30 Mar 2020
Luxury tour operator Original Travel has partnered with the leading London-based mentoring firm Oppidan Education to create online learning modules of ten of its favourite family-friendly destinations, giving children the chance to learn about the world until they are able to visit again in real life.
The live, interactive online modules are aimed at children aged 8-13 and will be a fantastic resource for parents trying to home-school during the Covid-19 lockdown. They have been designed by Oppidan Education, a firm changing the rules of online learning and mentorship, in association with Original Travel, an award-winning expert in family holidays and firm believers in the educational benefits of travel, so are guaranteed to keep the children busy and entertained.
The 10 modules include:
- The Treasures of Tokyo – learn the ancient arts of origami, sushi and karate.
- Rambling in Rome – take virtual tours of ancient ruins and learn how to make pizza from scratch
- Finding your Fjord – learn what the northern lights really are and what's been written on them
- Havana Oh La La – a virtual dance through Cuban history, culture, food and architecture.
- Minor Tours of Greece – meet the Greek myths and legends and learn about the original Olympians.
- Costa Eurica – learn about the country's unique eco-system and take a virtual zipwire ride
- Big Up Botswana – take a virtual tour of the country's savannah, wetlands and saltpans
- Vietnam Charm – delve into a country so rich in history, culture and epic landscapes, you'll want to jump through your computer to get there.
- The Soundtracks of America – from country and western to blues and jazz, take a tour of the country's soundscape
- You Won't Believe Tel Aviv – learn about “The White City” and its history and culture.
Tom Barber, Co-Founder and Director of Original Travel says: 'We believe that edventures will be big news in travel post-Covid-19, with parental eyes having been opened to other forms of education beyond the classroom. We are poised to plan these trips as soon as families are able to travel again, but until then we are thrilled to be working with Oppidan Education to keep children's wanderlust and curiosity in the world alive.'
Walter Kerr, Co-founder and Director of Oppidan Education says: 'Welcome to your digital backpacking holiday where a sense of adventure is essential. We're sticking to our mission of creating engaging and exciting content for children and believe now more than ever that education should be practical and creative.'
The modules will kick off at 9am on Monday 13th April and run to Saturday 18th April. They are live and interactive, run by professional mentors who are each specialists in their respective fields. The one hour modules cost £20 each and will and take place via Zoom. To sign up, simply follow click here: www.oppidaneducation.com/edventures. Find corresponding itineraries for each module here: https://www.originaltravel.co.uk/blog/original-travel-and-oppidan-education
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For more information contact Rebecca Lowe:
020 3582 4990
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Notes to Editors:
Original Travel curates customised itineraries crafted by destination experts to 77 countries worldwide from Anguilla to Zimbabwe. Since its launch in 2003, it has created 50,000 itineraries, each unique and adhering to the company ethos that “Life is in the Detail”.
Original Travel also has its own specialist dive division. Original Diving is the world's only luxury dive travel outfit and is staffed by a team that includes 1 dive instructor, 5 dive masters and a marine biologist. Having completed more than 3,000 dives in over 50 countries, equating to over 100 years' collective diving experience, the team pride themselves on their unparalleled expertise and knowledge of the best dive destinations across the globe.
Original Travel clients enjoy a wealth of additional services they wouldn't find with any other UK tour operator, including:
Access to a network of 70-plus Concierges who live locally, know their destinations inside and out and are extremely well-connected. They lend fantastic ground support, offering insider recommendations, facilitating any last-minute changes and troubleshooting
A brace of additional services designed to make departure easier than ever. Every Original Travel client, regardless of whether they're off on a long-weekend to Seville, or a multi-destination sabbatical, will enjoy UK airport meet and greet, fast track UK check-in, fast track UK security*, lounge access and pre-booked flight seats. A great way to start the holiday sooner
The knowledge that not only will Original Travel offset the carbon footprint of their international flights, but also - in an industry-first - car-hire and other flights (even if booked independently)
The knowledge that they are contributing to Our Foundation, which supports nearly 100 humanitarian projects in 30 developing countries. To date, nearly £800,000 has been invested to support five key areas: child protection, vocational training, economic development assistance, preservation of cultural and natural heritage and safeguarding the lifestyles of indigenous peoples
Notes to Editors:
Oppidan Education was founded in 2016 with the aim of disrupting an overcrowded private tuition market. We now support thousands of children through one-to-one mentoring programmes privately and in schools around the world. Mentoring places personal development at the heart of any education. It's simple – we all need a mentor.
Oppidan has now grown to a team of 200 inspiring mentors; a network of game changers who dedicate themselves to positive growth in each of their mentees across 3,000 families in the UK. The work Oppidan does helps children fulfil their potential, affirming their belief that the attainment of better grades exists only as a by-product of positive wellbeing. The elevation of children's mental health should be a central focus of their education experience.
Oppidan has just launched an online curriculum of Brain Labs, live workshops for children at home delivered by our mentors - journalists, authors, comedians, musicians, artists and entrepreneurs for ages 8-18.
Oppidan was voted as a Top 5 Graduate Employer in 2019, a multiple category finalist in 2018 & 2019 Education Investor's Business of the Year Awards and most recently, Henry and Walter were nominated as social entrepreneurs for the Forbes 30under30 class of 2020.
We believe wholeheartedly in the role of a mentor in a child's development. Self-worth, confidence and inner motivation form the core objectives behind our ethos that goes beyond the prescriptive confines of exam preparation. Having people who make it their priority to nurture children and keep them grounded is of huge value in an increasingly uncertain world for the younger generation.
