April 24, 2020
Tour Director Lecture Series April 27 - May 1
We have heard from so many of our teachers… this online learning business is tough! It’s hard to be out of the classroom, to come up with new ideas in this unusual platform, and to just be away from everyone. We can’t fix it, but we’d like to help.
Our Tour Directors have a wealth of knowledge and experience and, because they’ve operated tours of high school students for years, they are great at engaging with young adults. And right now, they aren’t able to do what they love the most either… lead groups like yours on exciting tours. Utilizing their special talents, Passports is pleased to announce a new lecture series that we hope you will find useful to enhance your online teaching platform and give you some new options to explore.
Every day, we will provide two 20-30 minute lectures, with topics ranging from history, language, culture, and even hands-on things, like cooking classes and tango lessons. You and your students can join any lecture you like. Make sure everyone pays attention! We’ll have a Kahoot at the end. Stay tuned for weekly emails to let you know the upcoming schedule and, if you have a topic you’d be interested in seeing us cover, feel free to let us know. The lectures are all provided free of charge.
We’re all in this together!
For meeting links, please email [email protected].
A note about Zoom
We are using Zoom to host our lectures. Zoom has repaired the vulnerabilities that have been reported recently. We have taken the following additional steps to ensure the best experience for all involved.
- End-to-end encryption is mandatory for all lectures.
- Every lecture requires a password.
- Participant video, audio and profile photos are prohibited.
- Lectures will be locked after they begin.
Lectures for the week starting April 27
Spanish food and traditions
Monday, April 27, 11:00 AM ET
With Luis Troconis
We will be talking about the authentic, unique and typical dishes we enjoy in Spain, especially during our national and local festivities. We will see the origin and history behind each case, and we will discuss the current heritage in our world.
Direct Link: https://passports.wistia.com/medias/kygyfivyi2
Chenonceau Castle - Discovering the Castle's Secrets
Monday, April 27, 1:00 PM ET
With Frances Draxl
Virtual guided visit inside the castle.
Direct Link: https://passports.wistia.com/medias/x1x9kxypmf
Venice and Its Fragile Lagoon Ecosystem
Tuesday, April 28, 11:00 AM ET
With Sara Cereda-Kort
Learn about why and how Venice was built on small islands of the Adriatic lagoon and why it is so important to protect its fragile ecosystem to help this world Heritage site to survive.
Direct Link: https://passports.wistia.com/medias/w0t5p18d4t
The Mystery of Rennes le Château
Tuesday, April 28, 3:00 PM ET
With Larry Alexander
The real Da Vinci Code.
Direct Link: https://passports.wistia.com/medias/dwb697d4rn
„König Fußball regiert die Welt!“
King soccer rules the world!
Wednesday, April 29, 11:00 AM ET
With Matthias Kort
Germans love sports. It’s not only “soccer” but … almost. With more than 7 million members the “Deutsche Fußball Bund” is the biggest Sport association in the whole world. Let’s find out what makes Fußball so important for us Germans and how this sport changed our country.
Direct Link: https://passports.wistia.com/medias/u26vil98ca
Sports in Spain and Europe
Wednesday, April 29, 1:00 PM ET
With Luis Troconis
We will see the passion of the Spaniards and Europeans in different sports. We will address the past, present and future situations within sports and discuss the most important aspects. Some biographies and interesting stories will come up!
Direct Link: https://passports.wistia.com/medias/cnltdo86vz
French Cooking Lesson
Thursday, April 30, 1:00 PM ET
With Frances Draxl
Step inside the kitchen of Frances Draxl for an intimate cooking lesson in the French style.
Direct Link: https://passports.wistia.com/medias/j3gimgsrnl
Rhône Delta: Arles and Van Gogh, Avignon and the Camargue
Thursday, April 30, 3:00 PM ET
With Larry Alexander
Direct Link: https://passports.wistia.com/medias/nkpn6nafql
Tulips and Flower Gardens in the Netherlands
Friday, May 1, 11:00 AM ET
With Sara Cereda-Kort
Learn about Tulips, the Tulips Mania in the 1600, why the Netherlands are such a global player as producers and traders of flowers and bulbs, and how the largest flower auction works.
Direct Link: https://passports.wistia.com/medias/to0imdcsbg
The Bridges and Walls of Munich
Friday, May 1, 1:00 PM ET
With Matthias Kort
History is complex and seems sometimes confusing. Let’s try to make it simple and understand some general aspects. We take a journey through the centuries, look on European maps and take the city of Munich as an example to discover some fundamental rules in the development of European cities, their structures, and urbanization.
Direct Link: https://passports.wistia.com/medias/xyoy9qk06r
For meeting links, please email [email protected].
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Passports has done the following:
- Worked one-on-one with every client to discuss their options and to present the best possible solutions.
- Provided the option of a postponed tour at no charge whenever possible.
- Provided full refunds to participants that cannot travel on the postponed tour date whenever possible.
- Reduced cancellation penalties to the lowest possible amounts.
- Updated our cancellation policy for tours in 2021 and beyond to offer 75% cash back up until 30 days prior to departure for all participants, even without travel insurance.
Please take a look at our TrustPilot reviews for yourself.
