Field trips provide valuable opportunities for students involved in youth ministry programs to learn and build relationships. Popular destinations include sporting events, local attractions, ministry projects, and other community activities.
While these outings offer many benefits—they can also introduce risks.
"Youth ministry is meant to be fun, exciting, and engaging, but safe and successful field trips don't happen by chance," says Matt Olphin, Glatfelter Ministry Care's Director of Client Risk Solutions. "Protecting your youth can be accomplished through thoughtful planning and preparation before departure. When it comes to safety and managing risk, failing to plan is planning to fail.”
Planning your trip well in advance helps create a smoother experience for leaders, chaperones, and students. Starting early also gives you time to identify potential risks and make adjustments.
Assign one person to serve as the trip leader who will oversee the outing from start to finish. This individual should be responsible for organizing the content and logistics before, during, and after the event.
Create a trip ticket or fact sheet that documents the following information:
Additional items to consider when developing your overall plan include:
Visit New Locations Ahead of Time
If your organization is taking a trip to a new location, you should complete a pre-trip visit to evaluate the site, review the plan with the venue staff, and address any potential concerns or needs you may have.
During your visit, consider asking questions such as:
Permission slips are an essential part of planning a safe field trip. While they allow parents or guardians to approve their child’s participation, they also provide critical information that can help leaders respond quickly in the event of an emergency.
Use standardized permission forms that have been reviewed by legal counsel, keep the original signed forms at the administrative office, and send copies along with the field trip leader.
In addition to written permission, gather important information about students that could be needed during the trip, including:
Your organization should maintain an appropriate adult-to-student ratio on field trips. All chaperones should complete background checks in accordance with your organization’s policy and clearly understand their responsibilities before the trip. Proper supervision helps ensure student safety and creates a positive, well-organized experience for all participants.
Glatfelter Ministry Care recommends the following adult-to-student ratios by age group:
For trips involving amusement parks, beaches, water parks, or other high-risk locations, the number of chaperones should be increased.
There are multiple transportation options for field trips, including owned vehicles, church members’ personal vehicles, or a third party. Whenever possible, the preferred option should be a school bus with a professional driver. Volunteer drivers should be considered a last resort.
If volunteer drivers are necessary, be sure to confirm and address the following to pre-qualify an approved driver list:
Emergencies are unpredictable, but having a plan in place helps everyone respond quickly and confidently if a situation arises.
Provide trip leaders and chaperones with emergency contact communication checklists and use permission slips to keep track of parent or guardian phone numbers. It’s also important to establish a plan for transporting students if they need to leave early for behavior problems or illnesses.
A well-prepared emergency plan gives leaders confidence and helps ensure the trip runs as smoothly as possible.
Field trips can be incredible experiences for the members of your congregation. By taking the time to plan ahead and prepare for potential challenges, your religious organization can create trips that are safe, well-structured, and meaningful. Learn more about us by visiting Glatfelter Ministry Care today.