Whether you’re out of school or still in it now, what influence has shaped you into the person you are now? A group project, a special speaker, or a field trip are likely to have influenced your life in small and big ways. It may even have been something you did outside of school, learning about different topics. Something in your life piqued your interest or sparked curiosity. It encourages you to take control of your education in more ways than one.

Every individual brings a unique set of life experiences to the classroom. Students’ key to success is applying their take-aways from opportunities in and out of school to their new ventures.  Field trips are vital for children, and not just young ones; they are important for high school students too. There are some significant advantages.

“There have been several field trips to DeSales for the business programs, a few science classes have been going to various conservatories as well.” Vice Principal Mr. Chad Kinslow said. “I believe the Civics and Government classes are going to go back to Washington D.C. again this year, so that’s also very exciting.”  

  Mr. Kinslow also expressed an interest in increasing the number of field trips students have access to. Though this would come with limits due to cost and potential liabilities amongst the list of  limiting factors.

“Field trips give students the opportunity to see things first hand versus hearing and reading about it,” said Mr. Kinslow, “Along with the different level of engagement from students when they’re outside of the classroom.”  

Teachers play a significant role in students’ opportunities to participate in field trips. They often serve as chaperones in conjunction with parent volunteers, and may even learn new things with students through these experiences.  

“Students are in classrooms learning the same way for roughly 180 days, with few breaks,” Mr. Greenwald said. “It is definitely impactful for students to get outside of the classroom and be exposed to a different way of learning.” 

Field trips are a fantastic way to broaden students’ resources throughout the community, allowing students to connect with different people in the outside world and access places not replicated in the classroom. This integrated learning experience may bring many life lessons and instill excitement for a difficult topic through unconventional teaching techniques. Students have also expressed an interest in increasing the number of field trips and their belief educational advantages of these opportunities. 

“As a sophomore, I have not been on one field trip in high school due to COVID-19, but it would be super cool and refreshing to go on one soon,” sophomore Emily Stock said.

 Southern Lehigh students are eager to have the opportunities to see new things and learn about subjects in a more unconventional way. It would energize the students and give them more motivation to be able to get outside the classroom, learning the material first hand. 

“Field trips are just awesome. You get to get out of school, meet new people, and get to experience the topic you’re learning about in a new way,”  junior Maggie Pavis said, “Honestly, every field trip I have been on has been super fun, and I end up learning a lot.”  

Through their positive outlooks on field trips, Emily and Maggie shared that these experiences can offer greater insight into essential academic concepts learned in the classroom, accessing tools and environments unavailable at school. 

According to the University of Arkansas’ research, students who had attended a field trip to an art gallery demonstrated enhanced empathy, tolerance, and critical thinking abilities afterward. Students might think about a topic or issue from a different viewpoint than how they’d view material learned in class, and this general idea can apply to all fields of education since many Southern Lehigh field trips target certain clubs such as Theater. As for students who are not involved in the clubs which ordinarily host these field trips, offering more could open a chance for all students to grow socially and emotionally from these types of experiences.

Although a great deal of work is required to pull off a successful and educational field trip, the difficulties are worth the opportunity for all students. Some may remember these experiences as a highlight of the school year, having learned  more from real-life engagement than from anything taught in class.