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Brightspark Blog
A Veteran Teacher Shares Student Travel Tips & Stories
Do you miss travel as much as we do? Are you looking for tips and advice on planning your next student trip? Group Leader Scott is here to help! He …
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Teaching Diversity Through Student Travel
Sharing her advice on building an inclusive curriculum, Group Leader Lisa said, "Culturally relevant thinking and pedagogy is allowing students to …
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7 Tools for Teaching MLK Today
On Monday, many of us will join in opportunities for celebration and service in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. In recent years, historians and …
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35 More Virtual Resources From Top Travel Destinations
This spring, as classrooms transitioned online, we posted 25 virtual resources to help engage your students. As more and more travel partners and …
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13 Holiday Foods to Make This Festive Season Sparkle
If you're missing those Thanksgiving leftovers and looking ahead to Christmas cookies and other holiday snacks, you're not alone! The Brightspark …
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Building an Inclusive Classroom? Our Panelists Answer Your Questions
This fall, our expert panel led a webinar on "Approaching Civil Rights, Diversity, and Inclusion in your Curriculum and Your Classroom." They shared …
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31 Titles to Inspire Travel during National Book Month
If you're anything like our team of travel experts, you really miss being on the road. Thankfully, we've found comfort in the pages of a book. From …
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How Much Do You Know About the Constitution?
The delegates to the Constitutional Convention spent four hot, summer months debating in the Assembly Room of the Pennsylvania State House — which we …
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Walk a Mile in Our Shoes at the Mackinac Music Clinic
Events Coordinator Shilo loves attending the Mackinac Music Clinic each year. This performing arts event lets bands, choirs, and orchestras learn …
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Play Ball! Explore Baseball History in These 5 Parks
You can't deny baseball is synonymous with summer, and headquartered in Chicago, our staff is no stranger to sunny afternoons spent at the ballpark. …
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3 Ways to Celebrate the Great Outdoors with STEM Tours
"An understanding of the natural world and what's in it is a source of not only a great curiosity but great fulfillment." —David Attenborough As the …
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25 Resources to Bring Your Virtual Classroom to Life
Many of your homes became classrooms this spring, presenting unique challenges we had not experienced before the current global health situation. …
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What a Director Needs to Plan a Custom Performance Trip
Have you ever wanted to take your music students on a trip but found the details overwhelming? When Choir Director Andrew decided to plan a trip to …
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How to Make the Most of Our Top 10 Attractions
As we prepare for another inspiring season of student travel, we asked our expert team to weigh in on the most popular attractions in our most …
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5 Trends to Inspire Your Travel Plans in 2020
Are you ready to make the most of 2020? As we enter the next decade, our team looked ahead and found top travel trends, from eco-friendly tips to …
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How to Warm Up Your Winter Travel
Whether you take a snowy holiday vacation every year or escape the winter doldrums on a sun-soaked beach, the winter months are a prime time for …
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3 Simple Recipes to Spice Up Your Thanksgiving
With Thanksgiving right around the corner, our staff shared their go-to recipes to make your holiday dinner a success. If you're looking for the …
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How 4 Global Destinations Scare Up Halloween Traditions
As the end of October approaches, you may spend your nights watching ghoulish monsters in scary movies, carving faces into pumpkins, or dusting off …
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All the Reasons Why You Should Travel During the Off-Season
If you've ever planned a trip, you may have hit the road during the most popular times to travel. But did you know traveling in the off-season has …
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Marching Along the Civil Rights Trail in 3 Days
On this day in 1963, many Civil Rights protests throughout the Southern US culminated in the March on Washington, where almost a quarter-million …
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Announcing our 2019 Photo Contest Winners
During our spring tours, chaperone, group leaders and students took creative, inspiring photos that captured their favorite parts of the trip. Our …
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7 Ways to Make Summer Travel a Breeze!
Summer is one of the most exciting times of year to explore a new place, but it comes with its challenges. The combination of crowds and heat make …
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How Can 6 Local Tours Give Your Students the World?
Sometimes, you don't have to travel far to see the world. You can inspire learning within your own backyard. Brightspark Travel offers student tours …
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What You Need to Know Before Traveling Abroad
From arts to history to language to STEM, many educators are looking abroad for their student travel options, and for good reason. International …
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Where to Celebrate International Women's Day Across the U.S.
This Friday marks International Women's Day 2019, a day to celebrate the achievements of female leaders and everyday heroes. In 1987, over a century …
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4 Top Reasons to Take a Performance Student Trip
We recently sat down with three of our Performance & Events travel experts to find out why music, theatre and dance groups should take their show …
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Top 5 Inspiring Travel Trends for 2019
Have you made your New Year's resolutions yet? We have! Every year, the team at Brightspark has one goal: find more ways to make travel inspiring and …
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Joy to the World: How the Holidays are Celebrated Across the Globe
The holiday season is a special time of year for many around the world. Even more special are the traditions and customs shared among colleagues, …
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How to Cook Up the Best Thanksgiving Ever
Are you struggling with making the same Turkey Day dishes year after year? The Brightspark team has the perfect solution. We recently came together …
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Top 5 Cities to Experience America's Music History
From Chicago to Nashville to New York, the U.S. showcases its diverse musical traditions in iconic cities and venues where your band, choir, …
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Magnify Your STEM Lesson Plans in 7 Destinations Across the Globe
Science, engineering, technology, and math can be daunting subjects for some students, but we know many educators use creative, innovative STEM …
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7 Days in France With Our Expert International Team
Our expert International Tour Consultants, Paula and Brian, recently joined a student tour headed to Paris & Normandy. Now, they're sharing their …
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Winners Revealed: 2018 Photo Contest
All spring long, you took creative and inspired travel photos. You submitted your favorites. We sifted through all the entries and chose 12 …
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Flag Day by the Numbers: 9 Facts to Celebrate Old Glory
Did you know June 14th is Flag Day? The Star-Spangled Banner was first adopted as our national flag 231 years ago today. If you think that sounds …
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Think Outside the Box (of Chocolates): 5 School Trip Fundraiser Ideas
Student travel has many benefits, but it's also a big investment. Many school and community groups undertake a number of fundraising activities …
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4 Cities That Make American History Jump Off the Page
Are you looking for creative ways to get students excited about your classroom lessons? Do you feel like your students think of history as a …
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How Can Civil Rights Lessons Inspire Your Classroom Today?
Your students might think history lessons are all about the past, but on a Civil Rights student tour, they will come to realize that the struggles …
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5 Reasons to Visit Washington, D.C. on Presidents' Day Weekend
Washington, DC is the country's largest living classroom - a perfect destination for student travel. As you visit the city's many monuments and …
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10 Inspiring Cities for Student Tours
You have a world of options when it comes to choosing a city for your student tour. To help you choose, we’re sharing some of our favorite …
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Thanksgiving Family Recipe, From the Brightspark Family to Yours
Our very own Hotel Coordinator, Carrie LaVigne, shares her special family Thanksgiving recipe: The Dowse Family Cranberry Recipe This recipe has been …
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Celebrating Our Teachers
Although May 9th was National Teacher Day, many are celebrating teachers all week long! We at Brightspark Travel would like to extend a warm thanks …
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Top Questions to Ask Before Selecting a Student Travel Company
Let’s face it: school group trips are unlike all others. You need a packed, educational, and entertaining itinerary. You also need to be sure that …
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School Fundraising: Collecting, Tracking & Managing Funds
Collecting, managing and tracking funds can be one of the most rewarding aspects of the fundraising process. It can however, come with problems. With …
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10 Presidents Who Changed America From Washington, DC
Heading to Washington, DC? Make sure your students learn about some of our country’s most influential leaders before they travel. From their greatest …
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4 Tips for Improving Your Marching Band’s Posture
Posture is one of the most important aspects of marching band. It fixes almost all of the band’s issues. Standing tall with great posture will help …
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Reaching New Heights: A Willis Tower Timeline
You’ve probably heard of the Willis Tower (formerly known as the Sears Tower). You know that it was the tallest building in the world for a long …
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Helpful Resources for Teaching September 11
While most of us can vividly remember the attacks on September 11, 2001, many students are too young to have personal experiences with the fateful …
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4 Reasons to Book Your Student Tour Early [Infographic]
You’ve decided to book an educational or performance tour for your students. Congratulations! You're one step closer to giving your students one of …
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5 Remarkable Presidential Inauguration Facts
With the presidential inauguration fast approaching, now is a great time to consider how you will present this historic government event to your …
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What to Do in San Diego With Student Travelers
Whether you’re a California-based group looking for a trip to a nearby culture hub or an out-of-state group planning a Southern California student …
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How Student Tours Work: Planning and Executing
Student travel shouldn’t be a headache for teachers and directors. That’s why Brightspark Travel manages every group's itinerary, transportation, …
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What Makes a Disney Tour Educational?
Sure, Disney World® and Disneyland® are a lot of fun. But that’s not the only reason why they’re some of our most popular student tour destinations. …
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7 Best Places to Learn About History in Chicago
History buffs, it’s time to discover Chicago. Since the 1850’s this city has dominated the Midwest. A hub for both business and culture, Chicago has …
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5 Things You Didn’t Know About the Willis Tower
There’s a reason that the Willis Tower’s Skydeck is a top attraction on our Chicago student tours. This 104th floor observation deck has amazing …
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5 Ways to Discover Chicago's Architectural History
As the hub of Midwestern culture and industry, Chicago has had major influences on American architecture throughout history. From the Chicago School …
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Where to Learn About Great Presidents in Washington, D.C.
If you’re a presidential history buff, you probably already know that Washington, DC is the place to be when it comes to discovering the legacies of …
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5 Long-Term Benefits of Educational Travel
If you’ve experienced student travel, you know that it has a significant impact on kids. But did you know that some of the benefits stay with …
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Top 5 Inspiring Teacher Quotes About Travel
This Teacher Appreciation Week, Brightspark Travel celebrated educators with a daily token of appreciation for some of the most inspired traveling …
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5 Ways to Promote Your School Trip
There are multiple tactics that can be used to promote your tour and recruit students, but no matter which ones you use, one fact rings true: the …
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7th Grade Springfield Trip: An Illinois Tradition
One of the very first clients that Brightspark started working with was an Illinois middle school that brought their 7th grade class to the state …
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Planning Out Band Season: Director Shares Tips
Spring band season is in full swing, and the amount of opportunities for your students to perform and compete is incredible. There are so many …
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Brightspark Employee Spotlight: Matt Bartling
Editor's Note: Originally published on April 13, 2016, this blog post was updated with current information on July 17, 2020. Matt Bartling is a …
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50 Creative School Fundraising Ideas
School fundraising events can be as fun and educational as they are lucrative. We put together our favorite school fundraising ideas in a variety of …
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What to Do in San Francisco With Student Travelers
Considering a student tour to San Francisco? This California city has so much to teach young people. With a uniquely American history and an …
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Disney Professional Says NPAF Is “Top-Notch”
Michael currently works as an assistant and technical director at a high school theatre department, but he has experience working in Walt Disney …
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What Will You Find at the Smithsonian Institution? [Infographic]
Housing over 138 million cultural, historical and scientific items, the museums of the Smithsonian Institution are some of the most popular …
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Top 6 Ethnic Neighborhoods in Chicago
America is a country of immigrants, and nowhere is this more obvious than Chicago — a city where individuals from throughout the world settled in …
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Hawaiian Group Travels to Disney for a Performance Festival
Traveling from Hawaii is expensive. Traveling from Hawaii to Florida is really expensive. But that didn’t stop Meagan Olsen’s island-based theatre …
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Performing at Disney: A Trip to Remember
Kevin has brought dance and musical theatre students to plenty of regional competitions. But this year, he wanted to give them a purely educational …
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Educational Travel Veteran Says "Yes!" to Disney
Leslie is a sixth grade teacher who’s brought her students to participate in Disney YES programs in Walt Disney World for the past 19 years. Some of …
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How Students Experience New Opportunities With TRIO
This summer, local high school students will travel outside the state of Louisiana, most for the first time. Group Leader Amelia Sellers and the TRIO …
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Know Before You Go: Worksheets for Your DC Class Trip
You want to make sure your students get the most out of their Washington, DC student tour, and there’s no better way to do this than to provide them …
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7 Places to Learn About Black History
(Source: commons.wikimedia.org) Since 1976, every president has officially designated the month of February as Black History Month. This month is …
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Best Things to Do in Washington, DC
It’s not surprising that Washington, DC student tours are our most popular — after all, our nation’s capital offers historical, political and …
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Know Before You Go: New York City Classroom Resources
If you have an upcoming New York City student tour, prepare your class with a couple relevant lesson plans. Don’t know where to start? The city’s …
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A Band Director's Take on a Disney World Marching Band Tour
This year, band director Josh R. brought his marching band to perform in Walt Disney World® Resort for the first time. The trip was successful, and …
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9 Fundraising Lessons | No. 9 Optimize Matching Gift Programs
Did you know that some of your school’s parents can double their fundraising donations without paying a cent more? Many large corporations …
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9 Fundraising Lessons | No. 8: Go Green!
In addition to helping you reach your fundraising goals in a manner you can truly get behind, green fundraisers show students new ways to take care …
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9 Fundraising Lessons | No. 7 Know What Works
fRunning a fundraiser is a little like running a business – in addition to managing people and timelines, staying on top of competition and thinking …
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9 Fundraising Lessons | No. 6: Partner Up With Local Businesses
Local businesses can be a fundraiser’s best friend. You will find that both chains and locally-owned businesses will be happy to partner with …
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9 Fundraising Lessons | No. 5: Tap Different Resources
As mentioned in our blog on adding creativity to your fundraiser, students and parents are being asked to participate in fundraisers more than ever. …
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9 Fundraising Lessons | No. 4: Use Social Media
Nearly two-thirds of adults in the United States are on social media. If you’re running a school fundraiser, this means that many parents, students, …
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9 Fundraising Lessons | No. 3: Be Creative
School fundraising is more popular than ever; in U.S. schools, 42% of students and parents participate in fundraisers. Unfortunately, this means …
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9 Fundraising Lessons | No. 2: Start Early
“I wish I could have started the planning on fundraising a little sooner.” When we interviewed Kimberly, a middle school teacher planning her first …
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9 Fundraising Lessons | No. 1: Take Advantage of the Season
During 2015, we spoke with a variety of educators about their experiences heading school fundraisers. They shared their creative ideas, challenges …
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Disney Dance Tours: Teacher Shares Fundraising Experiences
We had the pleasure of speaking with one of newest clients, Kimberly, about her experience planning and fundraising for a Disney dance tour. In …
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Know Before You Go: Springfield, IL Worksheets
Get students ready for their Springfield student tour with resources that provide essential information on the capitol of Illinois. From Abraham …
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3 Great Ways to Experience Radio City Music Hall
Renowned for its elegant Art Deco architecture and its history of movie premieres, awards shows and holiday spectaculars, Radio City Music Hall tops …
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Why Performance Groups Love NOLA!
Our New Orleans performance tour is more popular than ever. Why? The birthplace of jazz has a rich cultural history, beautiful outdoor performance …
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Tour Directors’ Tips for New York Student Travel
Planning a New York City student tour? We spoke with several of our New York-based Tour Directors, who shared some tips on student travel to the Big …
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Brightspark’s 2015 Teacher and Chaperone Photo Contest Winners
The Brightspark staff has voted for their favorite pictures, and the winners of the Brightspark 2015 Teacher and Chaperone Photo Contest are in. We …
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Brightspark’s 2015 Student Photo Contest Winners
Our student travelers sent in a ton of great pictures for the Brightspark 2015 Student Photo Contest, and we had a great time looking through all of …
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History of the Marching Band Uniform
When you watch marching bands perform at events such as the Outback Bowl, you probably enjoy seeing the elaborate uniforms bands choose and the ways …
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5 Historical Facts About Washington, DC's Cherry Blossom Festival
From March 20 to April 12, the city of Washington, DC celebrates the start of spring with the National Cherry Blossom Festival. When the Japanese …
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Get Inspired with Creative School Fundraising Ideas
School fundraisers are great for raising money for a student tour, a booster club or any other educational or performance-related goals. As their …
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Teacher Shares Experience Planning Her First Student Tour
Planning your first educational tour? As fifth-grade teacher Mallory prepares for her first Washington, DC student trip, she shares her experiences …
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What is the Lasting Impact of Performance Tours?
In 2006, Sam Pirruccello and his high school choir group traveled to Great Britain for an international performance tour. Nearly 10 years later he …
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6 Simple Steps to Raising Money With Guessing Jars
While teachers would prefer it if their students prepared for their tests, rather than just guess on them, they surely will not mind if these youths …
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Dr. Richard Miles Opens Up About the Outback Bowl and Music Education
Richard Miles conducting Brightspark's massed band during the 2015 Outback Bowl halftime show. We spoke with Dr. Richard B. Miles, the principal …
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On the Road With a Brightspark Tour Director
The job of a great Tour Director? To make the coolest destinations even cooler. All of our industry-leading Tour Directors share passions for travel, …
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Brightspark’s 2014 Teacher and Chaperone Photo Contest Winners
The time has come to announce the winners of the Brightspark 2014 Teacher and Chaperone Photo Contest. Thanks to everyone who participated. With all …
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Brightspark’s 2014 Student Photo Contest Winners
The time has come to announce the winners of the Brightspark 2014 Student Photo Contest. Thanks to those who participated. With all of the wonderful …
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Paying Your Respects at Popular War Memorials this Memorial Day
Whether you're on a Washington, DC student tour or just paying homage to the men and women of our armed services, visiting our country's war …
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5 Ways to Enjoy the D.C. Cherry Blossom Season
The 102nd Annual Cherry Blossom Festival has to come to a close, but there is still plenty left to enjoy of this annual Washington, DC event. Here …
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How History Came Alive for This Middle School
This past weekend, a teacher from Camdenton Middle School took his students on what he described as a "whirlwind trip" to Springfield, IL. Not only …
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MA School Fundraises Their Way to National Performing Arts Festival
It takes more than just practice to make it to a big stage like this. “We did some car washes, we did some chocolate sales, Yankee Candle …
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All the World's a Stage at The National Performing Arts Festival
Bravo to University School of Colorado Springs! Their love of Shakespeare earned them several individual awards and a special recognition award at …
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