Teacher Travel Groups and Opportunities
Updated: Apr 23
Did you know there are travel opportunities out there just for teachers? If you’ve found me on social media, then you know I’m always finding travel opportunities for teachers. From teacher travel groups to travel grants for teachers, there are many different ways for teachers to travel for free.
Below, I will explain the categories of travel opportunities for teachers and the teacher travel groups you might want to consider going with! PS: There are many different options for traveling and teaching out there. These are ones I’d recommend for those that want to stay full-time in classroom teaching.
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Category 1: Teacher Travel Groups – Pay for your Trip, Go for Fun
There are travel companies specifically focused on creating group travel for those in the teaching profession. Each group runs a bit differently, but they are actual vacations. In addition, some of them offer optional PD opportunities that you may want to take advantage of; I’ll explain that below.
GEEO
GEEO offers discounted group travel for teachers. Founded in 2007, Global Exploration for Educators Organization (GEEO) is a 501c3 non-profit organization that has sent over 3,000 teachers worldwide on adventurous travel programs. GEEO’s teacher travel programs are 5 to 23 days long and are designed and discounted to be exciting and affordable for teachers. The trips are open to all nationalities of K-12 and university educators, administrators, retired educators, and educators’ guests.
They offer trips at a 5-15% discount off the list price, optional PD and Graduate Credit, and trips on every continent. Since they are the largest teacher travel group out there, they have a wide variety of trips and dates to choose from.
I’m helping host a vacation for teachers with two of my traveling teacher friends through GEEO.
Teachers on a Trip
Alyssa Weisenstein founded Teacher on a Trip to support educators and science in the classroom. Each summer, she hosts different trips for formal and informal educators, elementary, middle, and high school teachers, and pre-service teachers! Teachers Take a Trip travel leans towards high school science, but teachers of any subject can create travel-inspired classroom resources.
While traveling, teachers will learn strategies to prepare and develop resources with location-inspired content. Help students connect to far-away content by creating travel-inspired classroom resources. Trips are incredibly affordable and happen in the summer.
Traveling Teachers LLC
Brittany started Traveling Teachers LLC as a travel company and blog for teachers by teachers. She shares opportunities and resources that enable teachers to travel farther and more often. She sets up several group trips for teachers at a considerable discount each year! These are vacations and include no PD add-on to them. This summer, she is hosting four yacht trips in Croatia!
Book Bag Trips
Book Bag Trips hosts trips each year that are a combination of fun and PD. They host trips to places like Disney World, Europe, and Africa. They are a larger company, so they host over 10+ trips each summer.
You will receive 20+ PD hours, and you will get to explore a great country with a group of fellow educators. In addition, they have added some trips for Marine Conservation and Ancient Civilizations that do not include school visits but does provide you with excellent PD that you can use in your classroom.
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Category 2: Teacher Travel Grants – Travel for Free with a Program!
There are many different programs that offer travel grants for teachers, especially during the summer. For example, I spent a summer teaching in China and Zambia, helping teachers in their classrooms. The best way to find these programs is by looking into fellowships, non-profits, and the like for programs that fit your schedule. Some last a month, others just a week. These are a great way to spend some time traveling and helping other teachers worldwide while developing your practice.
Programs to Consider:
Bridge USA
Fullbright (several programs)
TALMA
GeoVisions
Destino Idiomas
Grosvenor Teacher Fellowship
Partnership for Russian, Eurasian, and East European Folklore
Fund for Teachers
Qatar Foundation International
English Speaking Union Lab
A complete list of teacher travel opps can be found in my subscriber resources, where I list over 200 teacher travel opps.
See my playlist of teacher travel opportunities on TikTok.
My experience teaching in Zambia and China
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Category 3: Working Abroad Short Term
Another type of teacher travel group is short-term work abroad. There are companies that offer the teacher travel opportunity to work overseas for a few weeks up to an entire year. The benefit of doing this is you can get everything paid for and then have free time in the evenings and on weekends to do the travel you want to do without paying for it yourself!
Here are some to consider below:
Angloville – Speaking English
Volunteer abroad as a Mentor for Language Learners and have your board and lodging in beautiful hotels covered. In addition, you will be involved in full immersion Angloville programs during the teaching practice. These are conversation-based programs during which you will help local students improve their English in a series of 1 on 1 and small group conversations, games, and activities. The programs are an intensive intellectual experience; you may end up speaking for up to 12h a day with various people in a laid-back setting. Optionally, become a qualified TEFL teacher in weeks using an AngloTEFL Scholarship!
BUNAC – Internships and Summer Camp
Since 1962, BUNAC has enabled all young people to discover the world through life-changing work and travel adventures. We are experts in providing programs that span a long list of countries.
BUNAC also offers Working Holiday programs in some of the world’s most exciting destinations, including Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and Japan. You’ll gain heaps of soft skills, life experience and almost definitely have the adventure of a lifetime!
Camp Europe – Summer Camp
Camp Europe specializes in language & adventure sports camps for children & youth throughout Europe. They offer different positions, such as Language Coach, Camp Counselor, Program Area Director & Group Leader.
Camp Europe provides intense training through which you will obtain professional instruction in many outdoor education fields, from canoeing, kayaking, swimming, archery, climbing & high ropes, passing through field sports, creative activities, to language coaching, team building, etc. Plus, you will obtain a bronze cross and 1st aid certification.
At the end of the training, you will obtain a well-reputed Diploma, and you will be all set to experience a memorable summertime in Europe, having fun outdoors and playing as a role model for younger generations. REQUEST INFO
CCUSA – Summer Camp
CCUSA has been helping people for over 30 years find summer camp jobs, work and travel experiences, and volunteer adventures in the USA and around the world. Working holiday options in Australia or New Zealand. Australia, Canada, Russia, California, Africa, Americas, Asia, and different areas in Europe. They have so many different possibilities, short and long term! Most of their programs are geared toward young people, but they allow anyone to apply!
CIEE Teach Abroad Programs
CIEE offers placement as a teacher in both short-term and long-term teaching positions. You don’t need a TEFL to join their programs and go for as little as two weeks to countries like Spain, Hungary, and Chile. These are volunteer programs with a fee, but they allow you to go for so much cheaper! Long-term positions are full-salary jobs.
With all of these teacher travel groups and teacher travel opportunities, no doubt you can find the right opportunity for you. I love that there are so many opportunities for teachers to travel out there, and you will LOVE getting to see the world with like-minded people, I know I have!
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