6 Apps to Help You Plan Your Next Student Trip
It takes a highly skilled planner to organize a school or student trip, so big kudos to you. That said in this age of unlimited technology — wherein hundreds of thousands of apps have been developed to facilitate everything from grocery shopping and ordering food to walking our furry four-legged friends — is there a technology out there that can help student trip planners with not only planning but with some of the unique demands of traveling with students? That’s a question we recently asked ourselves here at Student Travel Planning Guide. Fortunately for you, the answer is yes. Here, we spotlight six cutting-edge tech and apps ideal for student travel.
The 6 Apps Include:
- Journi
- MyTSA App
- Packpoint
- Tripcase
- GroupCollect
- GroupMe
TripCase for Itineraries and More
Instead of going through the arduous task of coming up with a perfect itinerary all on your own, let TripCase do the heavy lifting. This app has revolutionized the travel industry since its initial development in 2013, reaching a whopping 15 million itineraries created in 2019 alone. With TripCase you can manage travel risk, send real-time automated alerts, and make one streamlined itinerary making your student trips come together as if it were magic.
GroupMe for Messaging
GroupMe is a great messenger app that allows you to create a group chat without having to use your personal number. You also won’t have to worry about your message not sending due to various phone software (Apple, Android, Google, etc.) occupying one chatroom. This app, for example, will help you chime in with quick updates while your students roam around a museum. Additionally, it’s also a great way for you to bond with your students in the fun tech space they love. You’ll be able to create polls, share events and even use those silly yet expressive stickers. Not tech-savvy? No worries as GroupMe makes starting a group chat easy and even fun.
GroupCollect for Paperwork and Payments
The GroupCollect app will help you to stay on top of the more tedious stuff like your student’s passenger details, documents, and trip payments. This hard-working app will limit the paperwork on your end and help you and your students avoid payment deadlines as well as general miscommunications. You’ll also have speedy access to passenger data from any web-enabled device. This includes emergency contact info to medical info. Additionally, you can collect and store waivers and permission slips all through GroupCollect. This app can even collect deposits for trips, or you can keep it manual while using other trip payment features.
Journi for Photos
During the trip, you and your students will inevitably have so many picture-worthy moments. Parents and the students will all want access to the memories made during the trip. Journi is a brilliant photo journaling app that keeps all the amazing shots in one place while also creating timelines and maps. You can easily create a photo journal with your students so they too can add the pictures they took on their own devices. Another cool feature is the Journi Print app, which allows you and your students to get prints delivered to your doorstep should you opt in. While downloading the app is free, Journi’s Photobook is only $16.99. It can carry up to 300 pages and include a glossy finish as well as be hardcover.
PackPoint for Packing
Packing for a trip is an art form all its own. Having PackPoint, however, will guide you and your students through the packing journey so you don’t forget, say, your camera, trusty jacket, or hiking boots. Added bonus: It’s super easy to use too. After you download the app, simply add your trip details and choice activities, then PackPoint determines what you’ll need to bring without leaving any of the important considerations (like weather patterns) out. Another unique aspect of this app is that it comes with Share Your Packing List, which allows you to share your packing list with your student group, so they’ll know what to pack too.
MyTSA App for Travel
In theory, this app isn’t as fun as the others featured here. But what it lacks in playful mascots or goofy stickers it more than makes up for in useful information. The MyTSA app clarifies the TSA process flyers frequently undergo, provides tips on what (and what not) to pack, and offers clear and concise explanations of the various TSA rules. One cool feature of the MyTSA app is it allows users to check how busy the airport is likely to be on a specific day and time of travel based on historical data. Share this information with anxious flyers to help soothe their pre-flight jitters and prep them to arrive on time and what to expect once they do.
By Gabriela dos Santos
Top photo courtesy of Journi
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