How to Prevent a Lost Student Situation
NOVEMBER 21, 2018 Written by Michael Bowers, Student Travel Safety Consultant, Center for Student Travel Safety.
Adventure Student Travel is proud to work with SYTA, the Voice of Student and Youth Travel, and we are both always looking for ways to ensure student safety while traveling.
Recently Michael Bowers, Student Travel Safety Consultant for the Center for Student Travel Safety, published an article with SYTA with tips on How to Prevent a Lost Student Safety Situation. As teachers, chaperones, and travel professionals, having a lost student is one of the most terrifying situations you can encounter, but with Bowers' 9 suggestions paired with your own plan of action, we believe it can be easily avoided.
Here is a quick summary of Bowers' info:
- Collect phone numbers of everyone involved in the trip.
- Exchange these numbers accordingly within the group.
- Write ER contacts on the backs of lanyards and nametags.
- Use the buddy system.
- Use the count-off system.
- Establish a meeting point.
- Inform students to stay put if separated.
- Set timeline for action.
- Make clear who will take the lead.
Accidents happen, though, so Bowers' also gives tips on how to recover your student if this situation arises. Check out the full article on the SYTA site here.
