Smithsonian Student Travel staff member Elaine Lenore talks about the new On-Tour Activities guide

Spurred by an ongoing commitment to provide unforgettable "wow" moments for each of our travelers, Smithsonian Student Travel recently developed a new On-Tour Activities guide for group leaders. Smithsonian Student Travel staff member Elaine Lenore, who served as project leader for the guide, talks about the guide’s development and purpose.

Q. What motivated Smithsonian Student Travel to create the On-Tour Activities guide?

A. As always, we’re constantly seeking new ways to enhance the educational content of our tours. In this case, we wanted to find new ways to engage students while they’re visiting the different sites on tour to help them get the most out of their experience. So we decided to create even more fun, hands-on activities to get them to really interact with the places they visit. That concept led us to this guide.

Q. What educational philosophies factored into the guide’s development and direction?

A. There are two major philosophies at work here. First, as a member of the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, we strive to help our travelers develop global awareness, civic literacy, flexibility and adaptability. With those goals in mind, we also drew upon the theory of multiple intelligences.

Q. Can you explain how the theory of multiple intelligences was a driving force behind the guide?

A. Sure. We wanted to create activities that every student at every age can do, which fits in nicely with multiple intelligences. Essentially, this theory appreciates that students are brilliant in their own ways and identifies eight different intelligences to account for different skill strengths and styles of learning. With that theory as a guideline, we suggest eight different activities for each site we include. And these activities play to the different intelligences. Students can do activities that best match their skills, or they can challenge themselves in other areas.

Q. How do you envision teachers and students incorporating this guide into their tour experience?

A. Our hope is that when teachers and students are on tour and completing these activities, they’re creating for themselves their own memorable moments. The activities encourage students to proactively access information at the various stops along the way then apply that knowledge according to their own personal brilliance. Through these hands-on activities, the places they see and the sites they visit will continue to impact them long into the future.

To learn more about our educational tours, please contact a tour consultant at 1.800.503.2323 or request more information online.