Travel Tips and Information

How To Make Your Booster Club and Administration Your Biggest Supporters

You’re ready to take your students to your WorldStrides Performing Arts program! You’re excited and the kids are pumped. For many teachers, it is also important to gain the support of their  booster organization, parent group, and/or administration! Here are a few tips on how to get your administration, booster club, and parent group to support your trip and become your biggest advocates.

1. Use your WorldStrides team! Your Performing Tour Specialist at WorldStrides is your best ally when it comes to planning your presentation strategy. In addition to helping you prepare, he or she can speak directly to your administration, booster club, or parent group.
2. Reach out to experienced colleagues! Colleagues who have successfully navigated the approval process for a trip are great resources. They can advise you on what you will need for the meeting and the most important points to emphasize with the different members of the administration or parent group. Your WorldStrides team can even help you find experienced directors in your area.
3. Know your stuff! Have a clearly defined plan to present to your booster club, parent group, or administration and be prepared to answer questions. Your Performing Tour Specialist can help you anticipate responses, which generally fall into one of five broad categories:

Value of traveling – “Why should they go?”

• Bonding: Students, ensembles, and music departments get even closer, resulting in tighter performances, department, school, and ensemble pride, and personal investment in the program.
• Culture: Students get to experience life beyond the scope of their hometown and are exposed to cultures unlike their own, which helps them grow as people.
• Personal and Musical growth: Traveling encourages personal responsibility, and helps students become more independent, accountable people. Performing for foreign audiences builds confidence, and hearing musical advice from an experienced adjudicator and musician (one who is not their primary teacher) helps students’ musical skills improve.
• Recruitment: Programs that travel have an easier time recruiting new members for their ensembles. Come for the trips, stay for the music!

Missing school – “Won’t they miss class?”

• Free Academic Course: As an accredited school, WorldStrides offers a free academic course for our student travelers.
• Scheduling: Be thoughtful when selecting a travel weekend. Strategize with your Performing Tour Specialist as to which of the many dates we offer best suit your calendar

Cost – “What is the cost of this trip?”

• Fundraisers – Have a few ideas to present on how to raise funds for trips. Find some that will allow students to avoid oversaturating your local area. Check out our list of fundraising ideas to get started.
• Gift of Performance – WorldStrides has provided an easy way for students to invite their supporters to donate to their trip fund. 100% of donation goes to the groups trip fund.
• More Fundraising, Grant, and Scholarship Ideas
• Plan ahead! Planning your trip a year ahead of time normally means the best pricing and options for your group.

Safety – “Can you tell us more about student safety?”

• Student safety is, and will always be, our top priority. With nearly 50 years experience, we have literally seen it all, and have the resources available to lend a hand if needed.

Ease of Planning – “Do I need to do anything to help plan?”

• Not with WorldStrides! Your dedicated Account Manager can plan your meals, activities, hotel, and transportation. Tell us what, when, and where—and we’ll take care of the rest.

Your Performing Tour Specialist is at the ready to help you develop a presentation strategy that will win over your administration, parent group, and booster club. Have a question? Just ask us—we’ll have the answer.

Learn more about WorldStrides Performing Arts programs.