Program of Germany’s largest conference on school excursions now available online

ITB Berlin welcomes teaching staff from around Germany to the teachers’ symposium, which takes place from March 11-12, 2010. The program is now available online at www.lehrersymposium.de . The two-day symposium counts as advanced training and is part of the event called “YIG Germany Pavilion for Youth Travel.” YIG stands for “Youth Incoming Germany,” for young people traveling to and within Germany.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE TEACHERS’ SYMPOSIUM

After an introduction by representatives of the Permanent Conference of Ministers of Culture (KMK), the symposium will begin on March 11, 2010 by asking whether form masters are able to meet the various and constantly-growing challenges posed on school excursions. How competent are form masters and project leaders in their role as “tour guides” when it comes to coping with subject matter, providing an experience, and supplying knowledge? Do our teachers have the necessary qualifications and are there sufficient training options? Numerous workshops and papers will follow. The program for the second day of the symposium (March 12, 2010) lists an excursion to the Tropical Islands, Brandenburg’s “tropical rainforest,” and a high-level podium discussion. Taking as its title, “Pisa may be in Italy, but the responsibility is ours: youth travel as an educational task,” the podium discussion will take place after the excursion, in the conference area of Hall 4.1 on the Berlin Exhibition Grounds.

BOOKING EARLY WILL SECURE A PLACE

Participants can book their place at the symposium for one or two days. A flat rate of 8 euros will be charged for participation and material supplied at the symposium. Those taking part will receive a trade visitor’s pass, free admission to the exhibition grounds for the duration of the fair, as well as an attendance certificate. The deadline for registration is January 30, 2010. Attendance is limited.

In cooperation with the symposium’s organizers, Deutsche Bahn is offering special return fares costing 109 euros from any destination in Germany. Application forms, conditions of participation, which also include information given by individual federal states’ in order for the symposium to count as teachers’ educational leave, plus a full program of details are available at www.lehrersymposium.de .

You can request information personally over the phone from the YIG project offices of Messe Berlin, iNTEGRON-Institut, at (tel.) +49 (0)30-56 044 889, send a fax to +49 (0)30-56 04 48 40, or email [email protected] .

ABOUT ITB BERLIN AND THE ITB BERLIN CONVENTION

ITB Berlin 2010 will take place from Wednesday, March 10 to Sunday, March 14. ITB Berlin will be open to trade visitors only from Wednesday to Friday. Parallel with the trade fair, the ITB Berlin Convention will be held from Wednesday to Friday, March 10-12, 2010. Full details of the convention can be found at www.itb-convention.com . The program for 2010 will be available online soon. ITB Berlin is the world’s leading travel trade show. In 2009, a total of 11,098 companies from 187 countries exhibited their products and services to 178,971 visitors, who included 110,857 trade visitors.