Jeff Bortle is a ninth-grade math educator at Little Wolf High School in Manawa, Wisconsin who has planned a variety of student trips over the years. In addition to his current role, he’s also the Dean of Students, a volunteer Track Coach, and Central Wisconsin Conference Athletic Commissioner.
Bortle previously taught middle school for about 20 years, which included organizing a middle school trip to Washington, DC.
“I believe that there is a lot of educational opportunities outside of the classroom and I want to open up doors for students to see the world,” said Bortle, who credits his wife Sarah for also helping plan and supervise his trips. “I have organized trips to Washington, DC for middle school, Paris for seniors, and London for seniors.”
While in Washington, Bortle recalls a highlight being that he and his students were able to visit all of the main monuments, a number of Smithsonian institutions, Gettysburg, and many other attractions.
“While in Paris, we visited all of the main attractions the city has to offer and were able to eat a lot of authentic French cuisine,” Bortle said, also sharing one of his favorite moments from his travels. “[I enjoy] seeing students adapt to new settings and become comfortable enough with travel and transportation to say that they will come back on their own.”
Bortle always ensures his itineraries offer students some free time to explore, as well.
“We will always give a block of time in the middle of the day for small groups to grab lunch on their own and to walk the streets and enjoy the setting with activities that they want to do,” he said. “This worked really well and allowed students to be with different students each day that wanted to do similar things that day depending on where we were.”
For other educators who are perhaps thinking of delving into the realm of student travel, Bortle had this advice to share:
“Pack your itinerary, as it is much easier to take things off because you are enjoying what you are doing than it is to add stuff to fill time—and take care of your tour guide, as they really make the trip what it is.”
Bortle shared what drew him to use ETI for his trips and what has kept him returning time and time again.
“The first time I worked with ETI, it was because of the cost,” Bortle shared. “After the first trip, ETI always came in with the lowest price, but more importantly, their customer service is absolutely fantastic. They are very flexible, willing to adapt to our group size, and communicate really well. I always felt like they had the best interest of my students in mind. They are up front with me on what will work and what won't work.”
Courtesy of ETI.
Photos courtesy of Jeff Bortle.
