About National Geographic Student Expeditions
Explore the World with National Geographic!
We invite the next generation of explorers to get out in the field and follow in the footsteps of National Geographic’s photographers, writers, and scientists. You might hike into the Grand Canyon to find traces of its ancient inhabitants, study the behavior of giant tortoises in the Galápagos, or settle into a village in Cambodia and help out with a community project.
It takes just a little digging to find that there is wonder—big and small—all around the world. Come discover it with us.
Eligibility
Students completing 9th through 12th grades are eligible to participate in National Geographic Student Expeditions.
Our Long History in Exploration
National Geographic has been exploring the planet since 1888, and our network of experts and contacts across the globe is vast and deep. We tap into these resources to create unique and exciting travel opportunities for students. Get to know Maasai elders in Tanzania, meet sheep farmers in New Zealand, or listen to an Aboriginal guide tell ancient Dreamtime stories in Australia. Conduct research with wildlife biologists in Costa Rica and Yellowstone, and trek across glaciers with park rangers in Alaska. To make these innovative trips possible, we have partnered with Putney Student Travel—a highly respected student travel organization that has offered quality student expeditions for more than 60 years. Putney is a leader in its field, delivering innovative, safe, and fun expeditions all around the world.
Our Trips
We offer three types of trips: expeditions, field workshops, and community service programs. Our expeditions range from two to three weeks. Through in-depth exploration of a country or region, you’ll experience the best of the destination. On our 11-to-12-day field workshops, we set roots in one or two compelling home bases. Our spectacular settings are an important part of the experience as we explore the surrounding area on active excursions. On both expeditions and field workshops, you’ll be joined by a National Geographic expert for part of the trip, and you’ll have the opportunity to pursue an On Assignment project of your choice. On our 14-to-15-day community service programs, you’ll settle into a local community and take part in everyday life while working on a variety of service projects. Throughout the program, document your experience through photos, writing, or video.
Dynamic Travel Groups
STUDENTS. Traveling with your peers naturally creates a spirit of collaboration and teamwork. You’ll develop strong bonds while working in teams on On Assignment projects. Plus, seeing a place alongside your new friends brings a whole new dimension to your experience. Our expeditions range between 14 and 28 students. Community service programs can accommodate 18 students and our field workshops average 25-30 students.
TRIP LEADERS. To lead our trips, we’ve selected dynamic college graduates who are pursuing careers in fields such as photojournalism, conservation biology, and cultural anthropology. They are energetic, creative, responsible, knowledgeable, and fun. They know the destination well and seek to share their love of travel with high school students. Our student-to-trip-leader ratio is usually between six and eight to one and never more than nine to one.
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC EXPERTS. On all trips except for the community service programs, a National Geographic expert—a photographer, writer, researcher, or explorer—will join us for four to eight days of the trip. Our experts are leaders in their field who will enrich the trip with their stories and their insight.
Community Involvement
On many trips, you have an opportunity to participate in community service projects that allow you to become more engaged with the place you’re exploring and to make a useful contribution. Depending on the location and the community’s needs, help with small-scale construction, tutor students in English, clean up a park, or help out at an orphanage. If you would like to focus more intensively on community service projects, take a look at our community service programs in Peru, Costa Rica, Cambodia, and Tanzania. Estimates of community service hours on each of our programs are listed below.
| Expeditions and Field Workshops: | |
|---|---|
| Tanzania | 10-16 hours |
| India | 10-16 hours |
| Peru (Photography or Archaeology projects) | 12-16 hours |
| Peru (Community Service project) | 20-25 hours |
| Ecuador & the Galápagos | 8-12 hours |
| Costa Rica (Photography or Wildlife projects) | 8-12 hours |
| Costa Rica (Community Service project) | 20-25 hours |
| Grand Canyon & the Southwest | 8-12 hours |
| Community Service Programs: | |
|---|---|
| Peru | 35-40 hours |
| Costa Rica | 35-40 hours |
| Tanzania | 35-40 hours |
| Cambodia | 30-40 hours |
Our Sustainable Travel Philosophy
As an organization that seeks to inspire others to care about the planet, National Geographic is committed to sustaining the character and integrity of each place we visit—its environment, culture, heritage, and the well-being of its residents. In providing authentic travel experiences for students, we strive to protect the sites we visit, support local economies in our choice of accommodations and services, and increase students’ understanding and appreciation of other peoples and customs through meaningful friendships and cultural exchange.
Transportation Details
International and domestic U.S. airfares are not included in the cost of the tuition. We have arranged for an escorted round-trip group flight for each of our international (and Alaska) programs, and will provide applicants with information about these flights. Group flights for each program begin and end at a meeting point at a major U.S. airport. For the Grand Canyon & the Southwest and Yellowstone & Montana programs, students arriving and departing by plane are met by a trip leader at the arrival/departure airport. On all programs, parents are responsible for making arrangements for students to get to and from the U.S. departure/return meeting points.
Note: Airlines require that we reserve space far in advance, but do not set a final price until shortly before departure when tickets are issued in each traveler’s name. Until the time individual tickets are issued, airlines reserve the right to increase fees (e.g. fuel surcharges) and additional government fees may be assessed. The airfares we quote to you represent the figure that the airline has given us when we booked in the fall, and is subject to increase (which we will pass along to you) if the airline or a government agency assesses additional fees prior to final ticketing.
Photography and Filmmaking On Assignment Projects
Students who choose the Photography On Assignment project must provide their own digital camera with a pixel depth of at least five megapixels and a USB flash drive of at least 8 GB. Digital SLRs are highly recommended. Personal laptops are also recommended. There is a supplemental fee of $150 to cover additional supplies and on-site computing facilities for this On Assignment project.* For students who choose the Filmmaking On Assignment project, we provide video cameras, camera stock, and computers for editing. However, students who wish to bring their own digital video camera and laptop computer may do so. There is a $250 supplemental fee to cover additional equipment and facilities necessary for on-site editing for this On Assignment project.
*There is no supplemental fee for the London Photography Workshop.
Expectations
We expect student participants to maintain high standards of personal behavior. Because they are encouraged, within the context of our trips, to take leadership roles and to make some of their own discoveries, students whose parents require them to be under constant surveillance or who are likely to act irresponsibly; use drugs, alcohol, or tobacco; or behave in a disruptive manner should not apply. Students who violate our few rules are subject to dismissal at our sole discretion. Parents are responsible for making arrangements for, bearing the cost of, and providing supervision for dismissed students’ immediate travel home, even in situations that require extended international travel. No refund of the tuition is given. Students dismissed from our programs will not receive credit for community service hours completed prior to their dismissal.
Application Process
Applications are carefully reviewed by our Admissions Committee, and students are selected on the basis of their maturity, enthusiasm, motivation, and willingness to live and participate constructively in a supportive community environment. Find out more about our application process or apply now.
