By Stacie Fasola
The next time you want to give your grandchild a gift, skip the toys or gadgets and make them a Road Scholar by sharing an adventure instead.
Memories last a lot longer than that new toy or video game. And everyone is seeking ways to get the kids off their devices. There’s no better way to accomplish that than sharing a new experience.
Road Scholar offers grandparents the opportunity to give their grandchildren a gift that never breaks and doesn’t need batteries—the gift of an educational learning adventure guaranteed to build bonds and create long-lasting memories. The not-for-profit organization is launching new grandparent-grandchild learning adventures this summer.
Road Scholar Group
Grandparent travel is a growing trend in the U.S., with Road Scholar leading the way with hundreds of educational learning adventures in the U.S. and abroad. These programs are growing in popularity because today’s grandparents are looking for more than just a sightseeing tour; they are eager to share their love of learning and adventure with their grandchildren and develop and nurture relationships that can be difficult with families living so far apart.
“My 11-year-old grandson enjoyed the experience immensely,” said one grandmother from Jacksonville, Fla. “I enjoyed watching his enthusiasm as he explored places that he had only read about.”
“The other kids were probably the highlight of the trip for my 10-year-old granddaughter,” added another grandparent from Atlanta. “She made friends from all over the country.”
Road Scholar is the nation’s largest educational travel organization for adults with educational adventures created by Elderhostel, the not-for-profit world leader in educational travel for adults since 1975. Their trips are affordable, too, with many starting from under $1,000 per person.
Each year, more than 125,000 participants enroll in a Road Scholar learning adventure. The organization offers 5,500 programs in 150 states and 50 countries, each with a focus on learning. Dedicated to making educational travel available to everyone, Road Scholar offers financial aid for those who otherwise could not participate in its programs.
For the summer of 2019, Road Scholar is unveiling dozens of new experiences for grandparents and grandchildren, whether they want to explore the rainforest of Honduras, behind the scenes on Broadway, a Harry Potter program in Florida or camping in a national park.
On national park adventures led by naturalists and expert local staff, Road Scholar participants and their grandchildren (ages 8-18) will learn about our nation’s greatest natural treasures as they camp in tents and explore the parks each day. The initial offerings include programs in Zion, Bryce, Yellowstone and Voyageurs National Park in Minnesota.
“Being outdoors and engaging kids in learning about the natural world is a stimulating alternative to a smartphone screen,” said James Moses, President and CEO of Road Scholar. “Many grandparents are eager to spend one-on-one time with their grandchildren and share fond memories of camping experiences from their own childhoods or camping trips with their children years ago. Grandparents revisit these parks anew with their grandchildren and experience them through new eyes.”
Road Scholar also offers a wide variety of other grandparent-grandchild adventures including rafting in Arizona, a Costa Rica adventure, and snorkeling the Coral Reef in Key Largo. Many will nurture a child’s love of animals,
The best part: Road Scholar handles all of the details, so that grandparents and grandchildren can focus on learning at an affordable price. To learn more, please visit the Grandparent Experience at Road Scholar.
Stacie Fasola is Associate Vice President of Public and Media Relations at Road Scholar and herself an avid adventurer.
Sponsored by Road Scholar