Examine Civil Rights History
Explore Southern Food & Culture
Visit Powerful Museums & Sights
Engaging Stories of Southern History & Culture
The South has a rich and challenging history in the establishment of our nation. What could be a better way to engage students in critical thinking than bringing them to a place of such complexity? At Rise Expeditions, we believe in examining our full past – both the highs and lows – to become fully engaged citizens of the present and future. The South offers an opportunity to examine a broader range of stories and voices of America’s past.
Highlights
Visit the Equal Justice Initiative’s provocative Legacy Museum for Peace and Justice and powerful National Memorial for Peace and Justice
Walk the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma
Tour Birmingham and Montgomery through the eyes of artists and educators
See The Freedom Riders Museum, where young activists challenged racial barriers
Visit the Alabama Shakespeare Festival, an esteemed cultural hub
Enjoy traditional Southern food
Trip Details
Trip Details
Price
Inquire for your customized pricing and itinerary
Duration
5-6 days
Group size
12-30 people
Included
- Deluxe motorcoach transportation with driver and all transfers
- Premium hotel accommodations
- Custom-designed itinerary
- Entrance fees to all program sites and day/evening activities
- Full-time professional Rise Expeditions tour educator per motor coach
- All supplemental guiding services
- All meals
- All taxes
- All gratuities (tour leader and driver included)
- Special workshop designed specifically for the program (focused on vocal activism)
- (When available) speakers engaged in local community efforts
- 24-hour emergency access number
- Complete tour participant accounting including electronic online registration and payment
- Comprehensive accident, medical, liability, and travel protection/cancellation/interruption insurance
- Flights or coach travel, depending on location
Not included
Cancel for Any Reason (CFAR) benefit to your insurance plan and enroll in our Guaranteed Refund Program – cancel up to 48 hours prior to departure and receive 75% of nonrefundable payments or deposits paid to Rise Expeditions, less any refunds provided.
What to bring
Please visit this page for a packing list and information about TSA screening.
About your guide
Dori Robinson
Dori Robinson is an educator and traveler originally from Massachusetts. She brings to Rise Expeditions her background in cultural programs and curriculum development, leadership training, and experiential education. She’s passionate about community engagement, the arts, and racial justice. Dori has worked with various educational and nonprofit organizations in Chicago, New York, Massachusetts, Ireland, and Israel. She holds a Master’s from NYU’s Steinhardt Program in Educational Theatre, and a BA from Brandeis. She has led tours and service-learning trips all over the world focusing on topics such as civil rights, the environment, leadership, inclusion, theatre, and literature. When not planning travels, Dori can be found hiking, writing, or podcasting.
Please note: We collaborate with several guides on the ground in Birmingham and Montgomery.
Civil Rights, Art, and Culture
Beginning in Birmingham in the Kelly Ingram Park, walking the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, and then finally landing in Montgomery, groups will explore the history of slavery, the school-to-prison pipeline, and the journey of the Civil Rights movement. Alabama offers the ability to dive deeply into history and heroes of the movement – from the famous and prolific Martin Luther King, Jr. and Rosa Parks, to today’s activists such as Bryan Stevenson of the Equal Justice Initiative(opens in a new tab).
Nothing compares to learning the history in the rooms where it happened. Stories about history transform into unforgettable, powerful experiences. We work with artist, activist, and educator Michelle Browder of More Than Tours (opens in a new tab)to help bring Alabama’s story to life. She states: “There is no other place on earth with historical juxtaposition of Native American Genocide, African Enslavement, Civil War, Reconstruction, Jim Crow, and Civil Rights than Montgomery, Alabama. Montgomery is full of inter-generational life lessons. Life lessons that teach the nation and the world empathy, faith, and resiliency. That’s Montgomery, Alabama!”
Begin with the history and add food and culture. From incredible BBQ and Southern cooking to the world-renowned Alabama Shakespeare Festival (opens in a new tab)and the historic Fitzgerald House – a spring break in Alabama is a rich, unforgettable experience!
The South has so much to offer students of all ages including history, art, architecture, music, cultural diversity, and food. Reach out to RISE Expeditions today to learn about some of our existing itineraries, or to collaborate with us to fashion something new.
Design, Science, and Architecture
With lush overhanging trees, haunted cemeteries, and a top-notch ecology program, Savannah is a destination not to be missed. Though nearby cities such as Atlanta often receive more attention, Savannah embodies Southern charm while boasting a rich history in civil rights, the military, and more.
Savannah offers groups the unique opportunity to study history, science, and art all in one trip. Beginning in Chippewa Square (where Forest Gump ate from his box of chocolates), students can continue to deepen their knowledge of the South by visiting the Battlefield Memorial Park, as well as the Ralph Mark Gilbert Civil Rights Museum. Art plays an important role in Savannah – from the training of younger artists at the famous Savannah College of Art and Design to the Beach Institute African American Cultural Center, the only art museum in Savannah devoted to works by Black and African American artists. Landscape and architecture also speak to the city’s history, most profoundly felt at Bonaventure Cemetery, featured in the novel Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. Finally, at the Tybee Island Marine Science Center, students will explore the dynamics of Georgia’s barrier islands.
