before the hike, grab a self-guided booklet to teach students the rich history of Cades Cove. While on the hike, you will come across white-tailed deer, black bear and other wildlife.

This 11-mile loop will educate your students on history, wildlife and outdoor survival. â–

WonderWorks

MOUNTAINS OF FUN IN OUR BACKYARD Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, surrounded by the beauty of the Great Smoky Mountains and filled with action-packed attractions, like Dolly wood, is your student group destination.

Pigeon Forge is a destination that provides students plenty of opportunities to learn, perform, march and have fun. Our team is ready to help you plan your tour to our exciting Smoky Mountain town.

Contact us to learn more.

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S OUT H

Brevard Zoo

ORLANDO & ATLANTIC COAST

Smithsonian Marine Station

UNCOVER THE MAGIC OF STEM IN CENTRAL FLORIDA THROUGH YOUR NEXT SCHOOL TRIP. MUSEUMS & ZOOS

SEA LIFE Orlando Aquarium offers a face-to-face look at over 4,000 creatures in its 25,000-square-foot facility located just outside downtown Orlando. SeaLife offers students the chance to learn about their “Breed, Rescue, Protect” conservation program as well as encounter the creatures that inhabit the aquarium. The aquarium focuses on conservation through its trust to help protect the world’s oceans, the “Tour de Turtle” program to tag and release sea turtles through the Sea Turtle Conservancy and the “Breed, Rescue, Protect” program that creates a system of care and animal husbandry.

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After opening its doors to the public in 1994, the Brevard Zoo in Melbourne now welcomes more than 400,000 guests annually and has become one of the leading institutions on the top 10 zoo list from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Through the “EdZOOcation” programs, the Brevard Zoo creates unique, hands-on learning opportunities for students to discover. The individualized program topics include the history and adaptations of Floridian animals, how animals adapt within their environments and how to have a career working with animals.

As part of the National Museum of Natural History, the Smithsonian Marine Station serves as a research center that specializes

in the marine biodiversity and ecosystems of Florida. The station also works hand-in-hand with schools to educate students about the Indian River Lagoon through hands-on science programs, behind-the-scenes tours and selfguided visits. ■ UNIVERSITIES & ACADEMIA

Housed within Stetson University, the Gillespie Museum is a center for earth and environmental science education on campus that has been active within the

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community for over six decades. The museum provides educational programs about rocks and minerals and Florida’s ecosystems for students to explore topics such as earthquakes and volcanoes, pollination, mineral identification, native plants and more. Schools can also opt for self-guided tours that let students explore the museum’s exhibits and displays and participate in hands-on activities.

The Robinson Observatory operates as a research and education facility through the University of Central Florida. The Observatory welcomes both visitors and researchers to experience the wonders of the night sky and learn about astronomy. ■ INDUSTRY & TECHNOLOGY

The Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral has long been a place where individuals can get an up-close, hands-on experience to learn about the story of humans in space. With various Mission Zones, it allows them to get a better understanding of NASA, the history of space travel and the science behind it.

Experience the magic of Walt Disney World parks through the experiences of the Disney Youth Education Series. These field trips provide guided tours that create a hands-on educational adventure to spark creativity and unlock potential for students of all ages.

The Your Classroom in Motion: A STEAM App Series at Universal Orlando Resort sets students up in a creative learning environment to explore science, math, technology, the arts and mathematics (STEAM) at Universal Orlando Resort. This program gives students next-level real-world critical thinking experience to learn about the top attractions in Universal and the knowhow behind them. Students can experience Universal’s top attractions while also getting immersive learning experiences about engineering principles, conservation of energy, scientific observation and paleobotany. ■

Kennedy Space Center

increase science literacy and improve the environmental stewardship of central Florida and its surrounding ecosystems. ECO utilizes local and city parks as off-site locations for schools to visit and learn about central Florida’s ecosystem and encourages “on-site” field trips for school projects like butterfly or vegetable gardens or if a nearby park has an interesting ecosystem.

As 24 miles of pristine, undeveloped shore along the Atlantic coast, the Cape Canaveral

National Seashore is one of the most diverse and productive estuaries in North America.

When students visit the seashore, they’ll be able to create an enjoyable, memorable park experience and learn about the park’s Environmental and Cultural Education Program. This program allows students to work with park rangers and have the ability to learn about sea turtle stranding, develop a service project, perform field experience, explore the watershed. ■

NATURE/OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES

Ecological Classroom Outdoors (ECO) was founded by a former high school biology teacher and seeks to engage students’ classroom learning to the real world. ECO seeks to engage students in classroom application to real-world learning, STUDENT TRAVEL PLANNING GUIDE 2020

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Cleveland Metroparks Zoo

CLEVELAND CLEVELAND OFFERS MANY OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS TO DISCOVER THE BIODIVERSITY OF THE GREAT LAKES AND EXPLORE PREMIER RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS.

MUSEUMS & ZOOS

Science, technology, engineering and math come together in interactive exhibits and demonstrations at the Great Lakes Science Center. Students can travel through space at the NASA Glenn Visitor Center, get hands-on with design and engineering in the Cleveland Creates Zone or engage with an augmentedreality sandbox. From May through September, groups can learn about life on a Great Lakes freighter aboard the William G. Mather Steamship. The center’s signature showcase is the NASA Glenn Visitor Center. Fascinating galleries, interactive exhibits, interesting artifacts and stunning NASA media populate a space where students can see an Apollo

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Command Module, experience a multimedia trip through space history and observe a space rock retrieved by the Apollo 15 crew. Other science phenomena exhibits allow guests to investigate electricity, magnetism, light, optics, motion and mechanics. The BioMedTech gallery shows how genomics, stem cells, prosthetics and medical imaging work. Live science demonstrations feature explosions, rockets and electric shocks.

Located inside the FirstEnergy Powerhouse, a late 19th century landmark that generated electric power for Cleveland’s streetcar lines, the Greater Cleveland Aquarium offers a unique setting to learn about life under the sea. Students can get a hands-on

Case Western Reserve University

learning experience with two interactive touch pools (one with stingrays and one with invertebrates), ask questions of deepsea divers as they swim alongside sharks, stingrays and moray eels in a 230,000-gallon SeaTube and learn about water quality with experiments in one of the lab classes.

Red foxes, bald eagles and great horned owls populate the campus of the Lake Erie Nature & Science Center, which also houses a planetarium, turtle showcase exhibit and pond flush with native wildlife. The center’s

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“Wildlife in Ohio” program teaches students how to classify mineral specimens, identify Great Lakes wildlife and appreciate the wonders of astronomy in the Walter R. Schuele Planetarium. Teachers can prepare their students ahead of time with comprehensive lesson plans that cover physics, astronomy, biology and geology, Divided into bio-thematic areas that represent the global animal community, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo is filled with exhibits and animal encounters that will keep students engaged all day. Themed areas include the RainForest (a massive simulation of tropical environments that contains over 10,000 plants), the African Savannah (where students can spot lions, zebras and flamingos) and Australian Adventure (home to kangaroos, koalas and wallabies). Groups can also walk around Waterfowl Lake, which showcases predatory birds like condors and eagles. ■ UNIVERSITIES & ACADEMIA

One of America’s densest concentration of museums and cultural attractions in the world, University Circle is a beautiful neighborhood surrounding Case Western Reserve Great Lakes Science Center

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University—a world-class campus that has welcomed 17 Nobel Laureates. With advanced planning, student groups can learn about the campus’ acclaimed biomedical program and relationship with the world-renowned Cleveland Clinic nearby. The university also hosts summer camps operated by iD Tech, which encourages students to discover coding, artificial intelligence, robotics and game design to develop skills required by Cleveland companies like Bosch, Squish Studios, CodeRed and TinyCircuits.

The Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum of the Western Reserve Historical Society, not far from campus, pays tribute to Cleveland and the surrounding region’s role in the development of the transportation industry.

Getting a glimpse of the automobile at different stages of progress gives students a crash course in engineering, science and technology in the automotive industry. ■ NATURE/OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES

The Cleveland Botanical Garden, a converted boathouse located in the heart of the University Circle neighborhood, is an ideal field trip stop for students interested in biology

Cedar Point

and nature. In this colorful haven with several plants, you will see ornamental trees, shrubs and hardy perennials. The garden has seasonal plants including brilliant bulbs in spring, beautiful annuals in summer and extravagantly colored fall foliage. The garden’s centerpiece is the Eleanor Armstrong Smith Glasshouse, a massive 17,000-square-foot space that is split into two distinct biomes: the cloud forest of Costa Rica and spiny desert of Madagascar.

STEM-centric activities the garden hosts for students include “Plant Parts,” (where students learn about plant organs and their functions in the Glasshouse), “Dissecting Pollination (participants discover the reproductive structures of a flower through a guided dissection) and “Symbiotic Relationships” (which explores the complex examples of mutualism, commensalism and parasitism).

Cedar Point, the world-famous theme park just west of Cleveland in the lakeside city of Sandusky, boasts more than thrills and spills. Through the park’s student and youth programs, the park transforms into a stateof-the-art classroom that reveals the physics of roller coasters and sophisticated systems behind some of the world’s most extreme thrill rides. Hosted throughout the spring, the park’s Education Days welcome students to speak with engineering professionals and explore the park with supplemental materials.

Engineering Day explores the logistics of theme park construction and invites students to understand the detailed mechanics behind the Top Thrill Dragster, while Physics, Science & Math Days allow visitors to see how force, energy and motion dictate the design of roller coasters and flume rides. ■

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Indianapolis Motor Speedway

INDIANAPOLIS INDIANAPOLIS PUSHES THE LIMITS WITH STEM PROGRAMS AND ATTRACTIONS FOR ALL AGES. MUSEUMS & ZOOS

Future scientists or biologists should take a trip to the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis. It has have a great STEMLab where middle school students can speak with real scientists and ask questions about their everyday work. They will model and extract DNA, learn about required engineering tools an astronaut uses in space and use microscopes to look at organisms. The Children’s Museum has an excellent field trip curriculum helpful for teachers. Through Space Days, Engineering Days, a Sustainability Fair and more, there are exciting STEM options for numerous subjects. Students learn the physical properties of water, how surfaces affect the speed of motion and how robots

help astronauts complete tasks in the harsh environment of outer space.

The Indianapolis Zoo offers many opportunities for future zoologists or marine biologists, including a special behind-thescenes look at the Oceans building while students listen to coral reef ecologist and research scientist Kelly Latijnhouwers.

The Saturday Science Program is another option for students to investigate zoological situations by using the scientific method to observe, question and explore the environment.

Exhibits in this zoo include White River Gardens, Zoo Babies, Plains, Deserts, Flights of Fancy, Forests, Oceans and the Simon Skjodt International Orangutan Center.

The mission of the Indianapolis Motor

Indianapolis Zoo

Speedway Museum is to preserve and share one of the world’s premier collections of motor racing cars with an emphasis on the Indianapolis 500-mile race, better known as the Indy 500. This museum has many different tour options for all ages. The “Golf Cart Tour” is a two-hour in-depth tour of the IMS Grounds and Facilities along with a discussion.

The “Behind-the-Scenes Tour” includes a tour of key landmarks Pagoda Plaza and Gasoline Alley. The “Kiss the Bricks Tour” includes a lap around the track with a stop at the Yard of STUDENT TRAVEL PLANNING GUIDE 2020

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Bricks. This museum gives plenty of Q&A time for aspiring automotive electricians. ■ UNIVERSITIES & ACADEMIA

Purdue University in West Lafayette is the top mechanical engineering university in Indiana. This school offers the school of engineering, health and human sciences, pharmacy, science and veterinary medicine.

For high school students, a special summer program is called Summer College. Students are able to take courses online or on-campus alongside undergraduates for four or eight weeks. This allows students age 16 and older to earn credits that can be transferred to any school. With over 650 courses to choose from, this is a great opportunity for students to get ahead in school. ■ INDUSTRY & TECHNOLOGY

Around for over 20 years, Chemistry is a Blast! is a program created by local pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly and Company that takes chemistry around Indiana and into

Purdue University

schools. A scientist can come to your school to perform an hour-long presentation tailored for the appropriate grade. Scientists will educate students about the scientific method as they observe and participate. This program is free for Indiana schools. Explosions, eruptions and evaporations will wow your students without question. ■

Explore Above & Below

in Historic Corydon & Harrison County, IN

NATURE/OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES

Conner Prairie also has many outdoor activities that will pull students’ interest. At the Animal Encounter, learn about life cycles and behaviors of animals while students speak with a specialist who can answer any and all questions a future zoologist may have. Take a nature walk from April to October through the woods, water, farmland or prairie.

Students will discover plants and animals, learn what the land was used for in the past and how it is used now.

Visit the green and beautiful Garfield Park Conservatory and Sunken Garden in Indianapolis for your next trip. Customized field trips are an option for middle and high school students. Instructors may tell the specialist what they are learning about in class and they can then tailor the tour to the lesson. Some topics may include plant and animal adaptations, medicinal plants and natural cycles. ■ Conner Prairie

888-738-2137 thisisindiana.org

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SIT E INSPE C T ION SI

Education Thrives in South Bend, Indiana From famous institutions to outdoor fun, there’s a lot to learn in South Bend

S

outh Bend, Indiana is home to one of the most well-known universities in the nation — the University of Notre Dame — and educational sites spread throughout the city. There are also numerous museums, a range of outdoor activities and many hotels for students during their visit.

Universities The University of Notre Dame is a historic college unlike any other. Visiting offers just as much for potential students the curious passerby. A tour of the Basilica of the Sacred Heart is an enchanting look into beautiful Gothic architecture and painted ceilings. Visit on a game weekend and experience rich traditions.

Near Notre Dame you’ll find Saint Mary’s College, a renowned Catholic women’s college dating to the 1840s, and Holy Cross College, another Catholic institution. Saint Mary’s is home to just over 1,500 undergraduates, while Holy Cross, a co-ed college, has around 500 students.

Historical Attractions Get a rare look into the automotive industry’s past at Studebaker National Museum. It houses the world’s largest collection of presidential carriages, including those used by presidents Harrison, Grant and Lincoln. Located right next to Studebaker National Museum, The History Museum not only contains exhibits and artifacts, it also manages three homes for visitors to explore. The museum is a gateway into the city’s history that anyone can enjoy.

The Oliver Mansion is a centerpiece of South Bend’s history.

It gives visitors a look into a wealthy lifestyle of J.D. Oliver, an industrialist known for the Oliver Chilled Plow, and his family. Students can explore the Italianate gardens, where there is a teahouse, rose garden, pergola, tennis lawn and fountain.

Hotels & Facilities

The Hilton Garden Inn at South Bend has a variety of amenities any school group would need when on a trip. It houses a full-service restaurant (Bistro 933) that serves breakfast and dinner. The hotel Outdoor Adventures also has a pool, provides free Wi-Fi, a full business center and fitness The first artificial whitewater course in North America, the East center. The nearby Inn at Saint Mary’s offers Race Waterway is a 2,000-foot-long course free airport shuttle service among its amenities.

LeAnn Allen that features Class 2 rapids. Novices will find it At this hotel across from Notre Dame, you’ll Regional Director of Sales and inviting, while more skilled rafters can seek out also find free breakfast, a cocktail lounge and a Marketing a challenge. The river drops about 12 feet along café that proudly serves Starbucks.

Hilton Garden Inn the length of the course and offers a thrill to The Gillespie Conference Center is a Inn at Saint Mary’s those braving its waves. perfect fit for any event looking for a home in Gillespie Conference Center Located inside the 160-acre Rum Village Park South Bend. It’s located near the University of Leann.allen@hilton.com in South Bend, Edge Adventure Park is a series Notre Dame and on the Saint Mary’s College 574-323-2461 of treetop “trails” that range in height from Campus and can accommodate events like www.gillespieconferencecenter.com 16 to 60 feet. Following these trails requires class reuions. navigating obstacles and utilizing zip lines.

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Talbert and Leota Abrams Planetarium

DETROIT & MICHIGAN EXPLORE SCIENCE AND MANUFACTURING IN THE MOTOR CITY AND BEYOND.

MUSEUMS & ZOOS

​The Michigan Science Center focuses on inspiring and empowering curious minds to explore STEM in a creative, hands-on hub. With its wide variety of exhibits like the 4D theater, interactive labs and planetarium, it encourages students to discover all sorts of science, math, technology and engineering. Through guided field trips, students are encouraged to visit the more than 250 interactive exhibits in the museum to learn about various STEM principles and experience topics such as life science, engineering and space.

The Cranbrook Institute of Science comprises of the Institute of Science but also the Academy of Art, Art Museum, and Center for

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Collections & Research, which all have formed one of the world’s leading education, science and art centers. With unparalleled programs, the Cranbrook Institute of Science seeks to provide transformational experiences in STEM education.

Both daytime and overnight field trips bring a whole new level for students to discover topics like chemistry, anthropology, life science and astronomy. These experiences provide students with the ability to get immersed in a museum that houses over 20,000 artifacts, planetarium shows and nationally-acclaimed exhibits With over 2,000 aquatic creatures, SEA LIFE Michigan Aquarium in Auburn Hills offers 12 interactive exhibits for visitors to experience over 250 species up close and

Michigan Science Center

personal. Whether students learn about the aquarium’s conservation program, encounter the vast array of sea creatures, touch a rockpool creature in the TouchPool or experience a feeding demonstration, the SEA LIFE Michigan Aquarium gives students insight into how they can help to protect marine species worldwide or even learn about the ones native to the many lakes around Michigan. Students also can dive into topics such as biodiversity and water resources for animals or investigate the anatomy and adaptations of a squid through dissection. The aquarium also

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heavily emphasizes protecting local habitats, and students can learn about SEA LIFE’s commitment to repopulating locallakes and rivers with navie species.

Home to more than 2,400 animals of 235 species, the Detroit Zoo is a renowned leader in wildlife conservation, animal welfare, environmental sustainability and humane education. Various attractions the zoo provides include the “Science on a Sphere” (which is a display of Earth’s dynamic simulations to educate visitors about environmental issues that impact human lives), the “Giraffe Encounter” (where visitors can feed a giraffe) and the 4D theater.

Field trips at the Detroit Zoo give students hands-on learning experiences to expand their classroom knowledge. The added learning labs provide students the opportunity to expand their knowledge of conservation, life sciences and career paths through topics which include wolf conservation, wildlife forensics, animal behavior and medical careers. ■ UNIVERSITIES & ACADEMIA

The National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory, or NSCL, is a national facility which allows scientists from all over the world

to discover atoms and their role in the universe.

As part of the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB), the NSCL helped to not only advance nuclear science but also made Michigan State University known worldwide for its innovations in nuclear science and cross-disciplinary fields.

Discover the rare isotope facility through an educational tour. Through these once-in-alifetime tours, students encounter physics in real life, learn the goals and methods of nuclear science, walk through the vaults where nuclei are accelerated and watch a demonstration. ​The Talbert and Leota Abrams Planetarium on the Michigan State University campus has been open since 1964 to create a center for space science and education. The planetarium strives to increase appreciation and awareness of the night sky, support scientific literacy and connect with the outside community, whether they are K-12, university level or the public with interactive multimedia.

The field trips the planetarium offers students are a wide array of shows like the race to land a robotic spacecraft on the Moon, discovering the wonders of the sun, catastrophes of the cosmos, how the existence of ice outside of Earth shapes the natural system of other planets and moons Cranbrook Institute of Science

Ford Rouge Factory Tour

in the solar system and more. Students also get to experience what the night sky looks like at the time of their visit. ■ INDUSTRY & TECHNOLOGY

Experience game-changing technology and get an inside look at America’s most iconic truck through the Ford Rouge Factory Tour. During the Rouge Factory Tour, students experience the science and history of manufacturing at one of the world’s largest automotive complexes.

Help students tie their classroom knowledge into these trips through programs such as the “Spark Chaser,” “Investigating 21st-Century Manufacturing,” “Environmental Innovations” and “Outdoor Living Lab.” The Class Outside Series at Comerica Park offers students the chance to learn about various educational programs and enjoy one of America’s favorite sports: baseball. Through programs like STEAM Day, Weather Day or even CSI: Forensic Science Day, students are given the opportunity to listen to speakers, participate in interactive educational experiences and watch the Detroit Tigers play. ■ NATURE/OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES

Offering tours of both the Recycle Here!

Facility as well as the Lincoln Street Art Park, the Green Living Science Initiative gives students an insight into environmental impacts and sustainable building. Through hands-on activities, students also use this outdoor classroom to enhance their STEM knowledge of the conservation of natural resources. The unique setting of both the recycling facility as well as the art park allows students to experience recycling in an urban setting and the outdoor classroom created recycled from a 40foot shipping container. ■ STUDENT TRAVEL PLANNING GUIDE 2020

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Museum of Science & Industry

CHICAGO CHICAGO OFFERS A PLETHORA OF COMPANIES AND PARKS THAT OFFER STUDENTS A STEM EXPERIENCE LIKE NO OTHER.

MUSEUMS & ZOOS

In a city renowned for its museums, the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum manages to stand out among the crowd with its massive butterfly greenhouse, 40 live animal species and overnight programs. One of the oldest museums in the country, the center offers students a chance to learn in over 14 indoor and outdoor high-quality workshops taught by experts. Workshops include “What’s the Buzz about Bees” (which teaches interdependence in ecosystems) and “H20 Investigations” (which uncovers the links between invertebrates and water quality). Students experience nature right in front of them in the famous Judy Istock Butterfly Haven, which contains 40

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different species of exotic butterflies and birds from around the world. Trips can be focused between four different themes (Insects & More, Midwest Ecosystems, Conservation and Collections & Specimens) to enhance what your students are learning in class.

The Museum of Science & Industry offers a chance for students to see, among its ever-changing other exhibits, a captured German U-boat, the command hub of Apollo 8 and a full-sizedcoal mine. Students are free to roam the museum in the self-guided tours, experiencing interactive displays and films that showcase the past and future of science and technology. The Museum of Science and Industry truly shines through its Learning

Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum

Labs, where students can engineer bridges, learn about and diagnose heart disease, and—for one group a year—watch a live heart surgery performed as the students talk with the surgeons via webcam.

The perfect mix of outdoor activity and museum learning, Lincoln Park Zoo is just waiting to educate kids young and old.

Housing 1,100 animals across 220 species, the zoo gives students a chance to travel the world from Africa to Antarctica through the animals that live there. Each area has a theme

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such as the McCormick Bird House (which houses around 30 different bird species from around the globe and hosts daily feeding) and the Penguin Cove (featuring African penguins), where students have the chance to “Meet a Penguin.” The Lincoln Park Zoo also offers the Zoo Explorers program, giving students K-8 a more structured walk around the zoo with a guide to answer questions and engage scientific inquiry directly while getting a peek at zoo operations. ■ UNIVERSITIES & ACADEMIA

While in the Windy City, any prospective nursing students or other future health professional should visit the University of Loyola Chicago. Students interested can schedule a tour of Loyola’s top-notch simulation lab facilities, where the next generation of health professionals are trained.

On certain days, faculty are available to meet and answer any questions prospective students might have. Loyola also offers the chance for smaller groups or individual students to attend

a class for the day, giving them a chance to see what a future education in a STEM major really looks like. ■

Morton Arboretum

INDUSTRY & TECHNOLOGY

Created because of the University of Chicago’s work on the Manhattan Project, Argonne National Laboratory offers a litany of options for any STEM-focused school trip. On the cutting edge of the latest math, technology and scientific methods and techniques, Argonne National Laboratory offer 3.5-hour classes in relevant topics like “Building a Better Battery,” “Extreme X-Rays” and “Compute, Code, Create” that engage students and encourage creative thinking and teamwork. The facility also offers a full tour, taking students through the working lab where they can see and experience a live workspace in action and get a feel of what it means to work in a lab. The lab also offers yearly competitions, conventions and conferences like their “Science Career in Search of Women,” which is aimed at encouraging STEM in female students.

TILT SETS THE ENTHUSIASM LEVEL HIGH FOR STUDENT TOURS!”

Com-Ed Smart Energy Hub offers a place for students and teachers to learn more about how energy is both harnessed and delivered to the company’s 3.8 million customers and how we as consumers can converse and use that energy smarter. With locations in both Chicago and Rockford, the company’s training centers become a classroom, offering employee expertise to answer any questions students may have during the 60-90 minute experience.

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Loaded with interactives to engage with, the experience emphasizes how subjects like science, technology, math and engineering all come together to keep millions the homes of millions powered. ■ NATURE/OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES

The Indiana Dunes Learning Center offers outdoor fun and learning for students interested in all fields of STEM. Recently designated a National Park, the Indiana Dunes also hosts educational programs for students to take advantage of. At the Indiana Dunes Learning Center, students can take part in programs such as “DuneVersity,” where middle-schoolers take three days to investigate the local ecosystems and practice professional research methods, and Dunescopes, in which high schoolers learn about climate change and the effects on the Great Lakes it can have. These opportunities and many more are available for all ages and grades.

A living museum of trees with more than 220,000 plants, the Morton Arboretum is

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Argonne National Laboratory

where science and nature come to life. From learning about biological changes in organisms to how the seasons affect trees differently, the arboretum’s experts use expert teaching methods that are designed to extend scientific inquiry in students. The arboretum’s programs also teach students about Midwestern

woodland conservation and threatened wild tree species. In addition, open-air tram rides through the entire arboretum with live commentary are offered. Eith its 16 miles of trails and 1,700 acres of land to explore, even self-guided tours offer a chance for students to learn. ■

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EAST

Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum

NEW YORK CITY HOME TO PRESTIGIOUS UNIVERSITIES AND THE CENTER OF THE FINANCIAL WORLD, THE “CITY THAT NEVER SLEEPS” OFFERS INNOVATION AND STEM ADVENTURE.

MUSEUMS & ZOOS

Many museums can boast wacky locations and interesting buildings, but the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum blows them all away. Existing entirely inside a decommissioned aircraft carrier, the museum allows visitors a rare look at the plane that broke the record for the fastest crossing of the Atlantic Ocean, the only guided missile submarine open to the public and even the space shuttle Enterprise. These testaments to technology are ready to ignite the passion in your students and get them ready for the many educational opportunities that can be undertaken at the museum. Take part in programs that have kids build and test robotic

arms like the ones used on the Enterprise space shuttle, or learn about topics like aircraft technology and design, space science and the Space Race.

New York has the distinct advantage of being home to the country’s only museum dedicated solely to math. The National Museum of Mathematics, considered the “Best Museum for Kids” by New York Magazine in 2013, houses dozens of fun, interactive exhibits that illustrate different aspects of mathematics. Groups can partake in a private tour with various options, including hands-on sessions in a classroom with museum staff to help drive home some concepts your students might learn

The National Museum of Mathematics

in the museum. With exhibits like “Hyper Hyperboloid,” “Tracks of Galileo” and the “Square-Wheeled Trike,” the question is not whether you’ll learn something, it’s whether you’ll have time to discover it all.

Inspire the next generation of scientists with a visit to the Liberty Science Museum.

Dig through the museum’s giant 35-ton sandbox to discover over 60 fossils including T-Rex bones and teeth. Experience live animals in the “Eat Or Be Eaten” exhibit with naked mole rats, cotton-top tamarin monkeys STUDENT TRAVEL PLANNING GUIDE 2020

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and leaf cutter ants. Watch a show in the Jennifer Chalsty Planetarium (an 89-footdiameter dome that brings the wonders of the cosmos before your very eyes) or experience Science on a Sphere and travel the world from your seat. Want to learn even more? Book “Live from Surgery,” and your group can talk to and ask questions to surgeons performing live surgery via video with procedures including heart, pediatric orthopedic or prenatal surgery. ■

Liberty Science Museum

INDUSTRY & TECHNOLOGY

UNIVERSITIES & ACADEMIA

Columbia University, considered by many to be one of the top universities in the nation and boasting alumni that include former presidents and Supreme Court justices, is just waiting for you to visit. Take part in the university’s “Engineering Tour,” which offers students a chance to explore the school’s world-class research laboratories and meet with current students and faculty. The “Engineering Tour” supplements the regular campus tour, so groups with mixed interest

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“A Day in the Life of the Hudson” takes kids out onto the river to collect samples and learn important data collection techniques employed by scientists. There’s also the Secondary School Field Research Program, which has students use the research reserve, Piermont Marsh, to engage in rigorous research in different aspects of the ecology and physical conditions of the wetlands. ■

can take both and still continue to learn about the school without having to worry about too much overlap.

Interested in learning more or getting hands-on while at Columbia University? Visit its Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory and take part in the many programs aimed at giving high school and middle school students a chance to engage in hands-on learning experiences throughout the year.

Over 100 years old, the Brooklyn Navy Yard has had a prime place in the nation’s history. The area continues to contribute to our nation to this day as a home to hundreds of local manufacturing businesses and studios just waiting for you to visit. Explore the Brooklyn Navy Yard’s New Lab building on a tour that will take the group among the many factories and studios, like SIFU Fabrication and Honeybee Robotics, and talk to the business owners and workers constantly pushing the boundaries of technology and engineering.

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Located in a former blacksmith’s forge, Holographic Studios has for over 40 years created 3D holograms for companies big and small. The company also maintains an open invitation to any curious visitors to its gallery of holographics — the oldest in the world — and a brief tour of its lab. A visit to the studios includes a trip through the gallery (where holographic photos of such celebrities as Andy Warhol, Isaac Asimov, Bill Clinton and Billy Idol reside) and a trip into the bowels of the lab to see where the magic happens. Led by one of the pioneers of holographic technology, Jason Sapan, under the guise of Doctor Laser, groups learn about the history of holograms and how exactly these 3D images are made. ■ NATURE/OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES

The Javits Center Green Roof is an abnormal 29,000-square-foot laboratory and home to 27 different species of birds, five species of bats and thousands of honeybees.

Take a tour and explore this marvel while the benefits and the construction of this massive flora environment are explained to you. Learn how many cities across the country are undertaking efforts to transform their skyline to be more green through new technology and science from your knowledgeable tour guides. Randall Island is the site of another highly innovative Green Roof. Though smaller in scale, it holds many innovative growing technologies not found at Javits, and tours are available through the New York Park District via appointment. ■ Javits Center Green Roof

• F R E E W H I T E PA P E R • Most jobs in the future will require an understanding of math and science, but despite these facts, mathematics and science scores on average among U.S. students have lagged behind other developed countries.

This revolutionary whitepaper from Student Travel Planning Guide starts the dialogue about how educators can partner with tourism professionals, public entities and private industry to combat this nationwide epidemic by exposing their students to field-based learning opportunities.

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EAST

Museum of Science

BOSTON BOASTING STRONG RESEARCH UNIVERSITIES, TECHNOLOGY STARTUPS AND NORTH ATLANTIC BIODIVERSITY, BOSTON IS THE PERFECT CITY TO BRING STEM STUDENTS ON YOUR NEXT SCHOOL TRIP.

MUSEUMS & ZOOS

Housing over 200 species and covering 72 acres, Franklin Park Zoo is worthwhile for field trips at any level. Students are free to wander through any number of themed areas, including the Tropical Forest (an enclosed dome that showcases gorillas, crocodiles and birds from South America and Asia), Serengeti Crossing (which educates visitors on African mammals such as zebras and wildebeests) and Giraffe Savannah. Students can participate in workshops that partner them with a zoologist to learn about endangered species conservation or exhibit design that maximizes the animals’ privacy and educational potential for guests.

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Budding marine biologists will want to spend time at the New England Aquarium, a mammoth structure located along the waterfront in Boston Harbor. The aquarium’s primary feature is the Giant Ocean Tank, a cylindrical 200,000-gallon tank that simulates a Caribbean coral reef with resident bonnethead sharks, sea turtles and stingrays. Other exhibits include the Tropical Gallery, Freshwater Gallery and Edge of the Sea Tide Pool, a tactile area where students are encouraged to touch horseshoe crabs, sea urchins and snails. Its signature student activity is the Squid Anatomy Workshop, where visitors learn basic dissection skills on a real squid.

The Museum of Science, an immense educational center along the banks of the

New England Aquarium

Charles River, houses over 700 interactive science stations, live demonstration stages and the only domed IMAX screen in New England. The museum offers templates for teachers grades K-12 to craft custom museum itineraries that can include stops at the Theater of Electricity (which features the worlds largest Van de Graaff electric generator), “Dinosaurs: Modeling the Mesozoic” (a collection of prehistoric fossils) and “Math Moves!,” an innovative space that allows students to visualize math concepts

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like ratio and proportions with tactile exhibits. ■ UNIVERSITIES & ACADEMIA

One of the most acclaimed technology institutes in the world, MIT (the Massachusetts Institute of Technology) welcomes mathematicians and scientists from across the globe. During a visit to the Nuclear Reactor Lab, visitors can attend a Q&A session with a nuclear physicist and walk through the nation’s second-largest university reactor.

While on campus, stop by the MIT Museum, which features exhibits on artificial intelligence, maritime history and robotics.

The museum also offers the MIT Sail Into Engineering Program. Here, students learn about the engineering design process by building and testing their own model boat.

Participants will use modern technologies such as computer-aided design and laser cutting and explore the methods that Nathanael Herreshoff used to design and build over 2,000 boats—including five America’s Cup-winning yachts—at the turn of the 20th century.

Offering a pristine rocky Atlantic shoreline, Northeastern University’s Marine Science

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Center is an absolute necessity for student groups interested in conservation and marine biology. Students can stop by the center to discuss ocean acidification, climate change or ocean ecology with resident scientists and researchers, but the institute also offers signature programs for students seeking multi-day experiences. The Littorina program exposes participants to the biodiversity of the Atlantic Ocean’s shoreline. This one-week, field trip-based program teaches students how to keep a field notebook and take basic measurements of weather, water quality and biodiversity in different coastal habitats. ■ INDUSTRY & TECHNOLOGY

StageOne Robotics, which designs assembly line robots that expedite the parcel induction process, opens its doors almost daily to STEM students interested in the field of robotics and engineering with the MIT Helicopter Workshop. In this workshop designed and operated by MIT PhD graduates, students have the opportunity to collaborate on both hardware and software design by building circuitry and writing software together. Utilizing an Arduino microprocessor

Newport Landing Whale Watching

as the base, they create, program and fly a helicopter that they build in small groups.

Afterwards, students can tour the factory to learn how algorithms and advanced equations expedite the assembly line process. ■ NATURE/OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES

Several whale watching outfitters integrate STEM-centric content to their private voyages, including Newport Landing Whale Watching.

During a two-our cruise, student research teams take part in five different monitoring projects.

With a trained marine biologist as their guide, young scientists use their expedition backpacks to identify marine mammals, monitor coastal birds, study tiny plankton and discover the important role of sea lions. Students record data in their expedition notebooks, identify and count active wild marine life and explore marine life artifacts onboard. Pre-trip in-class lesson plans are available to engage and prepare students before the voyage.

Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area—a collection of Atlantic islands located just off the Massachusetts coast—lets visitors tour preserved forts, climb historic lighthouses and camp in wooded glens while viewing the Boston skyline. Its signature overnight student activity is the Outward Bound Summer Expedition for students age 12-17. Outdoor activities include sailing, kayaking, climbing and exploration of the Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area and Massachusetts Bay coastline.

Students experience outdoor camping and cooking, learn navigation and sailing/ kayaking skills, investigate marine ecology, learn environmental stewardship, work with National Park rangers and participate in a service project. ■ STUDENT TRAVEL PLANNING GUIDE 2020

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National Air and Space Museum

WASHINGTON, D.C. HOME TO THE WORLD’S LARGEST MUSEUM COLLECTION AND A NUMBER OF TOP-NOTCH LOCATIONS FOR NATURE-LOVERS, D.C. LEADS THE NATION IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE. MUSEUMS & ZOOS

No museum is more focused on inspiring kids to be creative and think critically than the KID Museum and its study-proven programs that integrate STEM, art and social responsibility to teach children. Servicing 55,000 participants a year, KID Museum doesn’t have a litany of items to browse and discover. Instead, it offers a selection of hands-on programs where elementary to middle school students can learn about topics such as design, engineering or coding and experiment with activities such as circuits and wind tubes. During their invention programs, students will go through the invention process from designing and developing an idea to prototyping and troubleshooting it.

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No school trip is complete without a visit to the National Air and Space Museum.

Featuring a large collection of some of the most important space and aircraft in the history of the aviation, students experience the simplicity of Wilbur and Orville’s first aircraft and the complexity of the first Moon landing.

The museum offers a variety of programs to educate students with Discovery Stations and Learning Labs to provide hands-on education.

Students can gaze at the sun with a visit to the museum’s Phoebe Waterman Haas Public Observatory or even watch a live taping of STEM in 30, a webcast broadcast live throughout the nation to classrooms, with experts educating students on topics that

National Zoo

include World War I airplanes, spacesuits and Mars rovers.

One of the few places on earth where students can see rare species and giant pandas, the Smithsonian’s National Zoo is a mustvisit location. With a plethora of schedulable programs students can participate in, daily activities throughout the park and guided tours, there’s no lack of educational opportunities.

With over 2,000 animals and 300 different species in 14 different exhibits, students can find an animal that suits their fancy. With

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exhibits like Lemur Island (featuring a fiberglass Triceratops on top of lemurs), the Think Tank (designed to educate visitors on how the animals think and behave in their environment) and the Amazonia (housing such animals as the freshwater stingray and the red-bellied piranha), the zoo offers students a chance to see and learn about animals from around the world, admission is free. ■ UNIVERSITIES & ACADEMIA

While named for the country’s first president, George Washington University is focused solely on the future with its strong programs in science and engineering.

Students visiting the college have the chance to partake in a tour of the university’s school of engineering and science. During the tour, students will be taken through the school’s topnotch research labs and learn about the newest research and programs being done such as cancer-fighting plasma and data-privacy apps.

All of this, coupled with the recent opening of the Center for Women in Engineering (with a mission to promote more diversity in the field), makes George Washington University a great visit for any STEM field trip. ■ INDUSTRY & TECHNOLOGY

At the forefront of innovative design and manufacturing methods, Local Motors welcomes all into its National Harbor location for tours of its 3D printing plant. Known for its 3D printed cars and co-community-created car designs, the company offers a tour of its facility that includes a look at its massive 3D printer capable of building a car in two days. Students get a chance to design and digitally test their own car designs along the way. The tour ends with an opportunity to try out a mini-maker space. In the past, the company has also hosted a litany of events from designing and building fidget spinners to DIY automobiles. ■ NATURE/OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES

Breaking from stuffy museums and crowded zoos to enjoy nature is exactly what the National Arboretum offers students K-12 visiting the D.C. area. Sporting 446 acres of trees and gardens to explore, the arboretum allows students to see the plant and bug life native to the D.C. area while enjoying some time in the sun. With a variety of different gardens, the National Arboretum allows for

National Arboretum

a range of options, from day hikes to simple mid-day picnics. Guided tours are available for reservation, and pre-trip lesson plans are on the website to build students’ anticipation and help them get the most out of the experience.

Located right off the National Mall, the United States Botanical Gardens allow students an up-close look at the diversity of plant life found across the United States.

The gardens host a number of opportunities for students to learn from experts about important topics like sustainability, pollination and plant conservation in 45-minute classroom experiences hosted by expert educators trained to engage the students in critical thinking.

Sporting large open spaces, the Botanical Gardens is a great place to walk around in the sun or eat lunch, while the conservatory itself offers a number of self-guided tours where students can seek out and find different plants

throughout the building.

Natural beauty abounds and many learning opportunities can be found at the Kenilworth Park & Aquatic Gardens. Established in 1938 and home to 150 species of land plants (including the famous cherry blossoms) and 76 species of birds, Kenilworth Park & Aquatic Gardens offers a nice educational refuge from the busy city. Park rangers offer tours of the gardens to point out blooming seasonal flowers, educate students on the history and importance wetlands can have on the local ecosystem and provide a view of Maryland before urbanizations changed that landscape forever. Several pre-planned selfguided tours teach have students investigate the area and apply core concepts like tidal changes, water temperature differences and ecosystem interconnectivity they learned from the class. ■

Visit Flight 93 National Memorial and learn about the inspiring story of the 40 Heroes of Flight 93.

The Visitor Center is a tribute to their legacy and adds an important educational opportunity for all who visit.

Located 1.5 hours from Pittsburgh.

The memorial is open sunrise to sunset and the Visitor Center is open from 9 – 5 pm.

Learn more at www.Flight93Friends.org.

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360 Chicago, IL Brightspark Travel Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, VA Desination Cleveland, OH EF Educational Tours Flight 93 National Memorial, Stoystown, PA Gettysburg Foundation, PA Harrison County/Historic Corydon CVB, IN Luna Park in Coney Island, NY Merlin Entertainments/Madame Tussauds National Flight Academy, Pensacola, FL Ocean City, Maryland PhotoVision, Mint Hill, NC Pigeon Forge Department of Tourism, TN Pigeon Forge Snow, TN Ron Jon Surf Shop, Cocoa Beach, FL U.S. Space & Rocket Center, Huntsville, AL Visit Colorado Springs, CO Visit Mississippi, Jackson, MS Visit South Bend-Mishawaka, IN Wolcott Hotel, New York City, NY

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