Frequently Asked Questions
What is the UHS Travel Club?
UHS Travel Club was created in 2012 to provide safe and educational travel opportunities to UHS students. The UHS Travel Club organizes at least one trip each year for students with EF Educational Tours. Each trip is covered by insurance, approved by the district, and chaperoned by RUHS faculty.
What is EF Tours?
Education First Tours is part of an international professional travel company EF Cultural Exchange. EF has been in business for over 50 years and has offices and representatives on six different continents. Their company is committed to opening the world through education and provides opportunities for experiential learning, cultural immersion, and authentic connections for travelers of all ages. UHS Travel Club partners with EF for all student tours. This arrangement allows EF to arrange all of the travel logistics so that our Travel Club teachers can focus on recruitment, education, and trip preparation.
How do I join the Travel Club?
Students must be enrolled at RUHS at the time of travel to participate in the tour (9th - 12th grade). Recruitment begins about 18-20 months before the anticipated departure date. Recruitment for upcoming tours takes place periodically throughout the school year at regular Recruitment Meetings (generally held in August and April). There are also club meetings and information seminars during the school year leading up to departure that students are expected to attend. While club meetings are open to all students, they are intended for students who are enrolled on a specific tour.
Can parents come too?
No, this activity is strictly reserved for our students. In addition, it is TUSD policy that only district employees may participate as chaperones for this type of activity.
How do I register for a Travel Club tour?
During the recruitment meeting, the student and family will be given a link to enroll on the EF tour company's website where a non-refundable $95 deposit is due at the time of enrollment.
At the start of the school year leading up to the trip, families will receive the Travel Club Packet (consisting of EF and TUSD paperwork) and need to turn that in to the Trip Leader to be considered a full participant on the tour.
How do I pay for my trip?
Each family is responsible for paying for or raising funds to cover the cost of the trip – the school does not pay for the trip. And earlier registration means more time to raise funds. However, we have worked hard to make this activity accessible to as many families as possible. This is a tax credit eligible activity, which means that families can use their Arizona Education Tax Credit to help pay for the cost of the trip. We encourage all families to take advantage of this opportunity. In addition, there have been many Travel Club students who have paid for their entire tour by reaching out to friends, family, neighbors, and businesses in Arizona who may also contribute their tax credits.
For more information, please see the Paying for My Trip page available on the Travel Club website.
What about safety?
Safety is our first priority. We maintain a close chaperone to student ratio (6:1 International, 12:1 Domestic), and on tour students are assigned a teacher team. This teacher becomes their point person for the duration of the tour. Chaperones perform nightly room checks and wake-ups knocks in addition to monitoring students throughout the day. There are small pockets of “free time” in which students are allowed to explore an established area in small groups, but these are usually only limited to two hours and all students are expected to behave appropriately.
Students are also expected to abide by the TUSD Student Code of Conduct at all times. Upon registration, students must submit the Behavior Contract. This contract stipulates that if a student violates the TUSD Code for any serious infraction (i.e. drugs, drinking, assault, sexual activity) at any point while they are registered for the tour then they will be removed from the trip. In addition, if a student violates this code while on tour they will be sent home IMMEDIATELY at the expense of their family. Further disciplinary action may also be required upon return to school depending on the severity of the infraction.
UHS Travel Club was created in 2012 to provide safe and educational travel opportunities to UHS students. The UHS Travel Club organizes at least one trip each year for students with EF Educational Tours. Each trip is covered by insurance, approved by the district, and chaperoned by RUHS faculty.
What is EF Tours?
Education First Tours is part of an international professional travel company EF Cultural Exchange. EF has been in business for over 50 years and has offices and representatives on six different continents. Their company is committed to opening the world through education and provides opportunities for experiential learning, cultural immersion, and authentic connections for travelers of all ages. UHS Travel Club partners with EF for all student tours. This arrangement allows EF to arrange all of the travel logistics so that our Travel Club teachers can focus on recruitment, education, and trip preparation.
How do I join the Travel Club?
Students must be enrolled at RUHS at the time of travel to participate in the tour (9th - 12th grade). Recruitment begins about 18-20 months before the anticipated departure date. Recruitment for upcoming tours takes place periodically throughout the school year at regular Recruitment Meetings (generally held in August and April). There are also club meetings and information seminars during the school year leading up to departure that students are expected to attend. While club meetings are open to all students, they are intended for students who are enrolled on a specific tour.
Can parents come too?
No, this activity is strictly reserved for our students. In addition, it is TUSD policy that only district employees may participate as chaperones for this type of activity.
How do I register for a Travel Club tour?
During the recruitment meeting, the student and family will be given a link to enroll on the EF tour company's website where a non-refundable $95 deposit is due at the time of enrollment.
At the start of the school year leading up to the trip, families will receive the Travel Club Packet (consisting of EF and TUSD paperwork) and need to turn that in to the Trip Leader to be considered a full participant on the tour.
How do I pay for my trip?
Each family is responsible for paying for or raising funds to cover the cost of the trip – the school does not pay for the trip. And earlier registration means more time to raise funds. However, we have worked hard to make this activity accessible to as many families as possible. This is a tax credit eligible activity, which means that families can use their Arizona Education Tax Credit to help pay for the cost of the trip. We encourage all families to take advantage of this opportunity. In addition, there have been many Travel Club students who have paid for their entire tour by reaching out to friends, family, neighbors, and businesses in Arizona who may also contribute their tax credits.
For more information, please see the Paying for My Trip page available on the Travel Club website.
What about safety?
Safety is our first priority. We maintain a close chaperone to student ratio (6:1 International, 12:1 Domestic), and on tour students are assigned a teacher team. This teacher becomes their point person for the duration of the tour. Chaperones perform nightly room checks and wake-ups knocks in addition to monitoring students throughout the day. There are small pockets of “free time” in which students are allowed to explore an established area in small groups, but these are usually only limited to two hours and all students are expected to behave appropriately.
Students are also expected to abide by the TUSD Student Code of Conduct at all times. Upon registration, students must submit the Behavior Contract. This contract stipulates that if a student violates the TUSD Code for any serious infraction (i.e. drugs, drinking, assault, sexual activity) at any point while they are registered for the tour then they will be removed from the trip. In addition, if a student violates this code while on tour they will be sent home IMMEDIATELY at the expense of their family. Further disciplinary action may also be required upon return to school depending on the severity of the infraction.
