Our Mission

Our mission is to provide the economic and programming means for students to participate in our immersive education programs around the United States and the world.

Andrew Selinka, the Managing Director of Academic Expeditions(opens in a new tab) and Discovery Expeditions(opens in a new tab), had done it all. For over 20 years he guided, administered, and initiated immersive educational programs for school groups both domestically and abroad. He’s been to every continent, taught every grade, and has a plethora of stories to show for it.

But he wasn’t done yet. Over the course of his experiences, he quickly saw that there are many students – even whole classes – who do not have the ability to travel for various reasons: economic, social, or even physical. When he turned to us, his company members, about this issue, we immediately came together and got to work.

We asked ourselves:

“HOW CAN WE REMOVE THE BARRIERS THAT PROHIBIT INDIVIDUALS FROM EXPERIENCING THE WORLD?”

We – educators, guides, and travelers alike – firmly believe that experiential education builds empathy, and encourages people to grow into citizens of the world. (We even made a video about it, called “Transformation Through Travel!(opens in a new tab)”) We believe that every student deserves the opportunity to grow through this form of vital education.

After much thought and even more work, we created Rise Expeditions – the non-profit branch of Academic(opens in a new tab) and Discovery Expeditions(opens in a new tab) which offers the same wonderful programs while also working with teachers, principals, and families to remove prohibitive barriers. We help your school find and write grants so that students everywhere can experience places from Washington DC to our great National Parks. We work with advocates and educators in the Deaf community to develop ASL programs. The list goes on and on. Every experience is custom-tailored to your school, and your students’ needs.

Our multi-level safety network ensures that your student’s safety is our number one priority. Our company safety plan includes a 24-hour emergency assistance number that is listed on the back of each student’s ID name tag (provided by Rise Expeditions). We also include one of the most comprehensive travel protection policies in the industry. With this network in place, you can be assured peace of mind while your students are traveling.

It is our goal to provide your students with an opportunity of a lifetime and to open the door to lifelong learning, inspiration, and discovery through travel. The stories they hear, the places they visit, and the people they encounter will help transform history into something students experience and understand firsthand for themselves. We know that every group is unique, and we always treat them as such.

Our experienced and engaging guides bring historic and cultural learning to life throughout our expeditions. Your full-time expedition leader is committed to your complete satisfaction and is with your group for the entire duration of your tour.

Our expeditions use premium accommodations (in cities, these may include Marriott, Sheraton, and Hilton, just to name a few). We choose properties that are in the heart of the cities and destinations visited. The meals offered by Rise Expeditions always include a hot breakfast buffet served at the hotel, full lunch, and a well-balanced, tasty dinner at a local restaurant or historical inn.

We recognize the importance of travel protection and purchase the travel protection plan for every participant on our tour packages. The plan includes Trip Cancellation, Trip Interruption, Accident and Sickness Medical Expense, Medical Evacuation, Baggage Loss, and Baggage Delay coverage. This plan includes the option to select CFAR, the “cancel for any reason(opens in a new tab)” coverage. This enables participants to cancel their tour for any reason up to 2 days prior to departure and receive reimbursement in the amount of 75% of non-refundable payments or deposits paid for Rise Expeditions arrangements, less any refunds provided. Note: CFAR is not currently available for residents of New York. This comprehensive package is offered by TripMate Insurance(opens in a new tab), a leader in the tour insurance industry.