National Survey Finds a Growing Demand among Parents and Students for Experiential Learning and More Face-to-Face Interactions

WASHINGTON, Feb. 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Parents and students are not only eager to get back out into the real world, they view seeing the world in 3D again as critical to making up for lost time in learning and education. Those are among the insights in a new survey by WorldStrides, the global leader in educational travel and experiential learning, and The Harris Poll. Among the highlights:

• 79% believe immersive educational travel experiences are just as important, if not more important, now than prior to the pandemic
• 74% of parents with kids under 18 years of age think it's important for students and young adults to be able to participate in immersive educational travel
• 64% believe it's very/somewhat important that students be able to participate in immersive educational travel in the next year

"What's clear in the data is there is a pent-up demand for face-to-face learning," said John Gerzema, CEO of The Harris Poll. "Kids and parents are in agreement about this – it's time to get out from behind the screen."

Other insights include:

• Among parents with kids under 18 years of age, 81% think it is very/somewhat important for immersive educational travel experiences to be a part of a child's overall educational experience
• 87% of parents who live in urban areas said investing in immersive travel experiences should be a priority in a kid's education
• 80% of Millennials and 79% of Gen Zs believe that an immersive travel experience is a very/somewhat important part of a child's overall educational experience

"We've long known that learning doesn't only happen in the four walls of a classroom, and we're now also seeing that the two-dimensions of a screen aren't enough," said Bob Gogel, president and CEO of WorldStrides. "Parents and kids are asking for safe alternatives to classroom learning because it's an important part of growing up. Experiential learning improves mental health, fosters empathetic leadership, and builds the life skills needed for future success."

Underscoring the pent-up demand for experiential learning and travel, WorldStrides is seeing record enrollment for its Envision Experience summer career exploration programs with sessions selling out earlier than usual. WorldStrides also has seen increased demand for group travel and study abroad programs over the next 6 to 12 months.

The survey was conducted online within the United States Jan. 28-30, among a nationally representative sample of 1,998 adults. The data has been weighted to be representative of the U.S. general public 18+.

About WorldStrides

WorldStrides is the global leader in educational travel and experiential learning. The company was founded in 1967 to provide middle school travel programs to Washington, D.C., and has grown to provide a wide range of programs for more than 550,000 students annually from more than 5,000 K12 schools and universities to over 100 countries around the world. WorldStrides offers experiential learning programs in educational travel, performing arts, language immersion, career exploration, service-learning, study abroad, and sports. Each of these experiences helps students to see beyond the classroom and to see the world – and themselves – in new ways. To learn more, please visit, www.worldstrides.com.

About The Harris Poll

The Harris Poll is one of the longest-running surveys in the U.S. tracking public opinion, motivations, and social sentiment since 1963, and is now part of Harris Insights & Analytics, a global consulting and market research firm that delivers social intelligence for transformational times. We work with clients in three primary areas: building twenty-first-century corporate reputation, crafting brand strategy and performance tracking, and earning organic media through public relations research. Our mission is to provide insights and guidance to help leaders make the best decisions possible. To learn more, please visit www.theharrispoll.com.

SOURCE WorldStrides