A panel of Scholastica Travel judges will choose a winning piece of artwork to feature on our annual Scholastica Travel Christmas card. The grand prize winner will also receive a $200 credit towards their Scholastica Travel trip. The second place winner will receive a $100 credit towards their Scholastica Travel trip and will be featured in the Scholastica Travel monthly newsletter.

Deadline for entries is October 31st. Entries are to be submitted in .jpeg or .png format (take a photo with a phone or scan the original if needed) and sent via email to info@scholasticatravel.com.

The winners will officially be announced November 7th. Winners will be notified by email.

Rules:
Designs must be original.
Designs must be created by participants on a Scholastica Travel trip traveling during the current school year.
Designs must include your trip destination and the Scholastica Travel Inc logo.
Designs must be submitted via email to info@scholasticatravel.com or received by mail at the Scholastica Travel office by October 31. Please include your name and Trip ID# with your entry.
The Scholastica Travel team will vote on the designs. Winners will be notified by email on November 7.
By submitting a design, you are allowing the future unconditional use of the design(s) by Scholastica Travel Inc.

The post Annual Christmas Card Design Contest appeared first on Scholastica Travel.

Download the 2022 Christmas Card Design Contest Announcement

All tour participants traveling with Scholastica during the 2022-2023 school year are invited to submit a bright and colorful piece of festive artwork.

A panel of Scholastica Travel judges will choose a winning piece of artwork to feature on the 2022 Scholastica Travel Christmas cards. The grand prize winner will also receive a $100 credit towards their Scholastica Travel trip. The second place winner will receive a $50 credit towards their Scholastica Travel trip and will be featured in the Scholastica Travel monthly newsletter.

Deadline for entries is October 31st. Entries are to be submitted in .jpeg or .png format (take a photo with a phone or scan the original if needed) and sent via email to info@scholasticatravel.com.

The winners will officially be announced November 7th. Winners will be notified by email.

Rules:
Designs must be original.
Designs must be created by participants on a Scholastica Travel trip traveling during the 2022-2023 school year.
Designs must include your trip destination and the Scholastica Travel Inc logo.
Designs must be submitted via email to info@scholasticatravel.com or received by mail at the Scholastica Travel office by 10/31/22. Please include your name and Trip ID# with your entry.
The Scholastica Travel team will vote on the designs. Winners will be notified by email on 11/7/22.
By submitting a design, you are allowing the future unconditional use of the design(s) by Scholastica Travel Inc.

The post 2022 Christmas Card Design Contest appeared first on Scholastica Travel.

Download the 2021 Christmas Card Design Contest Announcement

The Christmas Card contest is back! All tour participants traveling with Scholastica during the 2021-2022 school year are invited to submit a bright and colorful piece of festive artwork.

A panel of Scholastica Travel judges will choose a winning piece of artwork to feature on the 2021 Scholastica Travel Christmas cards. The grand prize winner will also receive a $100 credit towards their Scholastica Travel trip. The second place winner will receive a $50 credit towards their Scholastica Travel trip and will be featured on the Scholastica Facebook page as well as the Scholastica Travel monthly newsletter.

Deadline for entries is October 31st. Entries are to be submitted in jpeg or png format (take a photo with a phone or scan the original if needed) and sent via email to info@scholasticatravel.com.

The winners will officially be announced November 7th. Winners will be notified by email.

Rules:

• Designs must be original.
• Designs must be created by participants on a Scholastica Travel trip traveling during the 2021-2022 school year.
• Designs must include your trip destination and the Scholastica Travel Inc logo.
• Designs must be submitted via email to info@scholasticatravel.com or received by mail at the Scholastica Travel office by 10/31/21. Please include your name and Trip ID# with your entry.
• The Scholastica Travel team will vote on the designs. Winners will be notified by email on 11/7/21.
• By submitting a design, you are allowing the future unconditional use of the design(s) by Scholastica Travel Inc.

The post 2021 Christmas Card Design Contest appeared first on Scholastica Travel.

Download the 2019 Christmas Card Design Contest Announcement

All tour participants traveling with Scholastica during the 2019-2020 school year are invited to submit a bright and colorful piece of festive artwork.

A panel of Scholastica Travel judges will choose a winning piece of artwork to feature on the 2019 Scholastica Travel Christmas cards. The grand prize winner will also receive a $200 credit towards their Scholastica Travel trip. The second place winner will receive a $100 credit towards their Scholastica Travel trip and will be featured on the Scholastica Facebook page as well as the Scholastica Travel monthly newsletter.

Deadline for entries is October 31st. Entries are to be submitted in jpeg or png format (take a photo with a phone or scan the original if needed) and sent via email to info@scholasticatravel.com.

The winners will officially be announced November 7th. Winners will be notified by email.

Rules:

• Designs must be original.
• Designs must be created by participants on a Scholastica Travel trip traveling during the 2019-2020 school year.
• Designs must include your trip destination and the Scholastica Travel Inc logo.
• Designs must be submitted via email to info@scholasticatravel.com or received by mail at the Scholastica Travel office by 10/31/19. Please include your name and Trip ID# with your entry.
• The Scholastica Travel team will vote on the designs. Winners will be notified by email on 11/7/19.
• By submitting a design, you are allowing the future unconditional use of the design(s) by Scholastica Travel Inc.

The post 2019 Christmas Card Design Contest appeared first on Scholastica Travel.

Natalie Rice, owner of Scholastica Travel, welcomes the opportunity to speak at your next trip meeting!  Natalie will cover a brief history of Scholastica, the three elements of every Scholastica trip (safety, education and fun), and your group’s itinerary. She is available in person or via webcast, schedule dependent.

Length of Presentation: 15 Minutes

Presentation Topics:

• Company History
• Safety, Education, and Fun: The Three Elements of Every Scholastica Tour
• Tour Leader vs. Tour Guide
• Your School Trip Itinerary
• Question and Answer Session
• Other Topics as Requested

Format: Live Webcast Using GoToMeeting or In-Person (Schedule Dependent)

To Schedule:  Contact Your Travel Consultant

About Natalie Weir Rice: She’s a scientist turned travel professional. As the daughter of company founders John and Nancy Weir, she learned the family business around the dinner table. Her deep love of learning and adventure has taken her to 34 countries and counting. Natalie is honored to lead Scholastica, sharing her passion for personal growth through travel with the communities we serve.  Connect with Natalie Rice

The post Have Scholastica Travel Owner Speak at Parent Trip Meeting appeared first on Scholastica Travel.

Download the 2018  Christmas Card Design Contest Announcement

The search is on! Scholastica Travel is looking for artwork for our 2018 Christmas cards!

All tour participants traveling with Scholastica during the 2018-2019 school year are invited to submit a bright and colorful piece of festive artwork.

A panel of Scholastica Travel judges will choose a winning piece of artwork to feature on the 2018 Scholastica Travel Christmas cards. The grand prize winner will also receive a $200 credit towards their Scholastica Travel trip. The second place winner will receive a $100 credit towards their Scholastica Travel trip and will be featured on the Scholastica Facebook page as well as the Scholastica Travel monthly newsletter.

Deadline for entries is October 31st. Entries are to be submitted in jpeg or png format (take a photo with a phone or scan the original if needed) and sent via email to info@scholasticatravel.com.

The winners will officially be announced November 7th. Winners will be notified by email.

Rules:

• Designs must be original.
• Designs must be created by participants on a Scholastica Travel trip traveling during the 2018-2019 school year.
• Designs must include your trip destination and/or the Scholastica Travel Inc logo.
• Designs must be submitted via email to info@scholasticatravel.com or received by mail at the Scholastica Travel office by 10/31/18. Please include your name and Trip ID# with your entry.
• The Scholastica Travel team will vote on the designs. Winners will be notified by email on 11/7/18.
• By submitting a design, you are allowing the future unconditional use of the design(s) by Scholastica Travel Inc.

The post 2018 Christmas Card Design Contest appeared first on Scholastica Travel.

About the Author: This is a guest post by Steven Nicom, a Middle School History and Bible teacher at the Santiago Christian School in the Dominican Republic. Nicom is also the LIT Advisor, Class Advisor, S.E.R.T. Member, and Sound Tech Advisor at the school. 

Situated in Santiago Dominican Republic, Santiago Christian School serves over 650 students. In the 8th grade US history class, our students are exposed to the foundations that the United States is built on. Their middle school experience culminates with a capstone field trip to Washington D.C. The days were long, Miguel Blasco a student on the trip said “Santiago Christian school had an amazing itinerary, allowing us to get to know as many museums as possible.” This included marathon days packed with monuments, museums and meetings with politicians and veterans. Students have been looking forward to this trip since last year. Said one student Maria Nunez “Since the moment that we were told that our school trip was destined to Washington D.C., we eagerly waited for months and months until we saw ourselves in the airport at five thirty in the morning ready to catch our plane.”

Every aspect of our trip from our tour guide to our driver helped make the experience wonderful for our students. When asked about them Maria said “Sarge (Driver) was amazing. He shared with us deep, personal stories about his military life, and it made us feel as if we’d known him since forever. Antonia (tour guide) always had a heartwarming smile on her face…She showed us kindness, hospitality, patience, and her sense of adventure made us more excited every day.”

As a teacher I don’t know that I could have planned for better experiences for my students. We had many unplanned run ins with veterans from wars dating back to World War II. Most of my students knew very little US history prior to this year and most would never have opportunities to see the real people that serve in the US. One student had some incredible encounters with the veterans we met along the way.

“Our trip to Washington DC was one of the greatest experiences of my life. I was star-struck the second I saw the Washington Monument from my airplane window, and saw the city from the sky. Every single second I was there, it felt like I was breathing history. We went to many of the Smithsonian Museums, like the Udvar-Hazy, the National Museum of American History, the National Museum of Natural History and the National Zoo. When we visited these museums, I was overwhelmed by a sense of amazement and astonishment. But of all the museums we visited, I think that the Holocaust Museum impacted me the most. I was horrified by the way the Nazis would treat the Jews like animals. When watching the videos of the dead men and woman being dragged away like dead pigs, it was truly terrorizing. The fact that all this happened, just because a man thought he was better than the others, that chilled me to the bones.”

We also traveled to Arlington Cemetery. There I was, to say the least, amazed at the changing of the Guard. It was truly remarkable how they did everything flawlessly, how they have every single step calculated to perfection. Given the opportunity to see John F. Kennedy’s grave gave me an indescribable feeling of pride and this for a country that I’m not even a citzen of. That day we also went to the Air Force Memorial. This was without a doubt a heartening and uplifting experience. While there we met many Vietnam, Korea and World War 2 veterans who were part of an Honor flight. As I shook hands with these men, all I could think about is how I was shaking hands with actual heroes. These men were willing to give up their lives for their country. I love reading books about heroes and how they save the world, but for the first time, I was actually meeting these heroes.

In the end, what impacted me the most of the whole trip, was our visit to the Vietnam Wall. There were six hundred Vietnam War veterans there…I was awe-struck to say the least. What I felt in the Air Force Memorial was nothing compared to this. I did my best to shake the hands of as many veterans of possible. I was shocked at how kind these men were because I was expecting them to be hardened by the war, but instead they were some of the kindest and soft-hearted men I had met in my entire life. These were selfless, brave and noble men, who fought for what they believed in. Before we left the Vietnam Wall, I shook hands with the last veteran and I welcomed him home. He broke down into tears, thanked me and hugged me. When the man left, I remember that I was shaking. As I looked into my teacher’s eyes, I could feel my hands and legs shaking. While we were returning to our group, I could barely walk, my legs were shaking too much. I tried to stop my hands from shaking, but to no avail.

From the very start to the very end, I can say that this trip was the most inspiring and one of the best trips in my entire life.” – Andrea Batlle 8th Grade student.

This trip was a once in a lifetime opportunity for my students to see history up close. I could not have asked for a better partner in educating my students than with Scholastica. When finished, Miguel said “The trip brought us closer as a class. Having to live together for a week, made us understand that no matter what, we are united as a class. It was an honor being able to experience and understand what happened in the history of the US. As a class we greatly appreciate the opportunity we had, and it’s a trip we will forever have in our hearts.” Ending the experiences is always hard and the student and especially chaperones are exhausted, but in the end vale la pena (it was worth it) as they say in Spanish. Maria wrote “I’m not going to lie, the trip was intense, but totally worth it. Now, it has become part of our memories, but Washington DC will forever live in our hearts.

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The post Dominican Republic Students Share Washington D.C. Experience appeared first on Scholastica Travel.

Download the 2017  Christmas Card Design Contest Announcement

The search is on! Scholastica Travel is looking for artwork for our 2017 Christmas cards!

All tour participants traveling with Scholastica during the 2017-2018 school year are invited to submit a bright and colorful piece of festive artwork.

A panel of Scholastica Travel judges will choose a winning piece of artwork to feature on the 2017 Scholastica Travel Christmas cards. The grand prize winner will also receive a $200 credit towards their Scholastica Travel trip (taken during the 2017-2018 school year). The second place winner will receive a $100 credit towards their Scholastica Travel trip (taken during the 2017-2018 school year) and will be featured on the Scholastica Facebook page as well as the Scholastica Travel e-newsletter.

Deadline for entries is October 31st. Entries are to be submitted in jpeg or png format (take a photo with a phone or scan the original if needed) and sent via email to info@scholasticatravel.com.

The winners will officially be announced November 7th. Winners will be notified by email.

Rules:

• Designs must be original.
• Designs must be created by participants on a Scholastica Travel trip traveling during the 2017-2018 school year.
• Extra points will be awarded for involving your trip destination and/or the Scholastica Travel Inc logo.
• Designs must be submitted via email to info@scholasticatravel.com or received by mail at the Scholastica Travel office by 10/31/17. Please include your name and Trip ID# with your entry.
• The Scholastica Travel team will vote on the designs. Winners will be notified by email on 11/7/17.
• By submitting a design, you are allowing the future unconditional use of the design(s) by Scholastica Travel Inc.

Ready to plan your school trip? Click the button below to get started!

Request More Information

The post 2017 Christmas Card Design Contest appeared first on Scholastica Travel.

Scholastica Travel Inc is proud to have traveled with the Franklin Regional High School Panther Marching Band to the 58th Presidential Inaugural Parade! They were selected as the only band to represent the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in this historic event with worldwide recognition.

Franklin Regional is no stranger to big performances. The Panther Marching Band performed in the 2016 and 2012 Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California. They have also performed in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City.

The band represented the Keystone State by playing “Yankee Doodle Dandy,” which has ties to Pennsylvania. Their performance also included the costumed characters of Benjamin Franklin and Betsy Ross.

Megan Swift, Sophomore Musician

Our trip to the Inaugural Parade in Washington, D.C. was a once in a lifetime experience!  From the moment we departed Murrysville, PA, we knew this trip would be quite memorable.  Even though our trip was only one night, we were thrilled to represent our state in the 50 state celebration of our freedom.  Our itinerary was very organized and we navigated our way through the busy city and security checks with ease. We saw breathtaking views of the Washington Monument, Pentagon, and Air Force Memorial.  As we stepped off for the parade, we caught glimpses of our military units and other parade participants.  It was truly an honor to be a part of history and to be included in this peaceful transition of power celebration.  The best part of the parade was when we approached the viewing booth.  Some of us managed to sneak a peek at President Trump and the other important people as we were “Swingin’ Doodle Dandy” down Pennsylvania Avenue.  What an awesome trip from beginning to end!

Read about Megan’s Tournament of Roses Parade experience

Fiona Stauffer, Senior Musician

I marched with the Franklin Regional High School Band in the Inaugural Parade on January 20, 2017. Like all band trips, the trip to DC began at the school on multiple coach buses that were necessary to seat our entire band. After hours of drifting between sleeping on the bus and watching one of the Disney movies that was playing on one of the tiny screens, we had finally arrived in a small town in Maryland. There, we quickly got off the bus and got a short briefing of the day ahead.

On the day of the parade, I was in a state of awe. The air in DC was tense, even as we waited at the Air Force Memorial for an hour. The parade itself was surreal; marching down Pennsylvania Avenue in front of hundreds of people and the most powerful people in the nation almost didn’t feel real. I remember the turn onto that street vividly: the extremely bright lights that preceded the viewing booth blinded me momentarily, but when I regained vision, it felt as though I was in a dream.

The Inaugural Parade, although very tiring, was a very memorable experience and is something that I will be able to talk about for years to come.

Congratulations again to the Franklin Regional High School Panther Marching Band! What an experience!

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The post Marching Band Musicians Share Inaugural Parade Experience appeared first on Scholastica Travel.

About the Author: Tyler Recklein is a senior at Franklin Regional High School.  He’s been in band since 4th grade and a part of the drumline since freshman year. When he’s not pursuing music, he spends his time playing lacrosse for the high school varsity team. He is also a solider in the Pennsylvania Army National Guard and is preparing for Basic Training and Advanced Individual Training this summer.

The Tournament of Roses Parade is a parade watched around the world with an audience of over 60 million people. When we first got the news that our band, the Franklin Regional Panther Marching Band would return again to this parade for the second time, we were ecstatic. While in California though, I saw myself thinking less about the parade and more about the great time I was having.

Scholastica Travel put together a trip of a life time. For never being on the West Coast, this trip made me want to come back every year. While in California we went to Universal Studios which was a blast, followed by a tour of Beverly Hills and Old Town Pasadena. We ate dinner on the famous Queen Mary and soaked up the California sun.  Everything about this trip was perfect. We had zero problems other than a few sick kids, but what’s a school trip without someone getting sick? The lines were short, the rides were fun, and the food… the food was fantastic. We had plenty of opportunities to go shopping down Rodeo Drive and other shopping centers and I’m sure I wasn’t the only one having trouble getting my suit case closed on the way home. The last stop we made on this trip was to the Santa Monica Pier. The atmosphere was amazing and watching the sun set across the Pacific ocean was beautiful. Not listening to my peers around me, I decided to jump into the freezing cold water and grasp what I like to call “the whole experience” of the West Coast. This trip was an experience of a life time and lasting memories I will never forget. The only complaint is that I couldn’t stay longer.

Ready to plan your school trip to the Tournament of Roses Parade? Click the button below to get started!

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The post Tournament of Roses Parade: A Band Student’s Perspective appeared first on Scholastica Travel.

About the Author: Megan Swift is an alto saxophone player in the Franklin Regional High School Marching and Concert Bands. In addition to the band, Megan enjoys musical theater and dance, cantors at church, plays tennis, and volunteers on Relay For Life’s Event Leadership Team in support of the American Cancer Society.

Our Franklin Regional Marching Band had a spectacular time at the Rose Parade in Pasadena, CA!  Although marching in the parade was the main reason for our visit, we were also “Walkin’ on Sunshine” during our entire trip due to our many sightseeing opportunities!

After landing in LAX, we began our week’s adventure.  Our first stop was Universal Studios.  The live shows, extreme rides, fine dining, and shopping opportunities at CityWalk were amazing!  We also visited Americana at Brand and dined and shopped in luxury!  The magnificent Christmas tree and other beautiful light displays were breathtaking!  Our fun continued when we toured Hollywood and saw the Walk of Fame.  Did you know that Mickey Mouse is on the Walk of Fame, too?  Beverly Hills was also a special sight to see and remember as we walked down Rodeo Drive as if we were the rich and famous!  In contrast to the city life, we also got a glimpse of the Pacific Ocean at Santa Monica.  The beautiful ocean view and pier revealed the more tranquil aspects of California, which we loved!  Also, who could forget our memorable ride on the legendary Queen Mary?  This awesome, luxurious ocean liner was the ideal dinner dance cruise!

Our band performances at the Band Fest and the Rose Parade were once in a lifetime opportunities!  To perform alongside other bands within and outside of the country and to be a part of the spectacular parade on national television was a dream come true for our band.  We were “Walking on Sunshine” and couldn’t have been more excited and thrilled to perform in sunny California and to see its magnificent attractions. This was an incredible trip that we will never forget!

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The post Pasadena Rose Parade: A Band Student’s Experience appeared first on Scholastica Travel.

Download the 2016 Christmas Card Design Contest Announcement

The search is on! Scholastica Travel is looking for artwork to adorn its 2016 Christmas cards with a Christmas Card Design Contest.

All tour participants traveling with Scholastica during the 2016-2017 school year are invited to submit a bright and colorful piece of festive artwork.

A panel of Scholastica Travel judges will choose two winning pieces of artwork to be featured on the Scholastica Travel Christmas cards this year. In addition to the honor of having their artwork featured, the grand prize winner will receive a $200 credit towards their Scholastica Travel trip (taken during the 2016-2017 school year). The second place winner will receive a $100 credit towards their Scholastica Travel trip (taken during the 2016-2017 school year) and will be featured as the cover photo on the Scholastica Facebook page.

Deadline for entries is midnight, October 31st. Entries are to be submitted in jpeg or png format (take a photo with a phone or scan the original if needed) and sent via email to info@scholasticatravel.com.

The winners will officially be announced November 7th. Winners will be notified by email.

Rules:

• Designs must be original.
• Designs must be created by participants on a Scholastica Travel trip traveling during the 2016-2017 school year.
• Extra points will be awarded for involving your trip destination and/or the Scholastica Travel Inc logo.
• Designs must be submitted via email to info@scholasticatravel.com or received by mail at the Scholastica Travel office by midnight on 10/31/16. Please include your name and Trip ID# with your entry.
• The Scholastica Travel team will vote on the designs. Winners will be notified by email on 11/7/16.
• By submitting a design, you are allowing the future unconditional use of the design(s) by Scholastica Travel Inc.

Ready to plan your school trip? Click the button below to get started!

Request More Information

The post 2016 Christmas Card Design Contest appeared first on Scholastica Travel.