Sarah Sacco understands how important student trips can be for those who experience them. As Director of Bands for grades 7-12 at Ava Schools in Ava, Missouri, Sacco has seen it firsthand in her own travels with ETI.
“We have traveled to Orlando in 2016 and 2024, and we had a trip scheduled for 2020 but unfortunately due to COVID, we cancelled,” shared Sacco, whose students enjoyed venturing to Disney’s Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, EPCOT, and Animal Kingdom, in addition to Universal Studios, Universal Islands of Adventure and the beach during their trips.
On both trips, Sacco and her students were able to participate in Disney’s Soundtrack Session.
“We chose to take this trip for multiple reasons, one being that many of our students may not have these experiences without trips like this and we love being able to expose our students to new amazing experiences,” Sacco said. “Also, we love the educational experience of the soundtrack session. It opens students’ eyes to a new level of musical experiences.”
Beyond the Soundtrack Sessions, highlights from the trip also included Sacco and her students visiting the ever-so-magical Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
Lessons abound on student trips, with Sacco sharing a few she’s noticed from her travels.
“I think the students learn how to work hard to earn to go on the trip and how to work together,” she said. “We take a charter bus from Missouri to Florida for this trip, so I also think they learn how to deal with each other in kind respectful ways.”
Her advice to other educators who may be thinking about traveling with their students? Plan!
“You will never have enough time to do everything you want, so make a plan,” she advised. “Also, some of your students may never have even dreamed of a trip like this before … giving them guidance on how to plan their time wisely is really helpful.”
Sacco knew that part of having a successful trip is enlisting professionals like to ETI team to ensure the planning process is seamless, stress-free and efficient. She shared that she chose ETI specifically because of the people on the team and the level of communication offered.
“I am never left wondering anything! They respond so quickly and work so hard for their customers,” Sacco said. “I have loved everyone I have worked with! From the first email I sent to the people who help us around Orlando … they’re absolutely top notch! Also, when everything happened with COVID, ETI had our backs and was so supportive and worked with us to make everything right for our students!
“I may be a customer of ETI, but through my experiences, those I’ve worked with have also become my friends!”
Courtesy of ETI.
