WorldStrides | About Us - Taking Students Beyond Classroom Walls

Taking Students Beyond Classroom Walls

Students listen to a soldier speak at Arlington National Cemetery. We believe that travel enhances the process of self-discovery, leading students to learn as much about themselves as the places they visit. Every WorldStrides itinerary is built around a thematic curriculum that connects with all kinds of learners, so everyone will become excited about the program. At WorldStrides, we believe that lifelong learners are created when we focus on building itineraries that include opportunities for social, personal, and intellectual growth. We stimulate students to learn and develop in a way that cannot be duplicated through a textbook. Our goal is to engage students and build critical thinking skills that will make them successful in college and throughout their lives.

Unmatched Educational Components:

Course Leader
WorldStrides DiscoverNow! programs are led by caring and dynamic experts in the field who help your students achieve key learning objectives through activities and group discussions. The average experience of our Course Leader team is 15 years. All Course Leaders hold a minimum of a four-year degree and over 85% hold Master’s degrees or higher. With the help of your Course Leader, learning becomes a real world experience. By seeing, experiencing, and interacting on a WorldStrides DiscoverNow! program, your students will have the unique opportunity to apply knowledge gained in the classroom while exploring their world.

Discovery Journal
Discovery Journals are designed to enhance students’ learning experience during a WorldStrides DiscoverNow! program. Our Discovery Journals provide site information, photos, trivia, thought-provoking questions, and open areas for notes and reflection.

Discovery for Credit
Our Discovery for Credit program extends the learning students achieved during their WorldStrides educational program. This special opportunity enables students to use their educational travel experience to get a head start on school requirements. Over 25,000 Discovery for Credit transcripts have been issued since the program’s inception in 2002!

Accreditation

WorldStrides was the first accredited student travel organization in the nation. Accreditation recognizes educational institutions for performance, integrity, and quality and entitles them to the confidence of the educational community and the public. WorldStrides is accredited through all regional accrediting bodies across the nation, including the Northwest Accreditation Commission, the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, and AdvancED (the parent organization for the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement, and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement).

Our accredited status attests to our high academic standards. Traveling with an accredited travel study school means that your program is centered around a structured curriculum that meets state standards. WorldStrides Course Leaders, who undergo continuous training in methods for delivering content to students, bring this curriculum to life through interactive activities and fun lessons. Our designation as an accredited travel study school allows WorldStrides to offer students the unique opportunity to earn free high school credit or college credit through a top university (for students participating in the University Credit Series programs). In addition, our accreditation by all regional accrediting bodies enhances the transferability of credits students earn through WorldStrides. Ask your WorldStrides' representative if your program is eligible for school credit.

Professional Development for Teachers

WorldStrides’ accredited status means that teachers are eligible to receive free professional development for leading a WorldStrides program. We will help you identify opportunities that meet your state’s standards, develop your portfolio, and issue a transcript. Teachers may also have the opportunity to earn low-cost graduate credit through various universities. In addition, WorldStrides supports our teachers with a number of curriculum guides and educational resources. WorldStrides is the only educational travel provider that offers such comprehensive benefits to teachers.

Academic Credit for Students

The educational value of a WorldStrides DiscoverNow! program is unmatched. Students are challenged to assess and apply what they are learning in the classroom through first-hand experience so they take away the most from the program. Students can continue their educational experiences after returning from their trips with our exclusive online Discovery for Credit program.

WorldStrides’ Discovery for Credit program earns successful travelers elective high school credit or college credit through a top university. Because WorldStrides is accredited by multiple accrediting bodies, most schools throughout the United States accept credits that students can earn on their WorldStrides' programs. Discovery for Credit is available for most travel programs, including a Service Learning course allowing students to earn community service hours in conjunction with their travel experience. WorldStrides has issued more than 25,000 Discovery for Credit transcripts since the program’s inception in 2002!

Ask your WorldStrides' representative if your program is eligible for Discovery for Credit.