Educational Travel Blog | From Sea to Shining Sea

Get to Know a Group Leader: Bill C.

Why do teachers choose Smithsonian Student Travel?

Though retired, Bill C. was happy to share his thoughts on educational travel with the us. He taught history and English in Colorado for 19 years.

  Bill's students at the Iwo Jima Memorial. courtsey photo

Why did you start traveling?
I’ve always loved to travel and I’m a history nut. I taught middle school and when I started teaching history courses in addition to English, it seemed like the perfect time to start traveling with my students. A friend of mine had been traveling with another company and suggested I try them.

How did you decide to travel with Smithsonian Student Travel?
I knew I wanted to travel with my students again, but I wanted to try a tour company that offered a tour director who would stay with us for the whole trip. On that first trip with the other tour company, our tour director met us at the bus in the mornings and then left us at the end of the day.

I found out that the student travel industry is a highly competitive market and I was getting calls from a lot of companies. The tour consultant with Smithsonian Student Travel convinced me to give their tours a try. I remember, I told her, “I’ll give you a chance, but you’d better make me happy.” She did.

What kept you traveling with Smithsonian Student Travel?
Well, I know you all can’t walk on water, but you do everything in your power to make the trip great.

Plus it’s good to have your Smithsonian Student Travel Tour Director with your group all day from start to finish.

I’ve heard you have a tradition with your travelers after you return from tour. What is it?
During tour I take snapshots of the kids’ adventures—and misadventures. When we get back from tour, I create a slideshow. Then I have the kids and their parents over for a barbeque. We share stories about the trip and I give them all a DVD of the slideshow.

Do you have a favorite memory from tour?
During the evening tour of the Washington, D.C., monuments, we stopped at the Jefferson Memorial right at sunset. The students got off the bus and started running “willy-nilly” through the trees around the Memorial. It scared me to death, until I realized they were chasing lightning bugs! Lightning bugs are rare where we live. And it goes to show; you can never anticipate everything that will happen on tour.

  photo courtesy of Bill C.

Mammoth of a Discovery - Ice Age Art in America

The newest in American art is also the oldest: Researchers have confirmed that a mammoth bone fragment found in Vero Beach, Florida, which depts an image of a mammoth or mastodon, is at least 13,000 years old, making it the oldest and only known evidence of Ice Age art in the Americas. The report appears in the latest Journal of Archaeological Science.

Amateur fossil hunter James Kennedy found the bone sometime in 2006 or 2007 during a daily search for usual bones or teeth. It sat under his kitchen sink until 2009 when, while cleaning it, Kennedy noticed the unusual carving. He decided to contact scientists at the University of Florida and the Smithsonian's Museum Conservation Institute and National Museum of Natural History.

AP Photo/Smithsonian

As is the usual case following a high profile discovery, there was considerable skepticism about the authenticity of the specimen. Researchers studied the timing of the engraving to determine whether it was made thousands of years ago or more recently, as an imitation of earlier, prehistoric art. 

The researchers compared the elemental composition of the engraved bone with others from the site using optical and electron microscopy. To everyone's excitement the test revealed no discontinuity in coloration between the carved grooves and the surrounding material which means that this is indeed 13,000 year old. 

"It's pretty exciting, we haven't found anything like this in North America," said Dennis J. Stanford, curator of North American Archaeology at the National Museum of Natural History, who was a co-author of the report.

The site near Vero Beach has a reputation of brining up priceless stuff and is a recoognized excavation area which was particularly active between 1913 to 1916. 

 

 

Smithsonian Folklife Festival - Celebrating Diversity

 

Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage celebrates global cultural diversity right in the heart of Washington, D.C. The Smithsonian Folklife Festival puts together a magnificent display of music and dance performances combined with craft and cooking demonstrations. The festival also brings forth discussions on cultural issues and generates awareness through storytelling. The 2011 Folklife Festival will be held June 30 through July 11 on the National Mall, near several Smithsonian museums. 

 

Smithsonian Folklife Festival (Photo Credit: Jeff Tinsley, Smithsonian Institution)

Started in 1967, the Festival has established itself as a national and international model for research-based display of contemporary living and cultural traditions. Over the years, more than 23,000 storytellers, cooks, workers, craftspeople, performers, artists and musicians have demonstrated their skills, knowledge and traditions.

The 2011 festival focuses on Columbia, the Peace Corps and Rhythm & Blues.  Check out the 2011 Smithsonian Folklife Festival schedule.

Columbia

The Columbian environmental diversity will be highlighted through the cultural ethos and art it inspires. Columbia leads the world in the number of bird species, has the second highest number of varieties of amphibians and plants, and is third in the diversity of its reptiles. Gold-mining activities, basket weaving, leather crafts, community performances and Columbian coffee - all things integral to this unique culture can be experienced at this year's festival.

Peace Corps

It has been 50 years since President John F. Kennedy signed the executive order that authorized the creation of the Peace Corps to promote "world peace and friendship." This year's Smithsonian Folklife festival will present the work of volunteers in economic development, performances by musical, dance, and theatrical groups that Peace Corps volunteers have helped, and food and cooking experiences that have been critical to Peace Corps.

Rhythm & Blues

A uniquely 'American' genre of music, rhythm and blues has social and economic roots. The festival will focus on the social and cultural angles of the genre and will hold discussions with songwriters, musicians and singers. The series, Tell It Like It Is, will feature two large covered stages and a smaller stage highlighting unique styles associated with this cultural phenomenon. 

And be sure to check out the special events related to these three programs.

Recruitment Tips

One of the best parts of a tour consultant's job is hearing the success stories of first-time group leaders who may be a bit nervous at first about getting students enrolled on their tours, and then end up exceeding their own expectations.

Generating interest in the student body can be challenging, especially if the school hasn’t traveled before. Drawing from the their own experiences and advice from group leaders and fellow tour consultants, Katy and Luke have compiled a list of recruitment tips. These tips can help every group leader, whether it’s the first or tenth time planning a tour!

General tips:

1. Plan early. The earlier you get started, the easier it is to get students enrolled. Students can have the summer to earn money for the tour. Parents have more time to plan financially. The group will also have more time to bond, fundraise together and get more students interested.
2. Recruit “Student Ambassadors.” Enlist a few students going on the tour to help recruit others. These students should get along well with everyone, and if they are traveling, other students will want to join in. Have them write about the trip on Facebook and Twitter, or just talk about the trip with friends—word of mouth is the best advertising!
3. Get other teachers involved. Even if they aren’t traveling as chaperones, fellow teachers can talk about the tour to their classes. Educational travel speaks to every subject: A trip to Washington, D.C., is a lesson in math, science, history, English and so much more.
4. Use school resources to promote your trip. Use morning announcements, the school newspaper, school website, word of mouth, a Facebook page—all the resources you have at your fingertips.

Planning your enrollment meeting:

1. Set the date. Make sure you plan your meeting on a date with NO conflicts (i.e. sporting events, concerts, plays) to ensure a good turnout.
2. Use the Smithsonian Student Travel resources to prepare. Your tour consultant will provide parent letters, coverage plan information, a recruitment kit, sample meeting agendas, answers to common questions, a day-by-day itinerary and anything else you might need to have a successful enrollment meeting. Many of the materials can also be sent home with students and parents. They’ll appreciate having the materials to review after the meeting.
3. Don’t make it a meeting—make it an event! Order pizza, have snacks, play some music.  Make it something students will want to attend.
4. Get parents at the meeting too. The parents are the decision makers and students will need their permission to enroll. Parents will appreciate hearing about the tour, meeting the group leader, learning about Smithsonian Student Travel and having all the information they need to make their decision.
5. Use visuals. Ask your tour consultant for a customized PowerPoint presentation full of pictures to get the students excited. You can also bring souvenirs from previous trips.  Don't forget to show a Smithsonian Student Travel tour video!
6. Have a past traveler as a guest speaker. Hearing from a peer about how much fun a tour is will excite students and make them want to have the same opportunity.

Other enrollment meeting ideas:

1. Hold the meeting in a computer lab. Have the Smithsonian Student Travel website ready so parents can enroll their children at the meeting. This will allow them to do it while the information is fresh in their minds.
2. Host a webinar during your meeting. Ask your tour consultant and a customer service representative to make a virtual presentation about the tour and answer questions in real time.
3. Have at least one student ready to enroll. When you hold your parent and student meeting, have at least one student ready to sign up at the meeting so everyone can see how easy it is.
4. Use the Liberty Scholarship. Use the Liberty Scholarship as an assignment and involve the parents. Thinking about why travel is important will get student excited about the trip and help parents better understand the value of educational travel. Plus, winning a scholarship can help make the trip even more affordable.
5. Keep in contact. Make sure to get contact information for all parents and students who are interested before the meeting in the case they cannot attend and collect contact information at the meeting. You want to make sure everyone stays in the loop!
6. Set a deadline. Setting an enrollment deadline will urge parents and students to prioritize making the decision to travel. Generally two weeks after the meeting is a good enrollment deadline.

And Katy and Luke added: The key to recruiting a solid group of students is to be enthusiastic about travel yourself. The most successful group leaders are prepared and passionate. And your tour consultants are here to make the tour easy and successful, so don’t hesitate to use them as a resource!  

Juneteenth: Celebrating Freedom

While many Americans celebrated their fathers yesterday, June 19 also marked another important holiday: Juneteenth.

What is Juneteenth? What does Juneteenth celebrate?

PICA 05476, Austin History Center, Austin Public Library

Juneteenth marks the day when slaves in Texas first heard of their empancipation on June 19, 1865. Even though President Lincoln had issued the Emanicpation Proclaimation years earlier on January 1, 1863, word had yet to reach Texas until the Civil War had ended.

It's said that celebration broke out immediately and the day was quickly named "Juneteenth." Celebrations continued each year in Texas. In fact, many public parks in Texas towns were first purchased by freed slaves as areas to have Juneteenth celebrations and then given over to cities and counties years later as public spaces. The recognition of Juneteenth then spread throughout the South and eventually the entire United States. Today, Juneteenth celebrations take place all over the world.

Read more about the history of Juneteenth and its significance on the Smithsonian magazine website, and watch a trailer for the PBS documentary "Juneteenth: A Celebration of Freedom:"

2011 Stanley Cup Winner: Boston Bruins!

Bruins raise the cup! Congratulations to both teams for an exciting 7-game Stanely Cup series, but since Smithsonian Student Travel is headquartered in Boston, we can't help but have some Bruins pride.

(AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Jonathan Hayward)

This is the first time in 39 years that the Stanley Cup has belonged to Boston. We're proud to have it back, and it reminds all of us of a story a group leader shared with us.

Always Be Prepared

When traveling with students it's always best to be prepared—and quite often those moments are "happy accidents." Derek C., a group leader from Florida, shared an accidental run-in his group had with the Stanley Cup.

On Derek's second New York City class trip with Smithsonian Student Travel, the group had to postpone their visit to the Empire State Building due to snow. When the group made it back two days later, they thought it was a bit odd that there were no lines for the elevators. They took the ride up to the top anyway and when they got off the elevator, the observation deck seemed oddly empty as well.

Stanley Cup

After a quick look around though, the group realized they weren't the only ones atop the Empire State Building. The Stanley Cup, its keeper and an ESPN photo team were also on top of the iconic building. ESPN had been doing a photo series, shooting the Cup in spots around the country.

The ESPN crew and the Stanley Cup's keeper were a bit baffled at first, but they were good sports about it. They let the students stay to have a look around the observation deck and even shoot a photo or two with the Stanley Cup.

Derek says it's always fun every year to see the Cup and its keeper and remember the chance encounter on top of the Empire State Building together.

Leafsnap - iPhone App to Demystify Tree Species

Ever stood next to a tree and wondered what it is? Now, Leafsnap, an app developed using the leaf collection at the Smithsonian Institution, can help you figure it out. Using similar technology as face recongition programs, Leafsnap can recognize the photograph of a leaf and instantly search a growing collection of leaves from Smithsonian to help you identify the tree. 

John Kress, a research botanist with the Smithsonian Institution, created Leafsnap in collaboration with engineers from Columbia University and the University of Maryland. (Cliff Owen / Associated Press)

Leafsnap launched in May and covers all the trees in New York's Central Park and Washington, D.C.'s,  Rock Creek Park. It was downloaded more than 150,000 times in the first month and the creators are already looking at making it Android compatible.

This is the first time people can have access to the National Museum of Natural History's collection,  which started in 1848. And with 5 million specimen, it's no surprise that it is among the world's top 10 collections!

The technology behind Leafsnap is very close to that of face recognition. The image is uploaded to a server, and within seconds it returns a ranking of possible species along with details like the tree's flowers, fruits, seeds and bark. Plus every leaf you snap can help add to the growing database. It's science by crowd-sourcing! Take a look at how it works:

 

Leafsnap cost a whopping $2.5 million to develop, supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation. It is expected to cost another $1 million to to develop it further over the next 18 months to cover all the trees of the United States, about 800 species. But, it's a free app on your iPhone or iPad!

 

Flag Day!

Happy Flag Day!

Did you know Flag Day started in a classroom? Here’s a little Flag Day history:
Celebrated each year on June 14, Flag Day celebrates the day when the national flag was officially adopted by the Second Continental Congress in 1777. (Check out this interactive timeline of how the flag has changed.)

Many Americans unofficially adopted the practice of celebrating and displaying flags on June 14. In 1916, President Wilson issued a proclamation in honor of the day thanks to the urging of a Wisconsin schoolteacher, Bernard J. Cigrand. More than 40 years earlier, Cigrand first began to advocate for a national holiday recognizing Flag Day. The idea began in his classroom when on June 14 he placed a small flag on his desk and asked his students to compose essays about the significance of the flag. He devoted much of his life to speaking and writing about the importance of the flag.

Test your knowledge of the holiday with this Flag Day quiz.

What is proper etiquette for displaying and folding the flag?
There are several guidelines on how to display and handle the flag. You can find these standards as well as a history of the American flag in this handy American flag etiquette brochure from the U.S. Congress.

Which flag inspired the Star-Spangled Banner?
The flag that inspired Francis Scott Key to pen what would become our national anthem can be found in the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C. Learn more about this Star-Spangled Banner flag, our national anthem and the surrounding events.

World Ocean Day - The Smithsonian Way

Today is World Oceans Day  - a UN recognized day to honor what the ocean provides - and most importantly build awareness of the hundreds of endangered species that live in the seas and need to be protected.  

The Ocean Project, an international network of 1200 partner zoos, aquariums and museums spearhead World Oceans Day. Apart from engaging more than 300 million visitors to the network's institutions, the consortium organizes events and efforts in conjunction with the World Ocean Day:

• Monterey Bay Aquarium Photo Contest
• New aquatic species named
• Celebrate sustainable seafood

 

Sea bass flock to a tropical coral reef in the Red Sea (CREDIT: Michael Lang/Smithsonian Institution)

So is Smithsonian celebrating this special occasion in style? Absolutely!

Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History has launched a new informative and entertaining oceans website centered around the theme of oceans. Called the "Ocean Portal," the site gives users a chance to learn about fascinating species that rule the seas like the giant squid and the white shark. They can also delve into the historic timeline of oceans and see what's current in marine research. The site also provides a robust educators' corner, as well as insights into the ways everyone is impacted by and impacts the world's oceans.

And this year, the Smithsonian celebrated World Oceans Day on a different level with a flash - no splash - mob.  When the clock struck noon, the staffers at the museum got together to recreate Bobby Freeman's 'The Swim' and performed to a sound track aptly called 'Surf'.

 

If you're interested exploring all the wonders of the oceans, weltands and other marine environments up close, check out the Florida Marine Biology Adventure tour!

New USDA MyPlate and School Lunches

The pyramid is out and the USDA has the new MyPlate in place as America’s dietary guideline. By now, you’ve probably had some time to digest (pun intended!) a lot of the information about the new USDA guide. Many praise the plate, but also see there are areas for improvement.

History of U.S. Food Guides

The plate and its pyramid predecessor are part of a long line of graphics, icons and other ways the U.S. government has tried to help Americans make eating choices. A Brief History of USDA Food Guides chronicles guidelines from the early 1900s on. (And yes, butter is a food category in one guide.)

This NPR story also sheds light on some possible forgotten ways the U.S. government talked to the nation about food. Did you know Aunt Sammy, Uncle Sam’s wife, hosted a radio program about cooking?

And all this talk about plates and food and guidelines got us thinking about those good old school cafeteria lunch trays. 

School Lunch Reform

Every child needs a good school lunch : The War Food Administration will help your community start a school lunch program.. [Washington, D.C.]. UNT Digital Library. http://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc548/.

School lunch reform has already been in the works, before the new MyPlate was unveiled. In December 2010, President Obama signed the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010.

The law sets new nutrition standards for school lunch and breakfast programs. And the USDA sponsored a recipe contest.

Most agree a healthier lunch plate is a good idea, but some worry about the cost of the proposed changes.

And while some worry about the cost, others think some favorite foods may vanish from school lunch. The USDA proposed banning white potatoes from breakfast and limiting them in lunchroom, meaning kids may have to say good-bye to those school cafeteria tater tots.

Meanwhile some schools are creating their own programs to help fill students’ bellies. The Chicago Public Schools have a mandatory breakfast for all students, during school hours. The reviews are mixed. Proponents feel it’s important to get students breakfast, but opponents worry that the morning meal is taking up too much class time.

We'll have to wait and see how school lunch will change with the new MyPlate guide and the 2010 Healty Kids Act, but for now, it’s interesting to see how American school lunches compare to school lunches from around the world.