EDUCATION

SYTA Summit education is exclusively created and designed for Business Owners and Senior Executives, providing opportunities to network, learn, and discuss critical issues facing the student travel industry and incorporate the values of SYTA’s Responsible Travel initiatives. Attending the Summit earns valuable credits towards earning or renewing your CSTP.  

The Summit Committee is developing the education sessions which will be added to the website as speakers are confirmed. If you have education session ideas, please email ksummers@syta.org. 

FRIDAY

General Session: Thought Leader

Friday, Janaury 17, 2025 | 9:00 AM – 10:30 AM

Location:  Hacienda 1-Paloma III

 

Sheri Jacobs is a highly sought-after keynote speaker who has helped thousands of people unleash their creativity by understanding how to take risks.

Leveraging her role as a seasonedCEO, her work with over 300companies and organizations, and her achievements as an award-winning wildlife photographer, Sheri helps people and teams learn how to take risks and solve some of the toughest challenges they face today.

 

Click here to read her full bio. 

Tour Operator and Supporter Round Up (Two Sessions, attendance required)

Friday, January 17, 2025 | 11:00 AM – 12:15 PM

Saturday, January 18, 2025 | 11:00 AM -12:15 PM

Tour Operators and Summit Supporters will connect with each other on opportunities for the coming year.   Tour Operators are asked to attend both sessions.  Supporters will be divided between each session. 

Lunch and Learn: Kickstart Your Sustainability Program

Friday, January 17, 2025 | 12:45 PM – 1:45 PM

Location:  Hacienda 1-Paloma III

Speakers: 
John Sutherland, Tourism Cares, moderator
Panelists include attendees from industry segments. 

This panel discussion aims to inspire and equip Summit attendees with practical steps to operationalize meaningful travel initiatives. Each of our panelists has approached their sustainability journeys in a different way and have unique stories to tell about how they started incorporating more responsible practices into their business operations.

What worked for them? What stumbling blocks did they encounter and how did they overcome them? What is the role of passion, personal investment and stakeholder buy in? How do you operationalize ideas? What is the low-hanging fruit?

We’ll present ideas for learning, collaboration and activation. The session will come from a tour operator perspective, but will be relevant to anyone who works with them and wants to begin to implement sustainability strategies of their own. 

Goals:

  • Provide, especially for the tour operator segment, various suggestions on how to get started on sustainability: what are the first few steps, challenges, etc.
  • Reduce barriers and guess work for those who still need to get started or who may have hit a lull
  • Reflect on the value of the work
  • Platform best practices of three tour operators

Cultural Tourism and Student Group Travel

Friday, January 17, 2025 | 3:00 PM – 5:30 PM

“Cultural tourism is backed by a desire to discover, learn about and enjoy the tangible and intangible cultural assets offered in a tourism destination, ranging from heritage, performing arts, handicrafts, rituals and gastronomy.” -UNESCO

Summit attendees will spend the afternoon with the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community (SRPMIC), an established sovereign tribe experiencing their history and culture. Learn how you can incorporate these traditions into your student itineraries. 

SATURDAY

General Session: Thought Leader

Saturday, January 18, 2025 | 9:00 AM – 10:30 AM

 

Innovations in Engaging Students in Climate Issues in the Field
Clare will share the results of a multi-year study focused on how educators in schools (and their partners) are equipping and empowering students to take action in response to climate change. Clare’s research highlights both the skills and the kind of opportunities that educators and schools are increasingly seeking to develop when they partner for climate-focused learning beyond their campus.

Clare is the Executive Director of the Global Education Benchmark Group (GEBG) and supports their 375 member schools and districts. She has written and spoken on many topics relating to global and intercultural competencies in K-12 education around the world. She teaches intercultural learning and leadership at the Klingenstein Center at Columbia University where she also conducts research on student climate action. Prior to beginning her tenure with GEBG in 2018, she spent 8 years at the Collegiate School in Richmond, Virginia as the Founding Director of the Institute for Responsible Citizenship and the Director of Strategic Planning.

To read Claire’s full bio, click here.

Enneagram 101

Saturday, January 18, 2025 | 12:45 PM – 1:45 PM, Lunch and Learn

Location: Hacienda 1-Paloma III

Speaker
Heather Davis, Vice President Experience, Music Travel Consultants

The Enneagram is a personality system distinguished by nine different types, set apart from others by being rooted in our motivations and fears rather than our behaviors. By identifying your type, you gain access to a greater understanding of your lived experience, and in turn, to tools to navigate your challenges differently, if desired. The Enneagram can serve as a meaningful resource for accessing compassion for the self and others – including our clients, vendor partners and internal staff.

Capturing motivations and fears can be challenging via a quiz, since quizzes capture behaviors/traits, but this test (can also be taken via the app) gets closest, often capturing your core type or your lookalike type. CLICK HERE for more information.

If you are willing to share the results of your test, please email them to Heather West, Summit Chair and Session Facilitator at heather.davis@musictravel.com.

She will compile an overview of the “types” attending Summit and will not share personal results with other attendees.

MIM: Education Session and Tour

Saturday, January 18, 2025 | 3:00 PM – 5:30 PM

Experience the world famous Musical Instrument Museum and participate in an informative learning session that explores how music can create a global classroom experience and how STEM brings music to life. All attendees will benefit from this hands on learning experience whether you are a tour operator working with music educators or a supplier creating the experiences for your customers. Gain insight on how educators are using museums like MIM to support classroom learning.

SUNDAY

Certification Workshop

Sunday, January 20, 2025 | 8:30AM – 4:00PM, 12:30PM – 1:30PM Lunch

Location: Hotel

This workshop includes sessions focused on helping tour operators meet the requirements for the Certified Student Tour Operator certification.  Whether you are thinking about it, working towards it or renewing your CSTO – this workshop is for you. The full schedule is coming soon.  For more information on certification, contact Katy Summers, ksummers@syta.org.

Dr. Michael A. Mazzarisi, President, Performing Arts Consultants

The best part of a SYTA SUMMIT is that it provides the opportunity for travel professionals to meet in a conversable setting without the pressure of a 7 minute meeting or have to deal with the barrage of conference masses. Every tour operator has unique abilities, and since I am a big proponent of partnerships, SUMMIT becomes an ideal network to forge plans for new and exciting joint ventures.

Steve Maehl, Global Travel Alliance

It was over ten years ago that I attended my very first SYTA Summit. I learned a lot, and made new friendships, but what impressed me the most was discovering an organization that desired to come together to collectively improve our industry and continually works together to change young lives for good through travel.

Tara Hippensteel, National Director of Tourism, City Cruises

SYTA Summit provides an unique opportunity to get up close with my SYTA partners and many of our buyers. The environment lends itself to a causal, natural environment – no pressure just building my network!

Kara Mihalevich, President, Adventure Student Travel, LLC

To me, SYTA Summit is the most valuable conference that I attend. I always find the educational seminars very useful and because it is a smaller, more intimate conference, you get to build a much deeper relationship with the sponsors. This is also the only conference that I have ever really had the opportunity to get to know other attendees. I absolutely LOVE SYTA Summit!

SYTA STRATEGIC PARTNERS