Overview
Retrace the heroic journey of America’s greatest civil rights leaders from Atlanta, Georgia, to Birmingham, Selma, and Montgomery, Alabama. Learn from local guides about the struggle for civil rights in the United States while visiting renowned sites such as the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park, the National Center for Civil and Human Rights, and the National Memorial for Peace and Justice. Reflect on the past and inspire your students’ future growth with this uniquely rewarding and thought-provoking experience.
Itinerary
Day 1
Travel to Atlanta, GA
Lunch
Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park visit
Learn about Dr. King’s early life at his boyhood home on Auburn Avenue, listen to his sermons and speeches at the Historic Ebenezer Baptist Church, and take a moment to reflect at Dr. and Mrs. King's Tomb at the King Center. At the Visitor Center and Museum, join in with the marchers on their journey in the "Freedom Road" exhibit.
Dinner
Travel to Birmingham, AL
Hotel check-in
Day 2
Breakfast and hotel check-out
Birmingham Civil Rights Institute visit
An affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, the BCRI is a museum and educational research center focused on the Civil Rights Movement, particularly in the Birmingham area. It promotes civil and human rights by preserving the past and creating cultural and community programs that empower future leaders.
16th Street Baptist Church
This National Historic Landmark was the site of one of dozens of racially motivated bombings in Birmingham throughout the Civil Rights era. In September 1963, as church members were preparing for Sunday services, a bomb went off, killing four young girls and injuring 22 others.
Travel to Selma, AL
Lunch
Brown Chapel AME Church photo stop
A hub for the Civil Rights Movement, temporary headquarters of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), and the starting point of the “Bloody Sunday” march.
Edmund Pettus Bridge
The first attempt to complete the 54-mile march to Montgomery ended here on Bloody Sunday, when 600 peaceful Civil Rights marchers were attacked by state troopers and driven back with nightsticks and tear gas. After crossing the bridge, take a moment to reflect at memorials honoring Rev. Hosea Williams, Amelia Boynton Robinson, Marie Foster, and the late Congressman John Lewis.
National Voting Rights Museum and Institute visit
Follow the historic journey for the right to vote, beginning with the Founding Fathers in 1776 and continuing through the struggle for voting rights and the Civil Rights Movement across the South. View artifacts and hear firsthand accounts from key moments in the campaign, including “Bloody Sunday” and the Selma to Montgomery March.
Dinner
Travel to Montgomery, AL
Hotel check-in
Day 3
Breakfast and hotel check-out
Legacy Museum & National Memorial for Peace and Justice
The nation’s first memorial dedicated to victims of racial terror and violence. In this powerful experience, text, narrative, and sculptural installations take visitors on a journey from slavery, through decades of lynching and racial terror, into the civil rights era, and on to contemporary issues of police violence and racial bias in the criminal justice system.
Downtown Montgomery walking tour
Start at the statue of Rosa Parks, then walk toward Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. served as pastor from 1954 to 1960. End your day as the Selma-to-Montgomery marchers did—at the steps of the Alabama State Capitol.
Lunch
Travel to Tuskegee, AL
Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site visit
Share in the experiences of America's first African-American military pilots, and learn about the infamous study known as the Tuskegee Experiment.
Travel to Atlanta, GA
Dinner
Hotel check-in
Day 4
Breakfast and hotel check-out
APEX Museum visit
This museum provides an unprecedented, culturally balanced look at history from ancient African civilizations to contemporary Black America.
Lunch
Depart for home
Dinner
Already Included
Hotel accommodations
WorldAssist staff members available 24/7/365 should your group need extra help
WorldStrides Course Leader - a dynamic destination expert who brings learning to life by leading your group's activities and discussions
Field Research Guide (Discovery Journal)
Admissions to top attractions (details in itinerary)
Professional development credits (CEUs) for educators
Meals (unless otherwise noted on your itinerary)
Free high school credit for students who choose to complete WorldStrides free online coursework post-program
Transportation to & from your destination
Scenes from Alabama
Health & Safety
Financial Assistance
Financial Assistance
WorldStrides provides over $2.5 million in financial assistance each year to thousands of families. Families with annual adjusted gross incomes of less than $85,000 may qualify. One simple call to Customer Service and you’ll know how much may be available for your trip even before signing up. Please note: financial assistance is given on a first-come, first-served basis.
Payment Plans
Advantage Payment Plan
At program sign-up you can opt to pay in full, or break up the cost of your trip with the Advantage Payment Plan. This plan allows you to pay a small initial deposit, then have your remaining payments spread out into affordable monthly amounts.
EZPay
We offer an EZPay option, which is a simple way to pay for your WorldStrides program by scheduling hassle-free, automatic drafts from your checking account. With EZPay, you'll never be late or miss an installment.
Fundraising Tools
Our easy-to-use tools put students in the driver's seat of their own fundraising efforts. Students can send e-cards, share links on social media, and even send out printed letters through WorldStrides' Gift of Education program. In one click friends and family members can make a direct donation to the trip - with 100% of the money raised going to offset their trip price. Thousands of students pay for their entire trip each year through the Gift of Education.
Also, WorldStrides makes program-specific scholarships available as well as other scholarship resources. Ask your Account Manager for more information about scholarships and fundraising tools.