The Story of Us by WorldStrides

One WorldStrides THE STORY OF US

Who We Are WorldStrides delivers educational programs that encourage participants of all ages to learn about themselves and the world. Our focus on immersive, hands-on experiences allows us to facilitate moments of engagement that delight and open up the world of learning. By offering a wide range of programs for participants throughout their lifelong learning journey, we prepare them for success in the future. This is what sets us apart as the leader in educational travel and experiences.

By the Numbers Since our founding, more than nine million learners from all 50 U.S. states have participated in programs with us—in addition to participants from Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and China. Today, we partner with nearly 7,000 K-12 schools and 800 universities globally.

WorldStrides is unrivaled in its breadth of programs and depth of experience in educational travel and experiential learning. As part of our mission to bring experiential learning to participants of all ages, we continue to thoughtfully develop new product offerings that broaden the diverse portfolio of programs we provide. One WorldStrides is the culmination of more than 50 years of educational travel and immersive, hands-on learning experiences delivered by the most trusted organization in the industry. More than 550,000 people participate in a WorldStrides program each year, so we recognize that each learner’s journey is different. That’s why we offer a broad range of programs for groups and individuals in seven key categories: educational travel, career exploration, study abroad, sports, performing arts, language immersion, and service-learning. As we evolve as a company, we pledge to provide ample learning opportunities that expand horizons, to encourage our participants to soar higher, and to be a partner in helping their dreams become a reality.

This is the story of us, united as One WorldStrides.

What We Believe Our Mission Create experiences that enable participants to view the world and themselves in new ways.

Brand Positioning The WorldStrides family is joined together under a single master brand that represents our united organization. We are specialists in providing educational travel programs and experiential learning opportunities for participants of all ages across their lifelong learning journey. • Our logo depicts a series of open books, a reference to both our role in education and the breadth of opportunities provided outside of the classroom. • A subtler interpretation of our symbol gives a nod to the bird in our prior logo, speaking to the notions of individual growth, accomplishment, and soaring to new heights of learning across a participant’s lifetime. • The three elements that grow in size allude to the sense of movement and progress in a stride, while also creating the silhouette of a W.

Sky Blue represents confidence, trust, and reliability. Terra Green represents growth, adventure, and inclusiveness. Sol Yellow represents illumination, optimism, and warmth.

Core Values Act as one team with integrity, respect, transparency, and inclusion. We are united across our divisions as One WorldStrides. We believe in diversity of thought and in never assuming that we are already perfect. Do the right thing to deliver exceptional results to every customer. We provide the best possible customer experience and create true relationships that stand the test of time. Build education and learning into everything we do. We believe in extending the opportunity to learn through experience to people of all races, ethnicities, creeds, gender identities, sexual orientations, and physical and mental abilities. Care for our people and communities. We are educational advocates with a shared responsibility for being socially, environmentally, and fiscally responsible.

Corporate Social Responsibility As part of our strategic development, we have dedicated staff overseeing our sustainability and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. The formation of the Green Alliance coordinates our sustainability initiatives across the organization. The DEI Council and Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) further promote our company mission by building a culturally competent workforce where all employees are empowered to share their values and contribute their perspectives. These groups create an environment where team members of all identities are supported and where sustainability, diversity, equity, and inclusion are valued and fostered across our workplace, workforce, and marketplace.

Our Growth Journey From Washington, D.C., to the industry leader in educational travel and experiential learning It all started in 1964 when a middle school social studies teacher from Chicago took his students to Washington, D.C., for a one-of-a-kind, hands-on learning experience. He was so encouraged by the powerful impact travel had on his students that he left teaching in 1967 to create Lakeland Tours, marking the first step in bringing educational travel and experiences to students around the globe. His vision to make educational travel easy, fun, and safe for teachers and students came to fruition as Lakeland Tours grew into one of the industry’s most trusted providers of experiential learning programs. Shortly after becoming the first accredited company of its kind in 1996, Lakeland Tours joined forces with several leading education and travel organizations to form WorldStrides. The company, which initially offered domestic history trips to Washington, D.C., expanded into STEM-based travel and the international realm, bringing language immersion opportunities and in-depth cultural experiences to students across the United States. Over the years, WorldStrides has continued to grow, broadening its portfolio to include study abroad, performing arts, sports, and career exploration programs on six continents. In 2013, WorldStrides expanded into the Australian market. Just a few years later, WorldStrides Canada launched as the premier experiential learning organization in Canada, shortly followed by the introduction of WorldStrides Global Camps in mainland China. In 2017, we celebrated 50 years of enriching participants’ lives by escorting more than 6,000 students to witness the Presidential Inauguration in Washington, D.C., back where it all began.

Each company that joins the WorldStrides organization brings with it a rich history and comprehensive group of products that enhance and enrich our portfolio of programs. Our collective culture, which has evolved over more than half a century, remains focused on one thing: building education and learning into everything we do.

2009

2003

• Classic Festivals joins WorldStrides as part of the Performing Arts division

1998

2011

• American Student Travel (AST) becomes the first company to join WorldStrides, adding to our educational skillset

• Casterbridge Tours, a leading provider of art, literature, language, and history programs, enhances our offerings in Europe, Central and South America, Asia, and Africa

2008 1999

• Educational Field Studies (EFS) joins WorldStrides, beginning our venture into science programs while strengthening our existing collection of history programs • Creative Productions (CPI) brings its full-service production expertise to WorldStrides, helping our program attendees enhance their event pageantry with giant flags, props, and special effects • Heritage Festivals joins WorldStrides, bringing along its in-house travel agency and portfolio of adjudicated and competitive music festivals in more than 20 cities across North America

• New Century Tours joins WorldStrides • Travel MBA joins the WorldStrides family, making us the premier educational travel organization serving the needs of short-term global study programs for colleges and universities

• Backstage Theatre Tickets brings an internal Broadway ticketing license to the organization • Field Studies Center (FSC) joins WorldStrides, adding custom programs and educational seminars in theatre, fashion, music, dance, art, and sports marketing to our portfolio • Field Studies International (FSI) joins the organization, offering elite performance opportunities with renowned conductors in worldfamous venues • WorldStrides brings Accent Travel Group (ATG) on board, expanding our university offerings with ATG’s focus on MBA programs

2014

• Group Events comes aboard, bringing with it domestic and international educational, performing arts, and sports programs for Australian and New Zealand schools • Oxbridge Academic Programs joins the lineup, adding its academically intensive programs for 8-12th graders at the University of Oxford, the University of Cambridge, and more to our portfolio

2015

• Rhapsody Tours, offering educational programs for middle and high school students in Europe and the U.K., joins WorldStrides • Excel International Sports comes on board, enhancing our sports travel programs for elite club, high school, and university-level teams • WorldStrides welcomes the Center for International Business and Commercial Law (CBL International), adding depth to our existing presence in the U.K. for college students from China • International Studies Abroad (ISA) brings its study abroad programs, global network of offices, and host university partners to the organization

2013

• WorldPass brings four divisions to the organization: USA Student Travel, GET Travel, MusicAmerica, and Adventures America & USA Celebrations • Trekset Tours joins WorldStrides, offering educational tours and ski/snow camps to participants in Australia and New Zealand

2012

• The National Education Travel Company (NETC) joins WorldStrides and adds to our extensive repertoire of international educational programs while introducing the LEAP philosophy

2016

• Explorica joins the WorldStrides family, offering affordable international and domestic educational travel for North American participants with the guaranteed best prices in the industry

2018

• Envision joins the portfolio, bringing career exploration and leadership programs that enable learners from elementary age through college to test drive their future careers • The Asia Pacific experts at The Education Abroad Network (TEAN) join WorldStrides, further enhancing our study abroad and internship programs in the region • WorldStrides Global Camps launches as the largest network of North American-style summer programs in mainland China

2019

• Travelopia: Brightspark, Jumpstreet, Éducatours, and World Class Vacations join WorldStrides, furthering our reach in Canada and U.S. domestic educational travel as well as adding new performing arts products to the portfolio • Harvard Sports joins the organization, making us a powerhouse in college sports travel that emphasizes the worldwide language of competition

That’s companies in years that are now part of WorldStrides—and we’re still growing, with the goal of expanding and evolving our experiential learning product offerings to support participants across their lifelong learning journeys.

Product Portfolio As the global leader in educational travel and experiential learning, we know that getting outside the classroom provides participants with unparalleled opportunities to grow and learn about themselves and the world. That’s why we offer a wide range of immersive programs for learners of all ages, infused with our proprietary LEAP (Learning through Exploring and Actively Participating) educational philosophy that embodies a hands-on, exploratory approach to learning while keeping participants engaged and connected.

Educational Travel

Domestic and international group travel programs led by world-class educators that make learning come to life

Product offerings: Group enroll with upgraded options: WorldStrides | worldstrides.com

Group enroll: Explorica | explorica.com

Specialty group programs: Faith-based, STEM, history, and more

Individual enroll: Explore | explore.worldstrides.com

Milestone celebration trips: Celebrations and World Class Vacations | usastudenttravel.com, wcv.com

Young adult break experiences: Break Escapes | breakescapes.worldstrides.com

Curated for adults: Learn by Adventure | learnbyadventure.worldstrides.com

Additional products in Canada: Canadian groups: WorldStrides, Explorica, and Brightspark | worldstrides.ca, explorica.ca, brightspark.ca

French language-focused travel in Quebec and France: Jumpstreet | jumpstreet.com

Quebecois groups: Éducatours | educatours.com

Study Abroad

Semester and summer programs that enable college and graduate students to earn academic credit and experience living and learning abroad, as well as summer college prep programs held at top universities like Oxford and Cambridge

Product offerings: Europe, Africa, and Latin America: International Studies Abroad (ISA) | studiesabroad.com

Asia Pacific: The Education Abroad Network (TEAN) | teanabroad.org

Multi-country programs between high school and college: Gap Year | gapyear.worldstrides.com

Short-term faculty-led: Custom Programs

Faith-based: Veritas Christian Study Abroad | veritasabroad.com

Summer pre-college programs: Oxbridge Academic Programs | oxbridgeprograms.com

Global programs for Chinese college students: CBL International | cbl-international.com

Legend

Elementary school Middle school High school College

Graduate School

Young adult (18-24) Adult Individual program Group program

Product Portfolio continued Career Exploration Hands-on summer programs held primarily on college campuses across the United States that help elementary, middle, and high school students try out a future career, as well as customized international internship experiences and career-building guidance for college students

Product offerings: Career and leadership programs: Envision | envisionexperience.com

Culinary programs: Cook Around the World | wcv.com/trip/cook-around-the-world

Internships in Europe, Africa, and Latin America: ISA

Internships in Asia Pacific: TEAN

Service-LEARNING Thoughtfully designed leadership expeditions and community engagement programs that make a meaningful impact on both participants and the communities they serve

Product offerings: Group enroll with upgraded options: WorldStrides

Group enroll: Explorica

Europe, Africa, and Latin America: ISA

Language Immersion In-depth international language study and dual-language tours with homestay opportunities in seven target languages: Spanish, French, Mandarin, Italian, Arabic, German, and Chinese

Product offerings: Group enroll with upgraded options: WorldStrides

Group enroll: Explorica

Europe, Africa, and Latin America: ISA

Performing Arts Domestic and international programs for musicians, ensembles, marching bands, and dance troupes to perform at prestigious festivals, bowl games, national parades, and celebrated venues around the world

Product offerings: Band, choir, orchestra, and dance groups: WorldStrides Performing Arts, Dance the World, Sing the World

Individual musicians: Honors Performance Series | honorsperformance.org

Theatre groups: American High School Theatre Festival (AHSTF) and International Collegiate Theatre Festival (ICTF) | ahstf.org, ictfscotland.org

Sports Customized domestic and international competition programs that inspire a new level of play by boosting skills and empowering athletes of all ages; popular sports include soccer, golf, lacrosse, field hockey, basketball, and more

Product offerings: International sports tours: WorldStrides Sports

U.S. sports tours | gettravel.com

Product Portfolio continued In addition to our operations in the U.S., we offer experiential learning programs for Canadian, Australian, and Chinese participants designed to enrich and captivate learners while sparking their curiosity and encouraging growth.

WorldStrides Canada | worldstrides.ca •

Educational Travel

•

Performing Arts

•

Sports

WorldStrides Australia | worldstrides.com.au •

Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary Education

•

Snowsports

•

Performance

•

Small Groups

WorldStrides China •

Global Camps (North American-style English language camps in China)

•

CBL International (The Center for International Business and Commercial Law)

The Lifelong Learning Journey WorldStrides provides educational travel and experiences for participants of all ages across their lifelong learning journey—but what does that mean? Let’s break it down. 1.

We focus on delivering high-quality and high-value immersive learning opportunities for all participants, no matter their age. Everyone can benefit from our educational programs because learning is a lifelong endeavor.

We extend learning beyond the classroom walls—because education isn’t limited to the classroom—through a range of experiential programs, including educational travel, study abroad, language immersion, service-learning, career exploration, performing arts, and sports.

We support our participants' growth and development over time through a wide range of program offerings to meet their needs and interests, from elementary school to high school to college and beyond. In doing so, we provide participants with the opportunity to develop the social and emotional skills needed for success in their future careers and throughout their lives.

Experiential learning provides participants with a global passport for life, giving them insight into how people of different backgrounds see the world and pushing them beyond their comfort zones while they experience the transformational impact of immersive education.

A Sample Journey WorldStrides offers an unmatched breadth and depth of programs that provide our participants with a variety of options to grow and learn throughout their lifetime. Here are some sample program journeys a learner can experience with us over time:

Adult • Parent program to explore Washington, D.C., while child attends NYLF Law & CSI • Learn by Adventure in San Francisco & Napa Valley

College and Graduate School

High School

• Study abroad in Sydney, Australia • Semester-long internship in Barcelona, Spain • Basketball tour throughout Italy • Spanish language immersion in Mérida, Mexico • Gap Year in Florence, Prague, and Athens • Break Escape in Morocco • Faculty-led educational travel program in Japan

• Educational travel program to Paris and Provence, France • Intensive Law & Trial • NYLF Engineering • American High School Theatre Festival • Festival at Carnegie Hall • Cook Around the World • Service-learning trip to Costa Rica • French language immersion in Quebec, Canada • Soccer tour throughout England

Middle School • Educational travel program to Washington, D.C., Ottawa, or Canberra • NYLF Explore STEM • Junior National Young Leaders Conference • Honors Performance Series at Carnegie Hall • Dance the World Broadway • The Oxford Prep Experience • Florida Science: STEM in Motion

K-5 • National Youth Leadership Forum (NYLF): Pathways to STEM • National Young Scholars Program • North American-style English language summer camp in China

Report Card Educational Excellence

Educational Mission Learning is at the core of everything we do. First and foremost, we are an education company, and we’re honored to provide experiential learning opportunities for participants of all ages throughout their lifelong learning journeys. As the industry leader in educational travel and experiential learning, we’re committed to supporting participants as they prepare for a world of advancing complexity by seeking to stimulate thinking, challenge complacency, inspire creativity, and nurture stewardship in their home communities and around the world.

A+

Accreditation In 1996, WorldStrides became the first student travel company to be accredited by regional and national accrediting bodies, which means we’re held to the same strict academic standards as schools all across the country. Accreditation builds our capacity to improve and sustain student learning while stimulating and improving effectiveness and efficiency throughout WorldStrides. Our organization was assessed for the quality and rigor of academic standards and our company-wide commitment to education and continuous improvement of our programs. Accreditation reaffirms our commitment to education and differentiates us from our competitors. It also highlights our strengths as an organization: our commitment to our mission, purpose, and values; our leadership; our strong business acumen; and our ability to provide research-based, targeted, innovative learning experiences for our students. WorldStrides is proud to be accredited by three leading organizations: • Cognia • Middle States Association Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools • Western Association of Schools and Colleges

A+

Name: WorldStrides Date of Birth: 1967 Grade Range: Elementary-Adult

LEAP: Learning through Exploring and Actively Participating Experiential learning is about encouraging participants to interact with the people, the culture, and the incredible destinations our world has to offer. Many WorldStrides programs implement our trademarked LEAP philosophy, designed so participants fully engage with their surroundings, with the goal of making sure they: • Learn through hands-on activities • Think critically and from different perspectives • Gain comfort in the discomfort that comes with true growth • Grow personally and intellectually Students learn best when they are engaged and challenged. In any group, a wide variety of learning styles and social skills will be presented, each deserving an opportunity to shine. LEAP was designed specifically to replace the old-fashioned lecturing style of traditional tour guides, with a dynamic, inclusive, and constructivist approach… and is just one of the many things that sets WorldStrides apart from other travel providers.

A+

LEAP describes the entire relationship between each student, the places they encounter, and their Field Educator acting as a cultural mediator, not just a series of activities. Most importantly, LEAP is customized to meet the needs of every participant in every destination. With LEAP, every participant has a unique and transformative educational experience.

Academic Credit and Professional Development Our accreditation makes it possible for us to offer academic credit for our students and professional development for our teachers. Students in grades 6-12 are eligible to enroll in courses to earn high school credit at no additional cost. Our partnership with George Mason University provides students in grades 9-12 an opportunity to enroll in courses to earn college credit. Traveling teachers are eligible to receive professional development points/continuing education units that can be used toward license recertification. Additional educational resources are available to supplement classroom instruction.

A+

One WorldStrides Job Functions At WorldStrides, we work as one team of dedicated professionals, breaking down barriers and combining our strengths to find innovative ways to bring transformational experiences to our program participants.

One WorldStrides

Finance & People

Core focus: Accelerating the innovation of WorldStrides’

Core focus: Ensuring the financial health of the company

core mission, enhancing partnerships with educators, and ensuring our programs reach even more students across the globe

“It’s a transformation. Those moments of experiential learning will stay in the memory of a person forever. You can see the impact it has.” - Bob Gogel

and optimizing our global talent and people strategies

“When I was first starting out, I asked some older friends, should I travel or buy furniture for the house? Always choose travel, furniture just collects dust.” - Kellie Goldstein

Group Travel & Experience

Individual Travel & Experience

Core focus: Providing best-in-class program management

Core focus: Building winning customer experiences and

“I love that educational travel allows people to flex parts of their brain they don’t normally use. It makes history real and language important. It creates understanding that cultures are different. It instills confidence and independence, taking away fear of the unknown.” - Matt Wertz

“Educational travel is one form of experiential learning, which can uniquely catalyze a vision that drives and guides an individual to great and fulfilling heights. Currently, education has two institutional shortcomings: first, experiential learning as a method; second, curricula about understanding oneself vis-à-vis others, what real livelihoods are possible, and how to get there from here. We can help.” - Jim Cigliano

Health & Safety

Marketing

Core focus: Establishing industry-leading customer

Core focus: Building WorldStrides’ brand and portfolio

and developing growth strategies that ensure Group programs meet the unique needs of the learners who experience the world with WorldStrides

experience through best-in-class health and safety support, customer support, and operations management “You never really know what’s going to help a student find their place in the world. Exposing them to new faces and places gives them the opportunity to grow in ways they can’t do at home or in the classroom.” - Terri Morgoglione

services for WorldStrides’ individual sign up programs that help students realize their full potential

awareness to drive market expansion and revenue growth across the organization while communicating our mission and values “Life is one big adventure and exposing oneself to new experiences outside of one’s comfort zone is how we grow and learn, gaining the essential skills that are needed to be successful, productive, and fulfilled as one goes forward in life, no matter what path they choose.” - Lauren Fryefield

Business Transformation

Legal & Insurance

Core focus: Driving cross-selling efforts to support our

Core focus: Supervising legal matters regarding global

lifelong learning journey goals and facilitating innovation across the entire business

“To me, educational travel means broadening horizons through unique experiential programming.” - Bill Irwin

acquisition growth, managing the organization’s risks, and coordinating on daily legal matters with every part of the organization

“When I was growing up, my mom was a teacher, and every family trip we ever took had an educational element. My mom would always find a museum, attraction, or event that she could use as a teaching moment. We even did historical tours on beach vacations. So, to me, every trip is, and should be, an opportunity to learn something new.” - Paul Jenkins

Impact & Program Management

Product Delivery

Core focus: Spearheading WorldStrides’ strategic

Core focus: Managing and delivering quality experiences

“Educational travel is about expanding your perspective, nourishing your senses, and appreciating the opportunity to explore the world.” - Adrienne Howard

“I have been visiting groups on tour for over 20 years, watching them navigate and interact within different cultures. Knowing WorldStrides enabled the experience that will develop their lifelong global perspective is priceless.” - Tim Sweeney

Information Technology

Academics

Core focus: Delivering technology-based business

Core focus: Ensuring all students have learning and

“My mother was a career educator, and so is my wife, so learning is a major part of my life. I'm thrilled to be working with our IT and business teams, our product lines and our technology partners to be enabling our educational experiences through technology.” - John Henderson

“The most amazing thing about being an educator at WorldStrides is impacting over half a million students every year with transformational learning opportunities. These are the experiences that they will remember for the rest of their lives, and we helped to make them exceptional.” - Kiersten Teitelbaum

planning efforts to crystallize our vision into executable business objectives, including Corporate Social Responsibility which includes efforts around sustainability, diversity, equity, and inclusion for all team members and participants

solutions and digital experiences across the enterprise

on domestic and international programs for all WorldStrides business units, including product coordination/customization and business analysis

growth opportunities on every program

Creating life-changing moments with the transformative power of experiential learning

“

“Classroom settings are great for teaching students what to expect in the business world, but they can’t compare to the authenticity of experiencing it firsthand. Learning from both executives and recent graduates in Ireland gave us a global perspective that is truly invaluable.”

– Casey L., student, study abroad program

“

“You created something unforgettable that the players, staff, and parents are going to remember for a lifetime. This is the only time that this group of players will ever experience something like this together, and they now have an even more unbreakable bond.”

– Bre N., coach, sports program

“

"The program was amazing. It opened my eyes [to] so many job opportunities … and it's really changed my thoughts of where I want to go with my career path.”

– Marissa A., student, career exploration program