Field trips are fun and can greatly add to a child’s summer learning experience, but how is it possible to ensure learning actually occurs? Jennifer Brady, vice president of member services and program quality, shared strategies for how to incorporate learning into field trips. Susanne Sparks, policy manager, provided tips and encouragement for Summer Learning Day event planners.

1. Summer Program Planning:
Memorable Field Trips
National Summer Learning Association
Friday,
Friday May 21 2010
21,

2. Welcome!
Jennifer Brady Susanne Sparks
VP, Member Manager,
Services and Policy
Program Quality

3. Webinar Functions
 Question – Use this feature to ask and
answer questions.
ti
 Audience View – you can see names of
others who are joining us on the
webinar
 Hand Raising – use to be called on to
comment, ask, or answer a question
, , q
 Poll – Given the question, select the
best answer

4. What is one trip
you remember
taking in the Use the
q
question box
summer as a to share your
answers with
us.
child?
hild?

5. Our mission is to connect
and equip schools and
d i h l d
community organizations
y g
to deliver quality summer
learning programs to our
nation’s youth to help
close the achievement gap
gap.

6. The Association works to:
 Increase the number of providers offering
high-quality summer learning programs to
g qu ty su e e g p og s
young people living in poverty;
 Increase the number of organizations and
g
policymakers that identify summer learning
as a public policy priority; and,
 Increase funding for high-quality summer
learning programs for young people who
currently lack choices and opportunities.
tl l k h i d t iti

7. Objectives for today:
 Gain awareness of the quality
standards for summer learning
programs
 Highlight best practices for memorable
field trips
 Learn the benefits of Summer
Learning D 2010
L i Day

8. Agenda
 Overview of Quality Standards (5 minutes)
 Program Planning Guide Overview (5
minutes))
 Timeline (10 minutes)
 Open up for general questions (5 minutes)
 Summer Learning Day (15 minutes)
 Wrap up/Questions (5 minutes)

9. Overview of the Quality
Standards
d d
 Program Infrastructure Domains:
Purpose, Planning, People,
Professional Development and
Partnerships
 Point of Service Domains:
Individualized, Intentional, Integrated

10. Program Planning Guide:
Overview
i
Guide includes:
 Timelines
 Links additional
Links,
resources
 Example
documents
 Self assessments

11. Program Planning Guide: Overview

13. Self-Check:
Field Trips
i ld T i

14. Learning is experience.
g p
Everything else is just
information.
information
-Albert Ei
Alb Einstein
i

15. Why Offer Field Trips in the
Summer?
S ?
 Connect to life
 Broaden perspectives
 Build lif l
B ild lifelong interests
i
 Expose to career options
 Develop citizenship
 Build community
K. Carroll (2007). A Guide to Great Field Trips. Chicago: Zephyr Press.

16. Neuroscience of Learning
 Make it relevant
 Give them a break
 Create positive associations
 Prioritize information
 Allow independent discovery learning
 Create a safe haven
J. Willis (Summer 2007).“The Neuroscience of a Joyful Education.” Educational
Leadership, Engaging the Whole Child. ASCD. Vol. 64.

17. Low and No Cost Field Trips in
Your C
Y Communityi
 Airport
p  Food bank
 Bakery  Historic homes
 Bank  Humane society y
 Botanical gardens  Mechanic shop
 City hall  Newspaper
 Dentist office  Recycling center
 Exercise class  Telephone company
 Fabric store  X-ray labs

18. Quick Tips for a Smooth Trip
 Plan early
 Plan as a group, delegate logistics
 Budget
B d
 Recruit volunteers
 Permission slips up front

19. Planning a Great Field Trip
1) What do they need to learn?
2) How will we know they learned it?
3) Wh activities will lead them to the
What i ii ill l d h h
learning?

20. Ways to Assess if
“They Got It”
“Th ”
Before/During/After: After:
 Observation  Art
checklist show/presentation
/p
 Journal  Cartoon
 Exit ticket  Newspaper article
 Rubric  Music video, song
 Self-assessment
Self assessment  Skit
 Thumbs-up  Venn diagram

21. Activities Before the Trip
 Introduce vocabulary words
y
 Practice asking good questions
 Plan the itinerary
 Calculate
C l l t costs of trip
t ft i
 Make a hypothesis
 Explore website of destination
p
 Brainstorm open-ended questions
 Role play what you expect to see on trip
 Research the subject
 Make personal goals: what you want to learn

22. Activities During the Trip
 Interview experts
p
 Write observations and reflections
 Respond to pre-determined questions
 Think-pair-share responses to questions,
Thi k i h i
observations, reflections
 Test your hypothesis
 Scavenger hunt
 Use sketch books
 Solve a mystery with leader-provided clues

23. Activities After the Trip
 Take part in a debate
p
 Write a critique
 Graph the data, interpret the data
 Do
D more research to validate/disprove your
ht lid t /di
hypothesis
 Make maps, drawing, mural
 Play charades to show what happened on trip
 Make a sound map of what you heard on trip
 Host
H t a quiz show about what you learned
i h b t h t l d
 Share a fact you learned with parents

24. O e S
Other Skills to Introduce for Field Trips
s o oduce o ed ps
 Observation skills
 Listening, questioning, interviewing
 Note taking
N ki
 Using technology
 Cooperation
 Safety

25. Questions?
 What strategies do you use to
reinforce learning on field trips?

26. Summer Learning Day: June 21
A national showcase for summer learning
programs to highlight how they:
• Maintain and advance participants'
academic and developmental growth
• Support working families
• Keep children safe and healthy
• Send young people back to school ready
to learn

27. Tell Your Program’s Story
g y
 How can you best tell or illustrate your
program’s value?
• Who needs to hear this message?
• How can you capitalize upon plans already
underway?
d ?

28. Summer Learning Day:
Online Resources
li
 Planning Kit
• Planning Checklist
• Draft Invitation Letter
• Example Events
E
Event R i t ti
t Registration
• Map of events in your community
 History
• Looking back to 2004

29. Steps to Take Now
 Finalize agenda
 Publicize, if appropriate.
• Fl
Flyers home to parents.
h t t
• Community calendars.
• Invitation l
letters.
 Purchase special supplies, if needed
 Draft media advisory

30. Final Webinar
Summer Program Planning:
America After 3PM
Summer Data Briefing
S D B i fi
Monday, June 7, 2010
3 p.m.-4 p.m.
4

31. Friend of Individual Organization
Join the Association! Summer /District
Learning
• AAccess t open web content including
to b t t i l di
field news, research and interviews with
experts

• Abilit t network with other members
Ability to t k ith th b
through online discussion groups
• Di
Discounts on conference, publications,
t f bli ti
and professional development services
• T
Two hhours of quality program
f lit
consulting via phone

• A
Access t curriculum rating tool, and
to i l ti g t l d
Excellence in Summer Learning Award
winner profiles
• Free program planning guide

32. Your feedback is important!
Please take a few minutes and answer
this 5 question survey.
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/NPF
VHTR

33. Thank you!
 Program Planning/Membership
• Erin Gilbert –
erin@summerlearning.org
 Program Assessment
• Sarah Pitcock –
sarah@summerlearning.org
 Summer Learning Day
• Susanne Sparks –
susanne@summerlearning.org