Some of the fondest memories of our time as students often take place in museums, aquariums, planetariums, gardens, zoos, theaters, city blocks, and ice cream shops. We often remember our childhood field trips vividly, even though the details of those grades have long faded. Those breaks from the norm felt like breaths of fresh air. Let’s face it; no matter what you do to make it better, seven hours in the same building each day can become draining and monotonous for all of us. This is especially true now, as teachers cater to students that have spent their formative school years isolated in their homes and retain very little attention and interest in classroom material. 

Though there has been slow progress, the American public school student’s current situation is still quite dire. Recent studies prove that students lost several months of learning in language arts and mathematics during COVID-19 shutdowns. In the last three years, there has been a staggering decline in math and reading test scores, particularly from marginalized groups; data from the National Association of Educational Progress (NAEP) shows increasingly widened gaps between the lowest and highest achieving students. A collectively unthoughtful mishandling of online learning resulted in bored and distracted learners with limited access to typical accommodative services such as counseling, IEPs, and 504 plans. 

Now that schools have switched back to daily in-person learning, they are experiencing record rates of chronic absenteeism. According to a report from McKinsey & Company, a consulting firm that defined chronic absenteeism as missing fifteen days or more of school, 22% of the nation’s students were on track to be chronically absent, more than double pre-pandemic rates. Some schools, such as McDonagh Middle School in Hartford, Connecticut, have been marking 40% of their school population absent since returning back to classroom learning, and have resorted to pep rallies, night classes, and gift cards to encourage attendance. 

These are systemic issues that are by no means an easy fix, but a shift to more well-executed field trips and hands-on experiences may be a step in the right direction. New research published in The Journal of Human Resources suggests that school trips–even small, “low-touch” outings–are vital to classroom success. In the study, researchers split 1,000 fourth and fifth graders from Atlanta into two groups. One group went on three to six “culturally enriching” field trips throughout the year (symphonies, art museums, theaters, parks, etc.) and the control group stuck to traditional classroom learning. The field trip group scored higher on end-of-grade exams, had higher course grades, a better attendance record, and fewer behavioral infractions than the control group. The researchers say that the effects of these experiences continued to last for 2 to 3 years afterwards, and instead of getting in the way of instruction as they are often believed to do, they sped up subsequent lessons and increased motivation. 

The positive results of cultural immersion at school also extend into your adult life–a study conducted by the U.S.  Travel Association shows that those who grew up taking a few trips in the big yellow school bus have higher graduation rates from high school (95%) and college (63%) and greater income (12% higher annually). 

Well planned out school trips are so impactful because they level the playing field; low-income students whose families cannot afford museum fees or have schedules too busy for those activities are still given the same opportunity. Census data analytics tell us that socioeconomically disadvantaged kids are less likely to sign up for sports and clubs than their peers, so allowing them a space where they can bond with their classmates while learning is especially crucial. Feild trips are also proven to bolster critical thinking skills, historical empathy, creativity, independence, and cultural appreciation. Now more than ever, students are faced with diverse learning needs that cannot be fully met by textbooks. Increased screen times mean that younger generations are visual learners. Excursions in the real world engage all of your senses, making them a great choice for a diverse crowd of learners. 

Kids nowadays are increasingly skeptical of traditional curriculums and crave engagement with the natural world. Field trips prove to them that what they are learning is meaningful and may allow them to see futures for themselves in various career paths. All educators should be cognizant of the organizations and trip opportunities in their areas, and not be afraid to get creative if budgeting is an issue. If schools take a little time to thoroughly plan a few culturally enriching experiences for their students, they could be raising academic incentive tremendously and leaving life changing marks on someone’s future.