Teacher's Frequently Asked Questions
Why should our student group use Class Act Tours?
For over 35 years, Class Act Tours has been involved in student group tours. We truly believe in the quote by Sydney J. Harris, “The whole purpose of education is to turn mirrors into windows." This is our goal...Assisting you in breaking down the walls in your classroom and letting your students discover the world around them.
All of our trips are 100% private. The tour guide, motor coach, restaurants, hotel, as well as all other attractions included in your package will be focused on your group’s needs. We avoid rooming your group with others we have on the road......unlike some of our competitors.
*We will customize a trip according to your specifications.
*When it comes time to pay for the trip, we set up affordable monthly installments without interest.
*We offer optional individual cancellation / medical insurance on all trips
**CLASS ACT TOURS will even make reservations for the "hard-to-get" attractions that others make you arrange. Reservations like the Capitol Hill Tour, Meeting your Congressman, Laying a Wreath at Arlington Cemetery, timed entrance at the National Archives or a White House Tour.....just to name a few
How do you keep our students safe?
We know that your trip is a once in a lifetime experience for the participants in your group. We want everyone, regardless of finances to be able to attend. You give us a budget, and we will give you the best possible trip for that price. We will work hard to give you the best possible trip, for the lowest possible price. We guarantee our rates are the lowest possible when comparing apples to apples—If you have an itinerary from last year that you would like to know what our price would be, just fax it over to 678 868-1093 or email to Sales@classacttours.com and we will be happy to give you our price quote!
Will one Personal Tour Coordinator handle my trip from beginning to end?
The Coordinator you start the process with will work with your school for as long as your school decides to take trips. We have some schools that travel with us year after year and have continued to work with the same Coordinator or same team of two Coordinators. All of our Group Travel Coordinators are highly trained and qualified group travel specialists backed by a dedicated team whose only mission is to provide our customers with the perfect travel and educational experience.
Help? I've never organized a tour before!
No Worries! Our staff of experienced Personal Tour Coordinators will assist you throughout the trip planning process, enrollment, final touches, and also while you are on location. We will give you a complete "How To" guide which will include sample enrollment forms, Outlines for Parent Night, accounting assistance and even a chaperon guidebook!
Do you join us up with other groups or are all your tours private?
CLASS ACT TOURS will never combine your group with another period. We will not sacrifice your groups’ desires or quality of your tour just so we can make a little more profit by meeting minimums like many of our competitors.
How do you keep our students safe?
Many tour companies say they are concerned about Safely First; however, very few actually put any safeguards in place during your tour! Class Act Tours actually turns down groups who don't adhere to our safety standards while planning their trip. Here are a few items we do in order to ensure a safe trip:
- All hotels have good star ratings and all rooms open to a secure inside corridor.
- With all our tours, we include nighttime security with a uniformed guard. Depending on your group size, we may offer a uniformed security guard on each floor.
- We require one adult teacher/chaperon for every 12 students.
- Optional Travel Insurance and Optional Cancel for Any Reason (must cancel at least 72 hours prior to departure) is offered for each tour participant.
- Our Jelly Wrist Bands are not only great souvenirs, but they also feature the bus chaperons 24-hour emergency cell number for each participant
- The motor coaches we use are pre-approved by each county's school board. The result of that process is an "approved carrier" list of companies -- all of who meet the necessary safety requirements needed to transport student groups.
Help? I've never organized a tour before!
No Worries! Our staff of experienced Personal Tour Coordinators will assist you throughout the trip planning process, enrollment, final touches, and also while you are on location. We will give you a complete "How To" guide which will include sample enrollment forms, Outlines for Parent Night, Online Payments and Online Registration and even a Chaperon Guidebook!
Can I manage my trip online?
Class Act Tours has trip information and resources available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Each Group Leader and participant is given a password, which takes you through the "backdoor" of Class Act Tours. Your students will be able to access general information from you about the trip and make payments online!
What if i have never organized a trip with my students?
We are experts at guiding both the seasoned traveler and the novice. We address each detail of the tour so that everything is in place when you arrive at your destination. A professionally licensed tour guide will accompany your group 24 hours a day to ensure that your tour runs smoothly.
How do I pick my travel dates?
You pick the dates that work best for you. You can travel any day of the year. We recommend that you survey your students and check the school calendar to find dates that won’t cause a conflict. Also, avoiding major holidays and spring break will generally reduce the lines at attractions.
What if i can't get the trip approved by my principal and/or school board?
It is not always necessary for the trip to be school-sanctioned, particularly if it is scheduled during non-school days. In fact, some schools encourage teachers to plan their trips independent of the school. You will have greater flexibility if you can organize the group outside of school. Please call or email us for more information.
What if I am a small group?
Our group minimum is 45 but larger groups benefit from cheaper pricing. Working with another club or class in your school (or nearby school) to increase enrollment benefits everyone. Class Act Tours customizes each tour and we will not combine you with strangers.
When are the deposit payments due?
We develop a flexible payment schedule for each group. Typically, group leaders collect a $25 - $50 per person deposit during their first parent night. The remaining balance is divided into easy and equal monthly payments. The final balance is due in our office no later than six weeks before departure.
What is an approved vendor list and how do I know if my school has one?
An approved vendor list is a list of service providers that are pre-approved by your district and are already known to meet the standards set by your districts administrators. This list often includes any vendor that provides transportation or food for your schools among others. Class Act Tours is happy to work within these parameters. We will only use companies on this list, or if necessary we will do what it takes to get on your districts list ourselves. To find out if your school has an approved vendors list, contact your schools administrators.
Do you offer night security at the hotel?
Class Act Tours works with a world accredited Security Company for all of its security needs.
What type of transportation can you provide to accommodate our group?
CLASS ACT TOURS employs a team of dedicated Transportation Specialists whose only focus is to secure transportation of your group. From airline to motor coach and rental cars to subway your group will travel in any way you request and that fits your budget.
I just received a proposal, what does quad pricing mean?
The “Quad” price is the price per person if there were four to a room.
Do you only work with student groups?
Class Act Tours has been a leader in Youth and Student Travel for over 30 years. However, we are willing and able to work with any group of 45 or more participants.
I don't see the destination/attraction that I want to visit listed on your site. Do you offer trips there?
We offer tours of every city in every state of our union and beyond. All you need to do is let your Group Travel Coordinator know where you want to go and they will custom design a Class Act Tours trip no matter the destination. The Itineraries you see on our site are merely examples to give you an idea of what sort of attractions each of the most popular destinations has to offer.
Class Act Tours are Accredited
Is Class Act Tours accredited?
Class Act Tours is working in collaboration with Conservatory Prep Senior High, which is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). This effort enables students to earn a half credit in American Government by completing coursework on a Class Act Tour to Washington, D.C. Credit from Conservatory Prep Senior High is recognized and accepted by colleges and universities throughout North America.
Conservatory Prep Senior High adheres to the standards established by the National Council for the Social Studies.
- NSS – C.9-12.1 Civic Life, Politics and Government
- NSS – C.9-12.2 Foundations of the Political System
- NSS – C.9-12.2 Principles of Democracy
- NSS – C.9-12.4 Other Nations and World Affairs
- NSS – C.9-12.5 Roles of the Citizen
The course requirements include pre-tour readings, on-tour work and post-tour reflective analysis in the forms of a Power Point and an essay.
How does the high school credit program work?
- Students must be enrolled in a Class Act Tour to Washington, D.C.
- Pre-tour: Students read 3 books and write a corresponding paper for each.
- On-tour: Students complete a workbook prepared by Class Act Tours under the curriculum supervision of Conservatory Prep Senior High, Inc.
- Post-tour: Students create a power point explaining the American Government political system, and write a reflective essay.
- Grading: In order to earn credit, students must pass this course with a letter grade based on a teacher’s assessment.
How to Register:
To register for credit, your child must be enrolled on a Class Act Tour. Then, your child can enroll for the American Government correspondence course provided and administered through Conservatory Prep Senior High. The registration form must be filled out and sent to Conservatory Prep Senior High with a non-refundable payment of $400 for the .5 credit class.
Course goals and objectives:
The goals and objectives of the course is for our students to become effective American citizens by understanding the purpose and function of the American political structure and the needs of its constituents. Students are encouraged to reflect compare and contrast their own belief system as it relates to the Democratic process.
Conservatory Prep Senior High’s correspondence credit program is guided by the National Council on Social Studies’ learning strands (ncss.org), which meet state and national standards. Students will receive .5 credits to fulfill the American Government requirement.