Field trips are beneficial for students to gain new experiences, expand their classroom learning, develop personal independence, and gain career insights.
No matter the scale, being 35 minutes away, or a two-hour plane ride away, I have been on multiple school field trips. Some of the trips I’ve been on include New York City in the spring of 2023 with VHHS theater and choir, the Holocaust museum in Skookie and Philadelphia for the Journalism Education Association convention this fall. On all of these trips, I have learned something new.
In Philadelphia, journalism and yearbook students attended sessions that taught us how to better our publications. From the sessions I attended, I learned how journalism can serve as a pathway into the entertainment industry, which is a career area which I want to pursue. After listening to the presentation, I learned unconventional ways of getting into the industry; through journalism, and how you can get your name out there early through interviews, articles, opinion pieces and more.
Some may argue that time off campus may cause students to fall behind on school work or lose learning time in class, but these experiences outside of school allow students to learn about being independent in professional settings, and develop essential skills such as communication, relationship-building and collaboration which will help students beyond high school.
One career path I had the opportunity to learn about is enlistment in the Navy. While on a tour of Great Lakes Naval Base, I talked to officials, staff and conversed with recruits about the basic training experience. My main takeaways from this experience were the insights of what it takes to be a navy sailor, from the fitness readiness tests, classrooms or application of learned skills in practice.
Field trips also offer new experiences that are important to broaden a student’s perspective. The students are given more freedom and independence during these trips with fewer rules and less adult supervision as they advance in high school.
Griffin Nichols (12) recalled some of his favorite field trips and their invaluable aspects. For him, making new connections and friends on the FBLA or JSA field trips were the most important things. The affordability of these trips made it possible for him to fully engage and enjoy these opportunities
“I was able to make friends with a bunch of people, from southern Illinois, who I added on [Snapchat], and we still stay connected to this day,” Nichols said.
Survey responses from a total of 61 students show that field trips are an important part of their experience. 47.3% of respondents reported attending one field trip, while 16.4% had gone on five or more. When asked about the value of these trips, 37.9% rated them as the most valuable. These results highlight how valuable field trips are for students’ learning and personal growth.
Field trips are invaluable experiences that extend learning beyond classroom walls. They provide students with the opportunity to explore real world applications to learning and foster critical thinking skills.
