Gaining support for organizing the perfect trip can be frustrating and time-consuming.  You need a strategy for creating a base of support from parents, students, and administration.  We’re here to share some great guidelines for promoting your trip.

Enlist the help of another teacher! 

If you and another teacher at your school or in your district share a vision for what a music trip will look like, consider joining together.  You automatically have doubled your base of support when you create a travel team partner.  And you can collaborate on idea exchanges with a fellow travel buddy.

Share your enthusiasm each day in class.

Talking up the trip is just the beginning.  Consider bringing in instructional elements that engage your students and are relevant to the trip.  For example, if you are performing a march at festival, tie in a visit to the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles who offers a workshop on The Music of War.  Check out the San Francisco Symphony’s website for a First Timer’s Guide and use that as a springboard to teach your students about what they are going to experience.

Share your enthusiasm at a parent meeting.

Get your parents behind the trip by hosting an information meeting as soon as possible.  Be prepared to cover the benefits of student travel, any safety concerns that may come up, and filling in parents with a detailed itinerary.  Be ready to answer parent’s questions about the trip, the finances, and the goal.

Social media is your friend. 

Be creative about ways to broadcast excitement for the trip.  Launch a Facebook page about the trip, the area, a packing list, what to bring, what will be performed.  Consider adding Instagram or Twitter to your toolbox.  Encourage students to post details about the trip – their hopes, their connections, their top ten list of what they want to experience.

Budget accordingly.

Offer fundraising opportunities.  Be realistic about activities and meals – make it affordable so more students will be able to attend.  Put together some options with your boosters or grant money for scholarships towards students in need of a little extra help.

Rely on Specialists.

At Forum, we’ve been organizing music trips for 25 years.  If you need a helping hand, consider consulting our professional music travel experts who can carve out a fantastic trip for your students and stay within your budget.  Because we’ve been at this for so long, we have networking associations and longstanding relationships with hotels, attractions, and bus companies to make your music trip planning a breeze.   If offering your students a chance to travel is on your wish list, we’d love to talk to you.  Keep these tips in mind and let’s work together to make a successful trip an awesome experience for you and your students!