Experiential Learning Through Travel That Sticks
Experiential learning through travel changes students for good — and Denver science and CTE teacher Angela Cannava proves any teacher can lead it. In this episode of the 10 Minute Teacher Podcast, Angela shares how curriculum-aligned international trips with EF Explore America transformed her students: a forensics lab in Great Britain where they did real DNA fingerprinting, and a Belize Ridge-to-Reef conservation expedition with a midnight bat workshop. She tells the story of a student who barely spoke in three years coming home changed, and a Belize traveler now headed back to work at the conservation NGO he visited on the trip.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
- Why curriculum-aligned travel makes lessons “stick” long after the trip ends
- How travel transforms your relationships with students — and the culture of your whole classroom
- The two things to nail before your first trip: a diverse chaperone team and clear student expectations
- How to make international travel doable on a teacher’s schedule by partnering with a tour company
- Why the learning ripples out even to the students who stayed home
Read the full show notes and resources at https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e942
Sponsor. Today's show is sponsored by EF Explore America and their STEM Tours. Lead your students on a STEM tour to places on the cutting edge of innovation to show them how STEM thinking often shows up where you least expect it. Imagine your students coding robots with MassRobotics at MIT, exploring marine ecosystems in Florida's coral reefs, or even sitting down to talk with a former spy in Washington DC. If you want to inspire your students and give them a fresh perspective on the power of STEM, visit efexploreamerica.com/STEM.
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