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​Social Media Posts.  Use your social media accounts to follow up after your meeting.  Thank everyone for coming and remind them about the enrollment deadline.  Build energy by letting them know if there are a limited amount of places left on your tour.  You can see a few of the reminders that I posted on my social media for my current tour. I use www.canva.com to create all the fabulous graphic designs!

All Group Leaders exist on (what I like to call) a recruitment spectrum.  At one end of the spectrum, you have Group Leaders who are leading tours that are school sponsored, or have the full blessing of their school/district.  One the opposite end of the spectrum, are Group Leaders who teach in schools/districts that have a strict ban on advertising and recruiting for an educational tour.  How do you recruit in a school or district where you are not allowed to advertise your tour?  Know that you are not alone!  Many Group Leaders share the same challenge:  building a travel program in a school that doesn't allow it.

While I am lucky enough to exist somewhere in the middle of the recruitment spectrum, I work with many group leaders who are not.  I have a few ideas that I would like to share with you to think outside the classroom, and fill your bus full of travelers, in-spite of the challenges that you face being restricted to advertising outside of school.

First and foremost, follow the rules!  Don't take any risks that might put your job in jeopardy.  It is possible to spread the word about your tour outside of the classroom.  There are many successful Group Leaders who cannot advertise at school.  I would encourage you to know the rules. Find out exactly where the line is when it comes to advertising your tour.  Ask these questions:

• Where can I put up posters?  (Just inside my classroom?  Not at all?)
• What are the boundaries on talking about the tour in my classroom?  (Can I mention it, but not pass out printed information?  Can I use a power point?  Is there a strict restriction on mentioning it at all?)
• Am I allowed to send out emails to parents, as long as I am clear it is not school sponsored?

Wherever you exist on the spectrum, consider using some of these tips:

Word of Mouth.  One of the best ways to advertise for your tour is by word of mouth.  Can you...

• Attend school extra curricular events, and talk to the parents about your upcoming tour?
• Spread the word with community organizations?  Parents are the members of those organizations, and are usually excited to hear about travel opportunities.
• Post on a neighborhood posting site, or a community announcement board?  This will really get people talking!

​I created some small business cards that advertised my next recruitment meeting.  I keep the cards in my purse and/or pockets when I go to school events.  When I strike up a conversation with a parent about my tour, I give them one of the small cards so that they can remember the date and location of the meeting.

Student Ambassadors.  Ask some students to be "ambassadors" for your travel program.  Ask them to share trip information on their social media, and create incentives for spreading the word to all of their friends!  I used this strategy a few years back, and I ordered some t-shirts for the students and armed with with fliers, and pre-made social media posts to share with everyone they knew.  My advice would be to only ask students that you know really well, and feel comfortable explaining the role of ambassador to their parents.

Use Social Media.  In today's world, it seems as though EVERYONE is connected through social media.  Beef up your social media presence and put it to work for you.  Here are some ways to use your social media to recruit new travelers:

• Create an account or "page" dedicated to your travel program.  Use your own personal social media account to "share" the travel related page with all of your friends and followers.  For example, I have a Facebook page solely dedicated to my travel program.  I use my personal account to share the travel page to my Facebook timeline to spread the word about my upcoming tour.  I also created a Twitter account for my travel program (@RaiderWorldTraveler), and I promote my upcoming tour, share pictures, reminders, etc.
• Include the link or handle to your social media pages in your email signature or other correspondence that your students and their families might come into contact with.  ​

​Advertisements.  Can you take out a small add in the local paper?  Advertise in a community or neighborhood newsletter? Post a flier on the bulletin board of the local community center, recreation center or indoor pool?  Although print advertisements may seem outdated, they still get noticed. 

Don't lose heart!  You can still let people know about about your tour, even though advertising in the classroom is off limits.  Lots of group leaders do it, and you can too! 

I would love to hear your ideas about recruiting outside the classroom.  Please put them in the comments below!

Stay away from Gift Cards and Travelers Cheques.  While they both seem like safe options, they make it difficult for the Tour Director to use, and often come with fees upon usage. Imagine if you were given payment for your job with a gift card, that might not work internationally, and charged you every time you used it.   Just as everywhere else in the world...cash is the best way to show appreciation!

Traveler BINGO!  At my very first pre-departure meeting (what's a pre-departure meeting?  click here to find out), I have my students play a strange version of BINGO.  It isn't like the actual game of bingo, it is an icebreaker to have them get out of their shell, and talk to the to the others who will be traveling with them on tour.  I give each traveler a copy of Traveler BINGO, and tell them that the first person to get five in a row wins a prize, but the game doesn't stop until everyone has five in a row.  Another key ingredient to breaking the ice is AFTER the game, and going through each square to see who fit each description. Click here to steal my copy and edit as needed!

This is a fun game that gets your travelers up and moving, and most importantly: interacting with each other!
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The Name Game
At the second pre-departure meeting, I like to have my travelers play "the name game."  To play the name game, you will need to:

Step 1 - have everyone stand in a circle
Step 2 - tell everyone to think of something that they "like".
Step 3 - explain that you will start the game by saying your name and what you like.  Example:  My name is Jessica and I like icecream.
Step 4 - The next person to go must repeat what the first person said, and then add their own name and what they like.  Example:  Your name is Jessica and you like icecream, my name is Jackson and I like to play soccer.
Step 5 - The game will continue on in that fashion, adding a person and their like each time.
​Step 6 - You will be the last person to go, and list EVERYONE's name and what they like.

It sounds almost impossible, but if you just pay attention to each person and "practice" in your head with each round, you will find that it only took your group 10-15 minutes to learn everyone's name and something that they like.

Destination Dinner
Before tour, I like to organize a dinner that reflects the culture of our tour destination.  For example, if the tour is going to Italy, we can all meet at an Italian Restaurant, or have a potluck with an Italian theme.  I like to go all out and play some Italian music in the background, set the tables to look like a little cafe you where you might dine on tour.  Having a dinner encourages everyone to meet together and talk over a meal.  This is a very natural way to encourage your group to get to know each other before your tour.

Luggage Derby
At my third pre-departure meeting, I like to hold a luggage derby.  This activity has two purposes:  (1) I like for the travelers to gain an understanding of just how heavy and cumbersome their luggage will be when they overpack (2) I also like for the travelers to get to know each other better by working together to win the derby.

Here is how it works:

Before the meeting:
I tell the travelers to bring the suitcase that they are using on tour, and to put 40lbs of anything in it.  Most use textbooks, or free weights.  I set up the building for the derby by creating signs with arrows pointing the direction that they travelers should follow..  I require them to go to different stations in the building where they will have to successfully pass through "passport control," and then "customs" before they head to "baggage claim" and then look for the "exit."  As part of the derby I require them to go up and downstairs with their suit case, and use the elevators (which they find is quite difficult with some many people and their luggage in tow).

At the meeting/before the derby:
When the travelers arrive at the meeting, I divide them up into two teams, and give them a very vague description of what they have to accomplish.  They just know that it is a race (and they cannot run!), and the first team who correctly follows the path, and makes it back to the start first, wins.

After the derby:
We have a little debriefing session and discuss the most difficult parts of the activity, and how it might affect their packing.

To be honest, the parents watching from the sidelines really enjoy this the most, because it is quite comical to watch the travelers go through the obstacle course and try to make it back quickly without running.  It never hurts to think about how heavy your luggage will feel when it is over packed and you have to carry it it quite a bit on tour.

Pool Party/Pre-departure Meeting
One week before my tour departs we will have our final pre-departure meeting.  My tour is in June, and I live in Texas, so the weather is usually warm enough to swim.  I will survey the families of my travelers months in advance to find out who has a pool (very common in TX), and if they might be interested in hosting our group for a final meeting/swim party at their house.  I know that this is A LOT to ask.  My group sizes have grown over the years, and I now have a full bus!  That means that there are 50 travelers, plus at least another parent or family member (possibly hosting a party 100-150 people!).  There is usually a family who wants to help out, and doesn't mind hosting our last party at their house.  

I will make a signup sheet, and have all the travelers bring food, and we usually cook out.  We will start the meeting at around 5pm, and then when the meeting is over the travelers will all stay and swim.  This is always a great time, and besides the travelers getting to know each other, the parents of the travelers have a chance to sit around and chat and make connections too.

Every group leader wants to know as much as possible about their travelers before departure.  It makes for a smoother pre-departure period and tour.  If your travelers are anything like mine, they are super busy during the school year, and I don't get to see them much in the year/two years before our tour.  Instead of taking up everyone's time with lots of paperwork, I created a Traveler Information Form (I know, such an original name), that I have every traveler fill out prior to our first departure meeting.  This really helps me get a grasp on how prepared and experienced my group is, and it also allows me to gently "encourge" them to take some of some important things, like applying for a passport.  




So, as not to keep you in suspense any longer: You can click here to see the live version of this form.  No worries, it is a SAMPLE version, click away.

Here is a run-down of the questions I ask.  Some of them are open-response, others are multiple choice, or an rating scale.

• Traveler Last Name
• Traveler First Name
• E-mail address
• Parent's email address
• Student Cell #
• Parent Cell #
• T-shirt Size
• Pasport Status
• Name (exactly as it appears on passport)
• Passport Expiration Date
• Country of Citizenship 
• Check all of the following...about allergies, dietary issues, etc.
• Rooming Preference
• Travel Related Questions, check all that apply...I've never flown on a plane, I've never traveled by myself, etc.
• On a scale of 1-5 how do you feel about navigating a large airport?
• On a scale of 1-5 how do you feel about your physical abilities for a 12 day tour?
• Have you ever been to ta place where you didn't speak the language?
• What are you most looking forward to?
• What are you most nervous about?
• What questions do you have?

This is all great information to learn about our travelers, and handy to have for reference during the tour planning process.  Just a note about the time line:  For my tour in June, I sent this out the October prior (7 months prior), becuase I wanted to start gathering all of this information before our first meeting in January.  It was really helpful to find out who had a passport, and who had not even applied.

Feel free to love it or lose it!  Google forms is a great tool, if you don't have any experience with it, find someone on your campus who can help.

Do you have any suggestions for questions that I should add to my form?  What would you want to know about your travelers?  I'd love to hear your ideas, share them in the comments!

In today's world, communication happens in an instant.  We like to stay in connected to others and have no shortage of apps and websites to help us out.  I want to share a few of the tools that I use to stay in touch with my group before and on tour.  I've found that the best way to keep in touch with my travelers is use the tools that they use on a daily basis.  Here are a few of my favorites:

Setting expectations is one of the most important jobs of a Group Leader, and there is no better way to that than through Pre-Departure Meetings.  Meeting with your enrolled travelers and giving them the valuable information that they need to be ready to travel is a key ingredient for a successful tour!

I like to have four Pre-Departure Meetings with my group, so that they are prepared and know what to expect.  These meetings are also a great time for all the travelers to get to know each other before the trip.  Here is what I do...

Meeting #1:  Life on Tour:  What to Expect
*This meetings is all about setting expectations for the tour.  Click here for a sample agenda.

• Break the ice and have everyone do a little activity to get to know each other.  Click here to steal my "Traveler BINGO" game.  
• Introduce yourself and your chaperones
• Remind everyone about the passport requirements
• Remind everyone about tipping (Collect the tip $ at the next meeting, $10/day/traveler)
• During the meeting I like to talk about:
  • The Physical Demands of a tour (Up early every morning, lots of walking, etc.)
  • Behavior Expectations (See Behavior Agreement)
  • Cultural Differences (tip:  Serve a typical European Breakfast that they will experience in most hotels on tour)
  • Currency

Click here to get even more information on my Before Departure Page.

Meeting #2:  Travel Safety
*This meeting is all about  Dos and Don'ts to keep everyone safe.  Click here for a sample agenda.

Some of the topics I discuss:

• Rules of the Road
• Pick pockets
• Money and passport protection
• Head counts
• Room checks

Also at this meeting, I like for my travelers to pick their roommates in all possible combinations of doubles, triples and quads (you never know what combination we will need at the hotel once we arrive).  Click for blank rooming templates:
2 per room
3 per room
4 per room

Click here to get even more information on my Before Departure Page.

Meeting #3:  Packing
*It sounds crazy to have a whole meeting about packing, but this seems to be the topic that I get the most questions about.  Click here for a sample agenda.

• Have a suitcase derby!  Everyone bring their suitcase (with at least 30lbs in it) and have them go through an obstacle course in the building.  This will give them some perspective about packing light.
• Reflect on the suitcase derby, and what they have learned from the activity.
• Packing demo.  I pack a carry on bag, and unpack it during the meeting to give my travelers some tips about how to pack most efficiently for our tour.
• Meet with three different groups, and discuss their needs:  (1) Girls (2) Boys (3) Adults traveling on tour.  Click here for a list of topics to discuss and reminders for each group.
• Discuss the departure day plan.  Usually by this time, I will have my flight information and created a plan for "the big day."  You can read more about that in the sample agenda (link above).​

Click here to get even more information on my Before Departure Page. 

Meeting #4:  One week until departure
*This is known as your departure meeting​.  Click here for a sample agenda.

• Discuss all the important hotel and flight info.
• Pass out Parent Packets (I give each parent a copy of our itinerary, hotel info, emergency contacts, and a copy of their child's passport)
• Go over the plan for departure day
• Answer last minute questions

*This meeting will take longer than you would expect.  The parents have LOTS of questions.

Click here to get even more information on my Before Departure Page. 

Meeting with your travelers is a great way to get to know each other and set expectations BEFORE your trip.  As a group leader, its your job to educate your travelers and their families.  Your trip will run smoothly and it will be more enjoyable for all if you get started early setting the expectations.  What other helpful tips do you have for pre-departure meetings?  Comment below and let me know!

The most important detail about your student tour is passports.  Everyone must have a passport for international travel.  While this may seem like common knowledge to most people, you would be surprised at the amount of travelers (and their parents) who are clueless about the requirement and the process to obtain a passport.  Start talking to your group members early on about passports, to make sure that they are not waiting until the last minute to apply.


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Here are a few tips for making sure you don’t have anyone who has to miss their trip because they do not have a passport:

• Check with your travelers early on determine their passport status.  (Do they already have one? Have they applied? Do they know how to get a passport?).  I start asking them one year in advance!  
• Set a application deadline for your travelers.  You don’t have much control over how long it will take to process the application, so everyone needs to get started well in advance of your trip.  In my experience, parents will wait until the last minute to take care of the details, and often cut it close to the date of departure for the trip.  Setting an application deadline, means that you have the peace of mind knowing that they have all applied, you just need to wait for their applications to be processed.  Set this deadline months before you trip!
• Educate your travelers on the process to obtain a passport.  I have included the letter that I send to my groups on this topic.  Steal it and edit for your needs!
• Keep in mind that, depending on your destination, your group members MIGHT need a visa as well.  You cannot start a visa application until you have your passport.  So, the sooner that they get their passports, the better.
• When everyone has their passports, you will need to make a copy of it and take it with you on the trip.  This is just in case someone has a lost or stolen passport while on tour.
• Check the specifics for your destination, but often many countries require your passport must be valid for at least six months beyond your planned date of departure. Have your group members check the expiration date for those who already have passports.  They might need to get it renewed depending on its expiration date.  So for example, let’s say I have a trip planned to Italy for June 15-25, 2017.  I would need to make sure that all passports will expire AFTER December 25, 2017.  

So get started early making sure everyone has a passport, or is at least in the process of applying for one.  You don’t want to miss out on the trip of a lifetime!

Want to see the email that I send to all of my travelers about obtaining a passport?  It has the information that they need, and it outlines the  steps to obtaining a passport.  

Click here for a word document
Click here for a PDF file

Do you have any ideas on how to make sure all travelers have their passport long before its time to travel?  I'd love to hear them in the comments below.

I was so fortunate to spend the weekend in Berlin with 39 new Group Leaders getting ready to embark on their first EF Tour this year.  I had several teachers about about sharing my presentation, so I thought I would share it here for all the world to see!

You can find even more details about the information in this presentation on my Recruiting Travelers, Fundraising, Before Departure, and Departure Day pages.  Check it out and let me know what you think!

We all know that sad time of year, those weeks where you AREN'T in a foreign country somewhere.  The days where you are only dreaming of your next travel destination.  Most people call this the off season, or the low season.  I like to call this the PLANNING SEASON.  I like to shop for items that will be great tools on my next tour.  As an EF Group Leader, I spend most of the school year prepping for the next tour (tough life, I know!).  As a teacher, traveling with a bus full of students, you can never be over prepared.  So, I thought I'd share the top six tools in my carry-on bag!

These six items don't take up much room in my bag, and have proven to be very helpful on tour.  Just a little bit of preparation can go a long way!

In any relationship, communication is important.  No one likes the silent treatment.  Recruiting travelers (sometimes) two years in advance of a trip makes for a lot of "down time."  There seems to be a pattern of peaks and valleys during the typical "tour cycle."  Often, there is a lot of energy when you advertise for an upcoming trip (a peak), and then some "down time" (a valley) before you begin gearing up for departure (another valley).

Here are a few ideas to stay in touch with your enrolled travelers during the "down time" or the valley. 

• Create a monthly/quarterly email news letter.  Checking in every once in a while will keep travelers interested, updated and informed.  Feature a "travel tip" or fun facts about your destination.  Use the newsletter to remind your travelers about applying for a passport, purchasing travel insurance, packing tips.

• Plan a social event, or dinner for your travelers and their families.  What better way to get to know each other, and start dreaming about the upcoming tour.  Going to Italy?  Invite travelers to dinner at the local Italian Restaurant.  Headed to Costa Rica?  Invite the group to take Spanish lessons together.

• Create a blog/vlog or website.  Update your web communication with videos that feature your destination, add a packing list or even host a discussion thread for your travelers to comment and ask questions.  Click on the link to see the website that I created to keep all my travelers on the same page before our tour:  www.raiderworldtraveler.weebly.com

• Use social media.  Create a Facebook page for your tour, and invite your travelers to join.  Use the page to upload photos while on tour.  Prefer Twitter?  Tweet out reminders,  links to articles about your destination, videos and other information.  Join my travel facebook group, and steal all my ideas!  :)  https://www.facebook.com/raiderworldtraveler/

Making an effort to stay in touch with your group will give parents piece of mind, and keep everyone excited about their upcoming tour.  It is important to keep the energy up, and everyone engaged to make sure that your travelers stay enrolled and excited for the tour.  Going the extra mile for our group will give your group more than just a trip, you will be giving them an experience that they will remember for a lifetime.

Have you tried any of these ideas with your group?  How did it go?  What do you do to keep your group engaged?  Comment and let me know!

Its FINALLY here! My 12th tour is departing tomorrow, and you can feel the excitement in the air...well, maybe that is the last minute frenzy that some of tend to work ourselves into.  There is nothing like the last minute (and a long plane ride) to to up your stress levels.  Hopefully my departure day tips will help ease some of the last minute stress,and get your tour started off on the right foot.

Disclaimers:  
1.  You are going to read what I have to tell you and think that I am CrAzY!  That's okay, I probably am a tad bit crazy, but sometimes craziness comes in the form of being over-prepared, so that we can put our minds at ease that our first day of tour is going to be smooth sailing!
2.  This may or may not be an issue for you.  If you are traveling with a tiny little group, you probably wont need this information.  For my last tour, there were 48 people and I needed a system to keep us all organized.  
3.  It takes 45 minutes for anyone in my group to get to the airport, and a forgotten passport can be very a very stressful thing, if someone needs to go home to retrieve it.

So, departure day.  Let's talk about it...

I like for my groups to meet at my school, long before our flight, so that I can make sure that everyone (and their passport) is accounted for.  I'm not one who likes last minute surprises, so we meet ahead of time to make sure that we have everything and everyone, and then we travel to the airport together.  I realize that is not the best route for every group leader in the world, but it is what works best for my groups.  Plus, my parents really like it, not having to possibly take off work to take their child to the airport.  I usually arrange for a bus or shuttle to take us to the airport, and have even had a group of parents do a caravan carpool.

I have my group meet several hours before our flight at the school (or some other location), and I have them "check in", similar to how they will at the airport.  I enlist the help of my chaperones to get everyone checked in.  Here is how it works:

• I have my group meet at our school several hours before our flight.
• Ask to see each traveler's passport (to make sure that they didn't forget it!)
• Chaperones help weigh each traveler's checked bag with a luggage scale.  (Most airline's limit it at 50 lbs).
• Check each carry-on bag for for any items that might get confiscated at security (liquids, pocket knives, etc).  See the TSA 3-1-1 advertisement for assistance on this.
• Give each student a copy of their passport, and a security card that I created.  It has all the hotel phone numbers and addresses, plus my phone number and EF's Emergency Contact Number.  Use my template to make your own security card!  
• I will have a last minute meeting with the group, and carefully explain the process at the airport and what to expect when we land.  Many students have never flown on a plane, so explaining the basics about the airport really helps.  I explain that they will have to take their shoes off, and liquids out of the carry-on bag, etc.
• Before we load the shuttles to the airport, I have my students find their "pairs and squares", or travel buddies just to practice, and then I give everyone about 5 minutes to say "good bye" to their parents.  Click here to go to the On Tour page, and read more about "pairs and squares."
• One last passport check.
• Head count on the shuttle bus to make sure that we have everyone, and then we are off to the airport!

I know that it sounds CrAzY, and a lot of extra work, but it gives me the piece of mind that once we are at the airport, the hardest part of my job is over.  I just wait to land and let my Tour Director take over, and I get to enjoy the tour!

For a full run down of my Departure Day tips, visit the Departure Day Page for even more tips!  Do you have any good ideas or suggestions to improve departure day?  Comment below!

If you are like me, you probably start to get a little nervous when you look at your calendar and see that your tour is quickly approaching.  My mind starts to swim with all of the things that I still need to do to make sure my group (and myself) is ready to roll.  Passports.  Call the bank.  confirm flights.  The list can seem a little overwhelming, especially if this is your first tour.  Never fear...the solution is here!

Out of necessity, I created a handy-dandy Group Leader Check List that I use in the two weeks prior to departure.  I probably examine the list a couple of times per day in that two week, it makes me feel like I have my life together!  :)

So with out further adieu, I give you the Group Leader Lat Minute Check List.  I left it as a word document, so that you could tweak it and make it your own.

This is Kylie!  Isn't she just the cutest thing!?!  She is my Tour Consultant with EF Tours.  Kylie is not only super fab at her job, but she is my number one resource as a group leader.  I try to check in with her at least once every couple weeks to make sure that we are both up-to-date on all the happenings of my tour.  I am sure that you have talked with your Tour Consultant, but don't be a stranger!  Kylie tells me that she loves hearing from her group leaders, and getting to know them better.

So, you might be thinking...what exactly does my Tour Consultant do (besides call me while I am in class).  :)  So, I put a list together of the things that she does for me:

Kylie helps me select a tour, and then sends me a price quote.  I will often ask about the popularity of a tour, or what her other group leaders have reported about a specific tour in the past.  She and her colleagues have always given me good feedback about a particular tour that I am considering for the next travel season.

Preps me for my recruitment meetings.  Kylie walks me through the whole meeting process, and even sends me a power point that I can use to guide my meeting.  She makes sure that I have enough copies of the enrollment booklets and day-by-day itineraries before my next meeting.  

Updates me on enrollments..    When a traveler enrolls, you will get an automatic notification email from EF Tours.  Kylie will also give me a call and let me know, so we can both keep with my the total amount of enrollments.

Keeps me updated on any changes to my tour.  Kylie will always let me know if there have been any changes to my itinerary or my tour in general.  

Assists with my travelers needs.  If I have a traveler who is going early or staying behind after my tour, Kylie always gets that situated long before the trip starts.  She submits my rooming list, and any other special requests.

Prepares me ready for departure.  As soon as my flight and hotel information become available, Kylie will let me know, so I can pass that valuable information on to my group.  A couple of weeks prior to my tour departure date, she will send me a detailed email with everything that I need to know. 

Answers all my questions.  Of course she is always ready to answer my questions as they arise.  I know that she is just a phone call or email away.  I know that I am in good hands with my EF Tour Consultant!

Your tour consultant is your "best friend" in the the tour planning process. They are fabulous and want your tour to be the best on yet!  So, give your Tour Consultant a call to day, and show them a little love.  :)