Field trips?

[Jay3fer]

Anybody else out there organize field trips for hs'ers in their community?

 

I love pulling stuff together, and I actually thought I would meet lots of like-minded people, though that hasn't exactly happened. It really does open doors if you go as a group: lots of concerts, tours, nature centres, performances, etc that are only available to "school groups" but which are open to a broader definition of "school."

 

Most of the time I think it's worth it for what my kids & I are getting out of it. But sometimes, like right now, when I'm organizing 7 outings over the next few months, it sure feels like a hassle... :001_huh:

 

Anyone else in the same boat???

[joannqn]

I organize a couple each year and have very strict deadlines for reserving spots, payments, and refunds. Around here, if you don't collect a payment (even for free trips), you're likely to be embarrassed that the group of 50 you told the venue to prepare for ends up only being 12. Because of the unreliability factor, putting together an event is often more hassle than it is worth.

[*lifeoftheparty*]

I'm on my 2nd year of organizing field trips. I organize 2 or 3 a month. We just went on Tuesday, the 10th, to the US Capitol. It was great, I had a total of 38 people! We were broke up into small groups and my group of 13 got REALLY lucky b/c we had an awesome tour guide! He spoke 59 languages, we heard him speak 3 on our tour alone! Anyways, he took us on the SENATE SUBWAY, which transports members of Congress and their staff underneath the Capitol to the House and Senate Office buildings.... most people don't even know it exists and we got to ride it!!! We went to our Senators office and got tickets to see the House/Senate galleries. Sorry, bragging rabbit trail....

 

Anyways, my first year I belonged to a co-op full of flaky, disorganized, inconsiderate people who would sign up, and then not show, or cancel last minute, etc. REPEATEDLY. They had other issues too....yeah, I quit that co-op b/c I refuse to waste my time with people like that....

 

My CC Co-op is totally different!! I make sure to tell everyone up front, what a bad reputation homeschoolers have when it comes to showing up for field trips and how I am out to change that, at least for us ;) I also, nicely, mention (in person and e-mail) that anyone who doesn't show up and doesn't cancel in advance, gets two chances, after that, they are banned from signing up for more. They have all been super about it. Everyone who signs up, shows up, and on time; it's amazing, LOL!!

 

My son and I are both extroverts, so we LOVE doing things with a group.

 

Past trips include....

 

US Botanical Gardens

Mount Vernon (Homeschool Day)

Museum of Civil War Medicine

Hayride/Pumpkin Picking at a Farm

Hammond Harwood House (Annapolis)

NASA Goddard Space... something, LOL

local Landfill (it was neat, highly suggest doing that in your area)

local Volunteer Fire Dept.

National Zoo

Ft. McHenry

Night walking tour of DC Monuments

local wetlands sanctuary

 

Upcoming trips.....

 

National Archives

National Portrait Gallery

Museum of American History

Library of Congress

Supreme Court

Maryland State House

US Naval Academy

Baltimore Museum of Industry

Gettysburg

Philadelphia

 

I may even continue trips into the summer b/c there is just SO much to do!!! Anyways, I'm sure yours will be different b/c of your location... but you really should type of some rules and make sure that you remind people of them, often. It just makes things a lot easier and less stressful.

[Jay3fer]

You are so right. That senate field trip sounds awesome... wish we were closer to DC so we could have joined you.

 

Anyway, I DO have rules, in my head, but I don't like to make them too explicit because we have a very loosey-unschooly kind of community here and I don't want to sound like a "hardhat", if you know what I mean... ;-)

In my head, I have a two-strike rule like that as well. But I have been very lucky even with free field trips.

 

(I chatted briefly online with someone who did add a surcharge for everything, and I wished her luck, but honestly, I don't think I would... but sometimes there are perks like one "teacher" gets in free; that's me)

 

What do you do at a landfill???

[*lifeoftheparty*]

You are so right. That senate field trip sounds awesome... wish we were closer to DC so we could have joined you.

 

Anyway, I DO have rules, in my head, but I don't like to make them too explicit because we have a very loosey-unschooly kind of community here and I don't want to sound like a "hardhat", if you know what I mean... ;-)

In my head, I have a two-strike rule like that as well. But I have been very lucky even with free field trips.

 

(I chatted briefly online with someone who did add a surcharge for everything, and I wished her luck, but honestly, I don't think I would... but sometimes there are perks like one "teacher" gets in free; that's me)

 

What do you do at a landfill???

 

Yeah, I don't charge for free trips either, especially since I usually drag people out to lunch after the trip, LOL!

 

I would definitely just nicely explain the reputation that homeschoolers have. And we DO have a reputation.... I have talked to people in certain organizations and said, "Hey, you should do homeschool tours/trips" and they have told me that they are NOT ALLOWED b/c of all the manpower that was wasted when people sign up by the hundreds and show up in the dozens. I relayed that information to my moms and explained that I have to set this stuff up ahead of time, and that if they flaked out on me, *I* would look bad, *homeschoolers* would look bad, and we would lose oppurtunities. I also added that if someone didn't have a problem making me look bad, then I wouldn't have a problem banning them from my field trips. Nicely, of course.

 

The landfill was neat..... the lady talked about where our trash and recycling goes and the kids got to see all the big machinery that compacts the waste, and she explained how they open and close/seal a cell. She explained the valves that let out the methane gas, and the stuff that "leaches" to the bottom and how they use that for something.... oh and how they will be using the methane gas for power...... it was sooooooooo interesting and showed the kids where their trash went. Several families went home and started composting b/c of what they learned on the tour!!

[SailorMom]

I've tried....

In New Mexico, our group was great. Very reliable and considerate.

Here? Not so much. Had one field trip/outing where five families were signed up and my DS and I were the only ones who showed. Once that became the norm, I quit organizing them.

It can be a great experience if you have a group of people who are willing to actually rsvp and then show up.

[UmmiSays]

Yeah, I don't charge for free trips either, especially since I usually drag people out to lunch after the trip, LOL!

 

I would definitely just nicely explain the reputation that homeschoolers have. And we DO have a reputation.... I have talked to people in certain organizations and said, "Hey, you should do homeschool tours/trips" and they have told me that they are NOT ALLOWED b/c of all the manpower that was wasted when people sign up by the hundreds and show up in the dozens. I relayed that information to my moms and explained that I have to set this stuff up ahead of time, and that if they flaked out on me, *I* would look bad, *homeschoolers* would look bad, and we would lose oppurtunities. I also added that if someone didn't have a problem making me look bad, then I wouldn't have a problem banning them from my field trips. Nicely, of course.

 

The landfill was neat..... the lady talked about where our trash and recycling goes and the kids got to see all the big machinery that compacts the waste, and she explained how they open and close/seal a cell. She explained the valves that let out the methane gas, and the stuff that "leaches" to the bottom and how they use that for something.... oh and how they will be using the methane gas for power...... it was sooooooooo interesting and showed the kids where their trash went. Several families went home and started composting b/c of what they learned on the tour!!

 

 

These trips are AMAZING!!!!

Edited January 15, 2012 by UmmiSays

[NanceXToo]

I organize several trips each month for my homeschool group (which currently consists of about 30 families). We do field trips, educational tours, homeschool day programs, informal gatherings, fun class days and so on. One or two other assistant organizers plan some stuff, too, but I plan a lot of it on my own. Sometimes it goes off smoothly, sometimes (as you've probably seen me rant here) we have attendance problems and it gets frustrating, but overall as a whole it goes well and is worth it for what my kids and I get out of the group and the outings and the experiences. I wouldn't charge for free field trips or precharge unless I had to just because it's usually more of a hassle than it's worth, so I lecture as needed when issues come up lol.

[kewb]

I tried to organize a museum trip once and it was more hassle then it was worth. I got a lot of flak for the $14 per person fee to pay for the tour guide since the museum has a donation fee structure. Plus, I insisted on payment up front. I had been to too many "we will be a group of 25 only to have 6 kids" events. In the end, I ended up canceling because people were unable to commit.

 

I happily go on other organized field trips and I do not mind paying in advance. Now that I have a teen and a tween it is getting harder to find relevant field trips but that is another story.

[kewb]

Yikes, $14 per person?! That's pretty expensive.

 

I suppose it is all relative. It was a fee I was willing to pay for what we were going to get. That was the fee if I could only guarantee 8 people. The more people who would have committed the less the fee was going to be.

[Samiam]

I used to organize alot of field trips for large co-op I was in. I loved doing it, because we love to go on field trips and it opened alot of doors to places that we would normally not be able to afford to go to at regular rates.

 

That experience was also very frustrating. I learned that homeschoolers can be very FLAKY!!!!!

 

So in response to that, I had to become very strict and I hated that. Tight deadlines for sign ups, and payment, and well in advance for the "real" deadline from the location administration. I had to turn away those who asked to sign up after the deadline, as a matter of protocol....it was like I had to teach them a lesson....a deadline is a deadline. Because if you let one come in to sign up after the deadline, they tell their friend, and so on and so on, and then there was really no point in having a deadline to begin with.

 

I had to cancel those who would sign up (it was online sign-up) if they did not pay by the deadline. I hated that, because what if they just forgot, etc etc....but there were reminders that came out prior to the deadline....so no reason to "just forget".....but I hated to cancel them, knowing SOMEONE is going to come back at me, upset about it. But they could have just cancelled themselves online if they had changed their mind, in stead of making me go through the angst.

 

Oh and the free trips, forget about it...you could pretty much guarantee only half or less that had signed up, would even show up. Ugh!

 

I'm pretty sure I got a reputation that year of being a control freak and even a bit mean :glare:.

 

Overall, while I loved being able to schedule trips when it worked for ME, and the opportunity to go on those trips, it was a very stressful year (I had volunteered to be field trip coordinator for that co-op year). I was happy that year was over, and I've not coordinated field trips in such a large scale again. I know it wasn't just me because the mom who took it over often complained to me about the same exact issues the next year!!

 

Now, new state, new co-op, and I am a bit disappointed in the field trip offerings we have had so far. Only one every one-two months and it's not even a real field trip, but a science class at a local science center. I may start organizing more once I get my bearings here.

Edited January 15, 2012 by Samiam

[littleWMN]

I organize at least one field trip a month. Its been fun!

[mcconnellboys]

Yep, as the years have gone by, it has gotten to be more of a hassle as folks sign up then no-show or bow out last minute; behave rudely and inappropriately at the event, etc. I still schedule things at times, but not on a weekly basis as I used to years ago....

[*lifeoftheparty*]

These trips are AMAZING!!!!

 

Thanks!!!