WORLD IS A CLASSROOM Essay Contest

Do your students have a story to tell about a favorite trip, and what they learned from it? Did they learn how fish breathe underwater, while visiting an aquarium? Did they experience how different it is to live in France, while visiting Paris with their high school French class? Did they catch a glimpse of Canadian history through one of the country’s museums or national monuments?

Students who write an essay describing what they learned and how they were affected by their travel experience could earn a scholarship of up to $1,500. They must be currently enrolled in a secondary public or private academic institution and in grades nine through 12. Essay length should not exceed 525 words.

The $1,500 scholarship and a commemorative plaque will be awarded to the author of the first-place winning essay. This student may be invited to read their article in-person or via video during the SYTA Youth Foundation Luncheon at the SYTA Annual Conference in Winnipeg, Manitoba, on Sunday, August 20, 2023.

Writers of the second-, third-, fourth- and fifth-place entries will receive a $1,000 cash scholarship. The SYTA Youth Foundation offers these scholarships to students who use their creativity to compose an article or speech that illustrates a student travel experience.

All prize-winning essays will be featured in Teach & Travel magazine.

The 2023 World is a Classroom Essay Contest is open through April 28, 2023. Results will be announced in June 2023. Please contact SYF at info@sytayouthfoundation.org if you have questions.

For additional information about the contest and to submit an entry, visit sytayouthfoundation.org/world-is-a-classroom-essay-contest.

More Than Meets The Eye

The Museum of Illusions is now open in Washington, D.C., welcoming the public in at the very end of 2022. This is an education and entertainment wonderland, fit for ages 3 to 103. The museum’s unique hands-on experience is designed to include illusionistic rooms, optical illusions and a playroom with didactic games and puzzles, with all exhibits on science, mathematics and psychology, allowing visitors to learn about vision, perception, and the human brain through attractive and fun exhibits. Guests can expect to see Washingtonian culture integrated throughout the Museum as they are welcomed by the wandering eyes of George Washington, or seemingly hang from the ceiling of the reverse room, inspired by the Metro’s blue line. Visit moiwashington.com for more details.

Flying High

Groups who love to get their thrills through an adrenaline rush won’t want to miss a new, recordbreaking ride arriving in spring 2023 at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay.

The new ride, Serengeti Flyer, is the world’s tallest and fastest ride of its kind: A screamin’ swing! With each swing, riders will soar higher and higher above Busch Gardens Tampa Bay’s expansive 65-acre Serengeti Plain while experiencing multiple negative-G moments before plunging back toward Earth. Serengeti Flyer will feature twin dueling arms that soar progressively higher, reaching speeds of 68 mph and a maximum height of 135 feet at the ride’s peak. To learn more, check out buschgardens.com.

History Of The Future

Coming March 23, 2023 to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) is a major, thought-provoking new exhibition, Afrofuturism: A History of Black Futures. The

Smithsonian defines Afrofuturism as an evolving concept expressed through a Black cultural lens that reimagines, reinterprets and reclaims the past and present for a more empowering and inclusive tomorrow. Through the 4,300-square-foot temporary exhibition, groups will be able to view a variety of objects from Afrofuturism pioneers, including Octavia Butler’s typewriter, Nichelle Nichols’ Star Trek uniform as the character Lt. Nyota Uhura and Nona Hendryx’s spacesuitinspired costume worn while performing with LaBelle. The exhibition also utilizes select objects to elevate stories that speak to Black liberation and social equality, such as Trayvon Martin’s flight suit from Experience Aviation, and his childhood dream of being an astronaut. Head to nmaahc.si.edu for more info.

Merry Land

Get ready to pack in the fun! Located less than one hour from Washington, D.C., Baltimore and just 30 minutes from Gettysburg, Frederick, Maryland is the perfect basecamp for a regional student tour. Climb, swing, and zip through the trees on 30 acres of protected forest on 15 trails and 8 difficulty levels at Tree Trekkers. Crossing bridges, tightrope walks, tunnels and ziplines, allow climbers to take on aerial obstacle courses that can reach up to heights of more than 65 ft above the forest floor.

The challenge of vintage pinball games is enjoyed by the young and old alike at Spinners Pinball Arcade in Frederick. Leave the quarters behind—at this arcade, you only pay once and play all day. The arcade is filled with the neon glow of a large selection of new as well as classic games. Transport to a world of fun at 4D Fun Center. Test your skills on an array of arcade games, relax on a couch at one of the 15 bowling lanes, play a game of laser tag, or attempt an escape from one of two on-site escape rooms. Groups can enjoy dinner at the full restaurant. For more information, head to visitfrederick.org.