A class field trip to South Africa sounds pricey, but with a computer and an Internet connection, students can travel to Johannesburg without leaving the classroom. Project Explorer is a nonprofit organization that produces free online content for virtual global travel. With a view of travel as an educational experience like no other, the project makes use of digital media to promote an understanding of different culture and customs to students worldwide.
The site hosts virtual field trips to England, Jordan, and South Africa that include more than 160 short films that correspond to the destinations. Each video explains more about the region’s food, music, culture, and language. Since 2003, Project Explorer has counted more than a million visitors to the site from more than 40 different countries. Recently, it won a Parents’ Choice Award for “Outstanding Web Programming.” The site’s developers are now working to add a fourth field trip—this one to Malaysia—and Project Explorer plans to offer lessons specifically designed for the early grades.
—Tim Ebner
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