Thank you from Student Horizons

Student Horizons recently received certification as a Certified Student Travel Organization (CSTO) from the Center for Student Travel Safety, an affiliate of the Student and Youth Travel Association (SYTA), a Voice of Student Travel. The CSTO certification is awarded to companies who have met or exceeded the minimum of 25 safety standards established by the Center and SYTA. SYTA is a global educational travel association equipped to educate student travel providers about all aspects of student travel, with an emphasis on student travel safety and personal and educational enrichment. The standards are derived from the most effective practices in the industry and are based upon SYTA’s Code of Ethics and reviewed by an objective commission of industry experts.

At the start of a new year we look ahead to major events: the US presidential election, the Paris Olympics, our final exams, and we often have a new found motivation or feel the pressure from social media to achieve (and post about it). But what if you focused not on what medal you want to win or grade you’re after, but instead on the process of growth you experience that allows you to get there?

Student Horizons, a leading provider of educational travel experiences for schools is delighted to announce an exclusive six-year partnership with the Australian Boarding Schools Association (ABSA). This collaboration marks a significant milestone in the shared history between Student Horizons and ABSA, dating back to their inaugural journey together in 2015.

The post-covid era has changed the world faster than anything else in centuries. Education has been facing such a challenging time that would leave Plato’s hair standing on end. The gap between the skills kids learn at school and the skills they actually need in this evolving world, is massive. Experiential learning is a dynamic pathway to equip your child with invaluable skills for the ever-evolving future.

Overseas school trips offer students unique opportunities for cultural immersion, learning, and personal growth. While digital devices can enhance these experiences, there are compelling reasons to consider implementing a digital detox during these excursions. Let's delve into the well-being benefits of a digital detox for students on their overseas school trips.

Student Horizons Partners with the Youth Coaches Rugby Forum in January 2024. In its third year running, the ‘Youth Coaches Rugby Forum’ is set to make waves in Australian rugby development, and Student Horizons is proud to announce its partnership with this transformative event. Scheduled for January 2024 at Nudgee College, this forum is gaining international recognition as a vital platform for coach development in Australian rugby.

A year and half after finishing his senior executive MBA, Jamie Wansey, owner of Student Horizons, was finally able to celebrate his achievement in person in Melbourne...

Thank you to our amazing clients, hardworking and passionate Student Horizons teams and dedicated partners and suppliers around the globe. We would not have reached this significant milestone without you all...

Jamie Wansey, Managing Director of Student Horizons is delighted to have been re-elected to the position of Vice Chair of SETO (Student Educational Travel Organisation). The Student Educational Travel Organisation (SETO), has been established to lead the educational travel sector in areas of governance, advocacy, and education with a vision to accelerate the adoption of education outside of the classroom, ensuring every student can access and benefit from experiential learning opportunities...

This week the first cohort of the Student Horizons Experiential Careers Program completed their 3 month program experience in October 2021. They received their digital micro-credential and their certificate of completion, having completed...

With International travel on hold right now there are of course incredible life transformational opportunities for school students to embark on right here in our back yard in Australia. This is not at all surprising when we reflect on the tens of thousands of young people that descend on Australia every year to explore, study, learn, perform, compete and have fun in our vast, diverse land, across a wide range of educational, cultural, sporting and music horizons.

Over the last 9 months, since COVID-19 transformed the world we live in, there has been widespread discussion within the airline industry around the future of air travel and what airline travel would look like in a post-COVID era. For the airline industry 2020 was a horrific year with mass redundancies, huge financial losses and a huge reduction in flight capacity. In this part of the world the struggles of Qantas and Air New Zealand are well documented but as begin 2021, we are starting to see the first glimmer of recovery in the airline industry as airlines start to reopen closed routes and also redefine the guidelines that will become the norm for air travel in 2021 and beyond.

103 years ago, a battle raged for 103 days on the Western Front. The Third Battle of Ypres, also known as the Battle of Passchendaele, was a campaign of the First World War, fought by the Allies against the German Empire. On this day 103 years ago, New Zealand forces would suffer 2700 casualties – NZ’s blackest day...

On my desk in my garage (our makeshift Student Horizons ‘Head Office’) sits this photograph. It puts a smile on my face. The Covid-19 crisis and the associated catastrophic impact on Student Horizons (and the rest of the travel and tourism industry) and on our people has shaken my resolve at times over the last 6 months. It has shaken my steadfastness on the odd occasion to keep going. 

Thank you for your support in working together to support the future of travel.

Thank you to all our clients for their patience. We do appreciate there is some frustration and anger at the speed of the recovery of funds and if we could speed the refund process up please be assured, we absolutely would. The dedicated funds recovery team at Student Horizons continue to work incredibly hard on recovering funds from suppliers across the globe for our April and July groups that have made the difficult decision to cancel.

I am very grateful to those schools and families who continue to believe in what we do and have opted to postpone rather than cancel their 2020 school trips. Postponement keeps the dreams alive for groups of students who were looking forward to travelling in 2020. Postponement, rather than cancellation, also provides Student Horizons with a future and is critical to Student Horizons' survival.

The COVID-19 global situation has created an unprecedented set of circumstances for everyone and as the owner of Student Horizons, I understand there is uncertainty and concern over our present and future. I must note that prior to the impact of COVID-19, Student Horizons was a strong viable business with year on year growth in New Zealand and Australia over the last 5 years.

Through our years of working and touring with secondary schools, it became clear that many young people were unable to access educational travel opportunities due to financial hardship. Student Horizons strongly feels that learning through experience and from the world we live in is an essential step in personal development, which is why it is so important to us that educational tours are achievable for all students.