CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. and WASHINGTON, D.C—January 29, 2018—WorldStrides, the nation’s largest accredited educational travel provider, has been selected through a formal competitive process as the approved domestic educational travel provider of the Smithsonian Institution. WorldStrides was selected among multiple travel organizations to offer these programs to middle and high schools throughout the United States.
WorldStrides domestic travel programs provide educational travel opportunities for middle and high school students to explore history, science, music, and more. These teacher-led travel programs are designed as extensions of the in-classroom experience in a variety of destinations such as Washington, D.C., New York City, and California. Through the organization’s trademarked approach to learning, LEAP (Learning through Exploration and Active Participation), the curriculum’s goal is to take academics outside of the classroom and engage students through experiential learning. LEAP was designed to replace the old-fashioned lecturing style of traditional tour guides, with a dynamic, inclusive, and constructivist approach.
“The Smithsonian’s contribution to academics is renowned, and its appeal is universal. We are thrilled to earn the honor of their approval,” said Jim Hall, President and CEO of WorldStrides. “This prestigious selection recognizes WorldStrides as a leader in the student educational travel industry. We look forward to how this affiliation can further enhance our programs.”
“We are pleased to be working with WorldStrides, an organization with such a rich history of high quality educational experiences throughout the U.S. and specifically in Washington, D.C.,” said Dennis Kelly, Interim President of Smithsonian Enterprises. “This travel program is a natural extension of our shared mission of providing outstanding learning experiences outside the classroom.”
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About WorldStrides
WorldStrides, headquartered in Charlottesville, Va., is the largest educational student travel company in the United States. The company was founded in 1967 to provide middle school travel programs to Washington, D.C., and has grown to provide educational programs for more than 400,000 students annually from more than 5,000 K12 schools and universities to over 100 countries around the world. The organization’s full suite of programs are tuned to learners at stages from elementary through post-graduate levels, and feature specializations like performing arts, sports and travel study abroadwww.worldstrides.com.
About Smithsonian
Since its founding in 1846, the Smithsonian Institution has been committed to inspiring generations through knowledge and discovery. The Smithsonian is the world’s largest museum, education and research complex, consisting of 19 museums, the National Zoological Park, 5 education centers, and 9 research facilities. There are 6,500 Smithsonian employees and 6,300 volunteers. There were nearly 30 million visits to the Smithsonian in 2017. The total number of objects, works of art and specimens at the Smithsonian is estimated at nearly 155 million, of which 145 million are scientific specimens at the National Museum of Natural History. www.smithsonian.org.
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