You know the old adage: “Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance”. And nowhere is this more true than when it comes to school expeditions. At World Challenge, our team is constantly working behind the scenes to ensure that every trip is exciting, challenging, safe – and organised to a tee.
From concept, each World Challenge itinerary takes around three months to create and be ready for students to sign up for. During that time, the trip will be rigorously planned, with reccees, safety checks, risk assessments and training for both students and staff.
Liz Tuck, Product & Sustainability Team Manager at World Challenge, sheds some light on just what goes into planning a school expedition – from the initial stages right up to airport departure gates.
Ground teams help shape itineraries
The first stage of the planning process is designing the itinerary. “This is where our excellent relationship with our ground teams really comes to the fore,” Liz says. “Their local knowledge means we are able to put together itineraries that are both exciting and suitable for students. For instance, our treks will be exciting and beautiful, and often routes that are more off the beaten track compared to most tourist trails. At the same time, we put safety first, and also ensure that students get to experience some of the top sights.”
Another area that requires careful planning, paired with a unique relationship with ground teams, is the initiative phase of an expedition. “This is more complex,” Liz says. “Over the years, we have fostered links with various organisations and partners that are doing great things for their communities. We work with them to create a bespoke, unique experience for students.” From working with communities in remote Borneo to living with the Maasai Mara in Tanzania, our teams engage in meaningful projects that are hand-picked and intended to have a positive impact.
Safety approval
Safety is at the heart of our expeditions, so after costing up and working out dates, strict checks are carried out. We audit all our individual suppliers, asking them to complete safety and sustainability questionnaires. When it comes to technical activities, such as trekking, rafting, surfing, paddle boarding and zip wiring, our technical experts go out on reccees and carry out the safety inspections.
Once approved, our team will write up itineraries, adding in logistics and fine tuning things like accommodation options, meal inclusions and journey lengths. We build a budget based on these logistics and create a spending money guide. We also ensure kit lists, and visa and vaccination guides are accurate.
Training for all
Central to the planning stages of World Challenge expeditions is training. Students and leaders receive pre-trip training, both in-person and virtually. As well as completing modules in global citizenship, personal growth and wellbeing, students will meet up for a training day and build-up day. Leaders also receive training and manuals chock-full of planning tips and handy info for when they’re on the expedition.
But the training isn’t restricted to students, staff and leaders. We also ensure our ground teams receive training so they are ready to receive our teams. “We train our ground teams in things like how to do an orientation briefing, and how to keep the trip student-focussed,” Liz says. “Many of their usual clients will want to have everything done for them, but our students are in charge of their own budgets, so we train our ground teams to know when to step back.
We want to make sure they don’t automatically talk to the adults on the trip, but involve the students, as it’s their expedition.”
Leader recruitment
Each World Challenge trip requires a trip leader – but the process of becoming one is not easy. Potential leaders must not only be a qualified Mountain Leader and have experience working with young people in the UK or Australia, but they must also pass an interview stage and a gruelling, two-day assessment.
Liz explains: “This assessment is really important to us – it allows us to see how a potential leader would deal in different situations, like on a trek.” And, as only around 70% of candidates pass, standards are high. “We look for leaders who have the right balance of being able to manage the group and keep them safe, but also are able to facilitate learning and development,” she says.
During the expedition, the leader plays an important role, not only in ensuring the safety of the team, but also in planning future expeditions. Each leader completes live feedback reports, so any safety, quality or logistical issues can be resolved as soon as possible. “Leaders should be able to build good relationships with the group, conduct engaging review sessions and ensure the students get the most out of their experience,” Liz adds.
Kitting up
When it comes to planning group equipment, World Challenge teams get a helping hand. A well-planned kit list is provided for individual items, but the whole team benefits from our own kit warehouse. “We have everything in our warehouse to build an expedition kit,” Liz says. “Depending on where a team is going, we can send the leader a tailored kit. This always includes a medical kit.
It also might include Trangias if they are cooking for themselves at camp and safety equipment like a throw line and group shelter. We even have helmets and tents if our providers don’t have them or they don’t meet our high standards.”
Sending the team their group kit is the final stage of planning a school expedition – a complex process, but, as Liz explains, one that is well worth it. “It’s not easy, but the work we put into the planning pays off,” she says. “An expedition is so much more than a holiday or a traditional tour, and it’s the detailed planning and preparation that allows us to deliver such an extraordinary experience for our students.”
Join the Adventure!
Ready for an unforgettable journey? Sign up for a World Challenge expedition today. Experience new places, grow as a person, and make a positive impact.
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Written by Ellie Ross
