Overview
Retrace the journey of America’s greatest civil rights leaders from Atlanta, Georgia, to Birmingham, Selma, and Montgomery, Alabama, concluding in Memphis, Tennessee. 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.
Auburn Avenue walking tour
Learn about the importance of “Sweet Auburn” through a guided ride along. Discuss the first successful Black-owned daily newspaper, the Atlanta Daily Word. Marvel at the architecture of the historic Atlanta Life Insurance building and Citizens Trust Bank, staples in the creation of “Sweet Auburn”. See where the offices of the Atlanta NAACP and National Urban League were located at the Odd Fellows Building.
Dinner
Hotel check-in
Day 2
Breakfast and hotel check-out
Travel to Birmingham, AL
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.
Negro Southern League Museum visit
This sensory-inclusive certified museum tells the story of African American baseball in America through the lens of Birmingham, Alabama. Home to the largest collection of original Negro League artifacts in the country, it also features an on-site research center supported by a team of top historians specializing in Negro League and Southern League baseball.
Lunch
Kelly Ingram Park walking tour
Once a central staging ground for Civil Rights demonstrations in the 1960s, this park now features powerful sculptures and installations honoring key figures and events of the movement. Visit the AG Gaston Motel (interior currently closed for renovations), where Dr. King stayed before his arrest and wrote his “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” Explore nearby landmarks like the Masonic Temple, former home of the NAACP offices, and St. Paul United Methodist Church, starting point of the Palm Sunday Children’s March.
Carver Theatre and the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame
Opened in 1935, the Carver Theatre served as a cultural hub for Birmingham’s Black community during segregation. After closing in the 1980s, it was revitalized in the 1990s to celebrate the legacy of jazz and blues. It has hosted legends like the Duke Ellington Orchestra, Lionel Hampton, and members of the Blues Brothers.
Dinner
Hotel check-in
Day 3
Breakfast and hotel check-out
Travel to Selma, AL
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.
Lunch
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.
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.
Travel to Montgomery, AL
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.
Dinner
Hotel check-in
Day 4
Breakfast and hotel check-out
Travel to Memphis, TN
Lunch
National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel visit
Located at the former Lorraine Motel, this powerful museum features engaging exhibits on key Civil Rights Movement events and immersive storytelling that portrays the life and history of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Dinner
Clayborn Temple & I AM A MAN Plaza photo stop
Clayborn Temple’s long ties to the Civil Rights Movement reached a pinnacle in 1968 when it became the headquarters for the Memphis sanitation workers’ strike. Adjacent to the temple, the I AM A MAN Plaza marks the spot where workers gathered to protest unfair conditions, creating one of the movement’s most iconic moments.
Hotel check-in
Day 5
Breakfast and hotel check-out
Beale Street Course Leader-Led Walking Tour
Take in the vibrant sights and sounds as you explore one of the most historic and musical streets in the world. Walk in the footsteps of famous musicians like Elvis Presley, B.B. King, and more.
Lunch
Memphis Rock 'n' Soul Museum visit
Immerse yourself in the lives of Memphis-born legends like B.B. King and Otis Redding as you explore fascinating exhibits and interactive displays on the history and cultural impact of the city's music scene.
Depart for home
Dinner
Already Included
Transportation to & from your destination
Hotel accommodations
Admissions to top attractions (details in itinerary)
Meals (unless otherwise noted on your itinerary)
WorldStrides Course Leader - a dynamic destination expert who brings learning to life by leading your group's activities and discussions
WorldAssist staff members available 24/7/365 should your group need extra help
Free high school credit for students who choose to complete WorldStrides free online coursework post-program
Professional development credits (CEUs) for educators
Field Research Guide (Discovery Journal)
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.