As students of Class IX and above, what are your most vivid memories of school trips? Local excursions to Mahabalipuram to study intricate stone carvings and traverse down the lanes of history? More exotic ones to Karnataka’s Belur and Halebid? Or dreams of becoming ace architects as you sought to examine the ruins at Hampi and offer expert opinions on architecture and history? Then there were always those lucky few who would break out of this predictable “study” route and make it to Konarak’s Sun temple.
Nonetheless, if you were to hop down memory lane to those idyllic days, educational trips were an opportunity to take off from school, make merry with friends, revel in the new found, albeit short-lived freedom from classrooms… and, oh yes, learn history too! Learning is always most effective when it happens without the student realising that he is being taught, and such trips ensured precisely this. The underlying point that stands out is the instrumental role that travel played, in widening horizons, broadening perspectives and adding to a student’s academic repertoire.
Now, pause a while and envisage a scenario where you are at one of the coveted Ivy League universities in the USA or Hyderabad’s renowned Ramoji Film City. You neither study in the former nor work at the latter. You are, in fact, a student back in your heydays of Class XI or XII, with a group of your friends, trying to figure out what your study options are, after wrapping-up school life. Confused? What better way to decide on what you want to pursue next than hear about it straight from the horse’s mouth and gain a first-hand experience? And that’s what Sindhu Shanmugam’s travel agency, Signature Breaks, is all about.
Walk into her office, and you are sure to feel a sense of purpose descend on you, one that only travel can elicit. Her table laden with travel brochures, a book on travelling to Bhutan, pictures of mountaineers, elation writ large on their fatigued faces after they have successfully reached the Everest base camp, will further pique your curiosity. But that’s not all that will entice your attention.
In a corner of the room stands a board which lists what she offers — solo trips, vacation camps, fun offers for adrenaline junkies and more. At the end of the list is a package that you would never expect to see — educational tours. And that’s what sets this travel agency apart.
Sindhu, an MBA graduate who has also dabbled in the education business in China, nurtured a penchant for travelling, right from her school days. What remained a constant was her love for travel. “In my conversations with people, I discovered that they found something missing when they travelled, despite the aid of the most extensive packages that they availed. My understanding of people coupled with my love for travelling resulted in Signature Breaks,” she adds.
So, why educational tours as a travel package? “Isn’t it the best way to learn?” she quips excitedly. “Education, much like travel, has been an integral part of my life. Global exposure at school and college — for instance, the Duke of Edinburgh programme which takes kids away from the run-of-the-mill math and science classes and brings us in contact with experts from various fields — shaped my experiences,” she elaborates. “Whenever I travelled abroad, I made it a point to visit campuses and universities in the vicinity. Whether it was Stanford, Berkley or another campus, merely being there was inspiring. What also struck me was how, in the U.S, it is a practice for families to visit prospective campuses before they decide to apply. This got me thinking on how it would be for students from our country to have similar opportunities, and thus, the concept of educational tour packages came into existence.”
There are a range of opportunities to explore — from Ivy League tours for the ambitious academician in you, to the language buffs whose passion for becoming a polyglot is sure to be further whetted by the language and cultural tours that the agency offers. Any myths you have harboured on learning history and how it’s all about remembering drab dates and factoids will be debunked if you opt for the “battlefield historians” package.
Ivy League tours There is a lack of clarity on various processes that entail life at an Ivy League university and living abroad. Such trips are designed primarily to give students a look-see into the plethora of opportunities that await them on the other side.
Mostly catering to students in the age-group of 14 and 17, the tour lasts for 10 -14 days. Those who sign up for it get to attend classes in U.S History and are taught other subjects by professors there. Time is allotted to students for interaction with the admissions committee which clarifies various queries on the admission process and related details such as scholarship support, how interviews are conducted, what happens once a student is selected and more.
A banquet is organised so that they can meet and interact with the students studying there. The participants also go through a general cultural immersion where they get a feel of the U.S. life — they are taken to see a baseball game or a music festival. The consequence is that they are a lot more informed about the choices they have and are motivated to push the boundaries of learning.
Language and cultural tours Learning new languages is a priority on most people’s to-do lists, today. However, is merely learning a language adequate? It is easy to learn a foreign language, say French or Japanese, and impress people here. However, the litmus test of one’s proficiency over a particular language depends on their ability to be able to speak it and gain approval from natives.
“China has, over the years, become a force to reckon with. So, we introduced a language and cultural tour package where students not only learn the language, but travel to China and improve their linguistic skills through communication with native speakers, in real-life situations,” says Sindhu.
“We customise a language immersion programme for those who evince interest in this package, and students are doubly benefited — spending time in new surroundings exposes them to local accents, intonation and pronunciation. Opportunities will arise where they will be able to put the theory they learnt in school into practice.”
Filmmaking tours This is the era of creative careers. Those with an eye for detail and the ability to spot the elaborate in the ordinary are a shoo-in for success, and this explains the sudden rise in the number of people opting for careers in filmmaking. “There are a lot of facets to filmmaking. Some students might be interested in production or direction, while others might be curious about design and execution,” explains Sindhu. “We offer filmmaking tours to students of Class IX onwards. We work with Ramoji Film City in Hyderabad and students not only get to learn the theory of the subject, but get hands-on experience and instructions from the professionals, there.” Towards the end of the tour, students are split into groups and asked to produce short films.
Touring to a bygone era What was the Battle of Plassey? Who was it fought between and why? Imagine studying about this within the four walls of your classroom and it is but normal if you inadvertently let out a groan. Now, imagine visiting the place where all the action took place and learning all about it.
Students who sign up for the ‘battlefield historians’, an eight-day package, get to visit Palashi or Plassey where knowledgeable guides will bring people and places to life with stories and events that shaped the course of history.
Building a career Mention Geoffrey Bawa and you’ll attract design students like moths to a flame. This Sri Lankan architect is the principal force behind tropical modernism. The Bawa Architecture tour will be a treat to architecture enthusiasts as they will get a chance to visit buildings designed by Bawa — from sweeping hotels to the Sri Lankan Parliament — and learn about various aspects of the field. Mostly preferred by college-goers, students of Class X and above can join in as well.
For details, visit: http://www.signaturebreaks.in/ or call +91-9488213376.
