Conversations for Curious Travelers

How Educational Travel Changes Lives: A Conversation With Scott Rainey

Trip Scholars | Erica Forrest Season 1 Episode 3

Educational Travel • Student Trips • Teaching Through Travel

In this inspiring episode of Conversations for Curious Travelers, Erica connects with longtime friend Scott Rainey. Scott is a two time finalist for Traveling Teacher of the Year and the founder of the nonprofit East County Student Travel. 

He has spent decades helping middle schoolers see the world—and themselves—through travel. Scott shares powerful stories from the annual East Coast trips he’s led over the last twenty years.

This conversation dives into the heart of educational travel: how it builds empathy, deepens civic understanding, and inspires lifelong learning. You’ll hear real stories from the road, powerful moments from student journeys, and why travel can be one of life’s most impactful opportunities for learning. 

This Week’s Small Step to Enhance Your Next Trip
Start walking more today.
Many big trips involve walking a lot! Sometimes averaging 10 miles a day. Begin building that habit now—around your neighborhood, at the park, or during errands—so your body and mind are ready to fully experience your next adventure.

Reflection from the Episode:

“May you live all the days of your life.” — Jonathan Swift
Let this quote invite you to be more fully present—on your travels and at home. How might your days feel different if you approached each one as a part of the journey?

Learn More About the East Coast Tour of Discovery and Support the Trip

Learn More About the East Coast Tour of Discovery

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Links Mentioned in the Show

Educational Travel Services Incorporated is the company Scott has been using to organize the tours for over 20 years.

Student & Youth Travel Association is an excellent resource for traveling educators.

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Welcome to Conversations for Curious Travelers, a Trip Scholars podcast. I am your host, Erica Forrest. In each episode, we explore how travel helps us learn more about the world and ourselves. If you travel, not just to escape, but to grow, connect and understand you are in the right place.

[00:00:23] Erica: I am thrilled to welcome my friend Scott Rainey to the podcast. He is a two-time finalist for Teach and Travels Traveling Teacher of the Year, and Scott is the inspiring kind of educator who really brings history to life through travel. Scott's a middle school teacher in Washington, where he has been inspiring students for nearly three decades. For over 20 years, he's led transformative East Coast tours, taking students to some of the most important sites in American history, while creating life-changing experiences for teens.

He also happens to be one of my oldest friends, which makes me especially excited to share his insights, stories, and contagious enthusiasm with you today.

Scott, welcome to the show.

[00:01:12] Scott Rainey: Thank you, Erica. It is my pleasure to get to get to talk with you again after all these years. It is so nice.

[00:01:18] Erica: it really is. And I am not surprised at all that you have had such an incredible impact on all these students. Through your many years teaching in the classroom and out on the road. You were always such a thoughtful and interesting person, a kind person, even as a kid. And I know you always were inspiring other people to want to learn more.

So I am not surprised at all. This is where you are these many years later.

Can you tell us a little bit about how you got started traveling and what allowed you to start bringing students on these trips like over 20 years ago?

[00:01:52] Scott Rainey: Yeah. So the, one of the principals who hired me at my current school had in his office a framed 16 by 20 photo of himself and a bunch of kids standing on the steps of the US Capitol

[00:02:05] Erica: great

[00:02:06] Scott Rainey: and great place to have a photo, right? And, Doug after, you know, I, I would worked for him for a couple years. One time he pulled me aside into his office and, and he pointed that picture out to me and he said, you see that that was one of the greatest things I have ever done in my career.

I think you would really be good for this. And I felt like my heart drop in my stomach. Oh. You know? 'cause the idea of like, wait, wait, all those kids, and across the country, you know, I kind of started hyperventilating, you know, it actually took a couple of years but then the pieces fell together.

A parent came to me and said, Hey, I have got a company that wants to make a presentation to you. And, I have traveled with the same company out of Portland, a small outfit. Can I plug them? Yeah.

[00:02:53] Erica: please.

[00:02:53] Scott Rainey: Educational Travel Services Incorporated, ETSI they were founded by a middle school teacher.

[00:03:00] Erica: Oh 

[00:03:01] Scott Rainey: yeah, so Dennis actually started the company, over 30 years ago,

because he had done these trips just as a teacher, which I, I think, oh my gosh, what an udertaking that would be to do all the planning and all the booking and everything else. And I have been with them since 2004. they came and presented to me what their program was. what I really liked about it was the idea that I had complete autonomy as far as what I wanted my kids to see, what the educational goals were going to be of the trip.

And so what I was able to do with them very quickly was, adapt the trip around the eighth grade US history curriculum, which for the state of Washington goes from colonization to, 

Really to reconstruction basically, you know, so you've got, the early colonial period and you've got the American Revolution and then westward expansion and all that sort of thing. and of course, civics is naturally a huge part of it and study the constitution and, founding documents and whatnot.

and then of course up into the Civil War as well, and the cause of the Civil War and slavery and, you know, I mean all the different, you know, key issues that make up that early part of American history. And so I was able to design my trip around my curriculum and so I could, oh yeah, it's great because I could literally say to the kids when we're out on the field, well, remember back in September when we were talking about

[00:04:22] Erica: Yeah,

[00:04:23] Scott Rainey: Jamestown.

Well, here we are. This is the place, you know, uh, which is, which is astonishing. 

[00:04:30] Erica: All that living history, we've been to Jamestown too, and

[00:04:34] Scott Rainey: Yeah. it's just fantastic. Hamilton mania, is still, alive and well, among middle school children for sure.

And so, I do use Hamilton in the classroom. one of the most amazing things I think I have ever done, and this wasn't with students, but with my wife, we were back in Williamsburg one year for spring break. And so we drove out onto the Yorktown Battlefield and we were playing the Battle of Yorktown.

And, you know, and.

[00:05:02] Erica: Did you

[00:05:02] Scott Rainey: We were crying and just, and we, and we're goosebumps and we get out. Jesus. It is right here, you know? Oh my goodness. You talk, I mean, I am getting goosebumps right now just thinking about it because it was, it was just a coolest thing.

[00:05:16] Erica: Yes.

[00:05:16] Scott Rainey: and soI had to sayI am able to integrate in a lot of really cool thingswith my trip, 

[00:05:22] Erica: Oh, Scott, that's so inspiring. I can only imagine. I mean, we are so lucky, in this day and age to have Hamilton in particular. It is a

[00:05:32] Scott Rainey: Yeah.

[00:05:32] Erica: musical. And I think we listened to it probably, 500 times before we actually got to

[00:05:38] Scott Rainey: Yeah.

[00:05:39] Erica: watch

[00:05:39] Scott Rainey: right,

[00:05:40] Erica: we

[00:05:40] Scott Rainey: right.

[00:05:41] Erica: it is all the, goosebumps and tears.

[00:05:43] Scott Rainey: Oh, yeah.

[00:05:43] Erica: masterfully, created and performed. 

[00:05:47] Scott Rainey: We do see Hamilton on Broadway. And my, my current trip to the East Coast, which is super cool. So I have now seen it on stage three times, which great. 

and I love what Lin Manuel Miranda said about that in that, he said, you know, this is it, it is America's America. I am not going to quote it exactly right, but it's America yesterday portrayed by America today.

[00:06:06] Erica: Yeah.

[00:06:06] Scott Rainey: and to me, that is the most beautiful I mean, I find this show to be the most patriotic, wonderful America, what America is really about affirming

[00:06:17] Erica: And who we can be aspiring

[00:06:19] Scott Rainey: we exactly, who we can be. Precisely. And, and the mere fact that, you know, the idea that you have people of color playing these characters, it's like, oh yeah, because this story belongs to all of us.

And I emphasize that with my students. I say, you know, I don't care if your family has been here for, you know, 10 generations, or they got here a month ago. It is, it's all our story. Which, which, you know, is the, the ideal of America. You know, Erica, we were growing up when we were kids, you know, in the seventies, you know, I, I, we, we lived close to Disneyland and we'd go to Disneyland and Yeah.

And, and, uh, we could do the fireworks from our houses, right?

[00:07:02] Erica: Every

[00:07:03] Scott Rainey: Yeah. and Walt Disney had this for whatever his, various, you know, faults as a human being. he was very much a very idealistic man and a very patriotic man, I guess, when we were little kids, actually we were in first grade during the bicentennial and between Disney and various other things, I believe that I was kind of inculcated with this sense of the idealism

[00:07:22] Erica: Yes.

[00:07:22] Scott Rainey: of America. You know what I mean? And I. And, and I tell, I tell my students and I tell my parents, I tell you here that I, I love America. I consider myself a very patriotic American.

But because I love America, I am very critical of America. And I want America to be better. Our diversity absolutely is our strength. And when we tell the whole story, the ugly warts and all story, it's a better story than just the sanitized, whitewashed version of things. I see my trip as part of my mission in my classroom to inspire kids to say, no, you know what the, the ideals of America, often unfulfilled and many times broken promises, but things that we can still fix. and I have seen our history over 250 years as, you know, sometimes one step forward, two steps back, but constantly moving forward, you know, constantly moving forward.

and it's that kind of optimism. I think that that first of all, helps me to be able to teach eighth graders who are absolutely insane. And I love them for that one. They are absolutely nuts human beings. and I love every day teaching eighth graders because they're just wonderful little, little humans, you know?

They just are, and they're just naturally curious and they want to know things and they want to know that someone cares about them. what I really love about them though is that if you as a teacher are enthusiastic about something they get enthused about it.

[00:08:55] Erica: yes.

[00:08:55] Scott Rainey: That is when it's, oh my gosh, that's when the magic happens. That is it. when I have got kids, I love being in my class. I mean, just today I had a boy ask him, well, so I don't, what was, what was World War? I was it, all that? So we started talking about it and he's like, oh yeah, this, this.

And so here I am with a 13-year-old having this conversation about, you know, about world events. And, it just, it's amazing. It is, too much fun.

[00:09:19] Erica: I would love to hear a story about a time that you feel like either you or your students got to see some of that firsthand where you or your students were learning more about the world in that way.

[00:09:33] Scott Rainey: In the 1970s when we were growing up on the West Coast, at least for me anyway, I was terrified of New York City. I didn't see the movie The Warriors until I was an adult, but I heard about it and I just knew, and I saw the poster on the marquee at the Rossmoor Theater, and I, oh my God, that's New York.

Oh, terrifying. You know, and then other, movies and things like that. Now, things got tempered a little bit by the time we were in our early twenties with Friends. Like, okay, that's all right. You know, you know, things like that. But I still had this kind of, this real Oh, kind of guarded fear, you know, of

[00:10:19] Erica: it was,

[00:10:19] Scott Rainey: the other Right, right, right, right.

Exactly. That Central Park is separated from all the rest of it, and oh my God, if you go there, they're going to kill you.

[00:10:27] Erica: because that's what the

[00:10:28] Scott Rainey: That is what,

[00:10:29] Erica: portrayed

[00:10:29] Scott Rainey: that's what the media parents have the media portrayed precisely. Right. So I want to share a story that I share every time that I meet with my parents to, promote my, my trip each year.

So this was probably 2008 I am thinking 2009, somewhere around there. so I would been traveling about five or six years at this point. So I got pretty comfortable, with my routine. now the way my trip goes is we start out in, in Virginia and, we do Jamestown, Williamsburg, Mount Vernon and then we go into DC a couple days in dc then we're in Pennsylvania, Gettysburg, Lancaster and Hershey, Pennsylvania.

And then the last two days are in New York City. And in New York we are like New Yorkers. we use the subway and we walk and we, get to experience the city and all of its

[00:11:13] Erica: experience 

[00:11:15] Scott Rainey: As especially,

[00:11:16] Erica: because

[00:11:17] Scott Rainey: yeah.

[00:11:17] Erica: it safe to assume that many of the students, this is their first time both in Washington DC or New York?

[00:11:24] Scott Rainey: Absolutely. Yes. and there's a small percentage every year where it's their first time on an airplane even, which is really exciting. 

[00:11:31] Erica: Eye

[00:11:31] Scott Rainey: So it's a big, big learning curve the entire time. And it's not just many milestones, it's not just the history. It is, you know, how do you behave on an airplane?

How do you behave in an airport? How do you behave, on a subway?

[00:11:44] Erica: onto,

[00:11:45] Scott Rainey: Yeah. Off and on, precisely. Right, right. So. Anyway about, I guess I, it was about 2008, 2009. And, I had begun to develop a list of favorites of things that were non-negotiables I had to go to at the different places.

And one of them, was, Ferraris, which is a bakery in Little Italy, right there on Mulberry Street. It is been there since the 1890s. I have been there forever. And so going to Ferraris, I always go and get a cannoli when I go to Ferraris. And so I had some kids with me, these group of four girls.

and when we're in New York, we break it down into, using an adult with a small group of kids, because I typically bring about. Yeah, I typically take about 40, about 40 kids, you know, so usually have around 10 adults. So it works out usually about four kids to an adult.

Now, by the time we get to, you know, this course is in the middle of the day, and so they have a certain amount of autonomy to kind of say, okay, you stay right here on Canal Street. You know, you just here, whatever, don't go into any back alleys, whatever, you know? 

 So anyway, we got in our cannoli and we're walking back up Mulberry Street and there was a gift shop. Out in front.

And, there's a gift shop there. And, I noticed out in front there was an apron hanging and it had a picture of a pizza pie on it, and it had a slice pulled out. And it says, little Italy, New York, you want a piece of me? Oh, that is super cute. That is awesome. You know, so I walked up to the, there's a lady standing outside and I said, I said, Hey, how much, how much for this apron?

You know, it's, it's $15. And I said, I said, oh, would you take 12? 'cause I just come from Chinatown where bargaining is the, is the thing. And she goes, no, no, no, honey, we don't, we don't bargain in little Italy, you do that, you know, and Chinatown and not in Little Italy. So I said, oh, okay, that's fine.

So, so the kids are outside and they're kind of looking at a couple things on the, on the stands there and whatnot. And I, I walk in the store and then. From out of nowhere. Like she teleported in, I swear this, this woman who's about maybe, maybe five foot 

but you talk about a dynamo and she comes out and she is, and I don't want to blow out the speakers here, so I will try to be, I will try to be cautious with the way I depict this, but just understand that this was at full volume. She comes out, she goes, young man, young man, ah, and she's shaking her finger at me just like this.

I will have you know that you are not going to be able to buy that apron in any store in the five boroughs of New York, except right here. And she puts her hands in her hips. And I am like, I am in a movie. I am. Oh my gosh. and I just started laughing and I put my arm around her shoulder. I said, well, you know what, then I would be proud to pay full price.

And she says, well, God, that's great. She laughs, you know, and I said, well, I, I have got, you know, I said, I am a teacher from Washington State and I have got some students with me. Can I bring 'em in the store? And she said, you got students my good.

Bring them inside. I will make it with their, while. She really does. She lowers, I will make it worth their while. So I bring the girls in. And, she's like, ah, girls, this is, Hey, hello, welcome. Come to my school. Come inside, da da. And I love, because one of the girlsMaddie, she goes, she picks up this God awful ugly purple.

I love New York mug. I mean, it is just hideous looking. And she picks it up and I can, I have been around this kid all year, and I know she's about to mock it. Like say, look at how ugly this thing is, right? And she picks it up and she's holding it in her hand. And I see her get into her windup. And right then Elise says, oh, oh, sweetheart, sweetheart, you are so cute.

Now that's, uh, that's, uh, $8. But for you, for you six, for you six. She is like, oh, oh, oh, oh, okay. All right. You know? So, so I go up and say, and say, well, hey, what's, what's, what's your name? What's your name? And she says, well, young man, all the people in the neighborhood here, they all call me Nonna. Do you know what Nonna means?

An Italian young man. And I said, Hmm, is that, is that grandma? She goes, yes. And she goes, girls, I am now your official Italian grandma from New York City. Come out. Come here. And so she gets the girls around her. So I said, all right, I am taking a picture. I took a picture of her with the girls and we're all just laughing.

and I said, well, Nonna tell you what I am coming next year and I am going to bring a bunch of kids to your store. 'cause you are, amazing. And she goes, Hey, the good Lord let me live long enough to see it. 

So I tell all the kids, who are then coming on the trip next year, like, oh my gosh, there's this lady. No, it, she's unbelievable. We gotta go see her. It is so cool. So the kids are just pumped. And my daughter, Nikki, now all three of my girls went on this trip. So my older daughter, Emily, had gone a couple years earlier.

And so now Nikki is on the trip. So we're walking down Mulberry Street and one of my girls, Hannah, she nudge Mr. Rainy is that, is that her? is that Nonna? And I look and I am like, I think so, because I was pretty sure where the store was. So anyway, I walk right up because again, I feel like I am in a movie, you know?

And I walk up and I said, Hey Nonna, do you remember me? I am that teacher from Washington and I brought a bunch of kids here last year. I am back, and I swear to you, I swear in a stack of Bibles, she looks up huge smile and stands up and hugs me.

Said, good to see you, sweetheart. So good to see you. And she passed outta the back. And I am like, oh my God, this is crazy. Right? So she, I said, well, I got my kids come inside, come in the store, come in, come in. so we go in the store and we're looking around. So I bring Nikki up to Nonna and I, I said, Nonna, I want to introduce you to my daughter Nicole.

And she goes, oh my God your daughter, she's so, and she reaches out and pinches Nikki's cheek and Nikki's like, yeah, it's really weird, you know? And she goes, sweetheart, are you buying that stuff there? And she goes, she goes, yeah, well put it down. Put it down, right. Just put it down over there. Put it down right there.

So she goes, all right, children, we're, we're not done. Come on. You gotta, you gotta pay. Get over here. No, no sweetheart, you stay here with your father.

No, come here. Here. Okay. You alright? Now go. Go. Wait outside. No, no honey, you stay here with your father. Stay here. You stay here now. Okay. You okay? And she's writing something down and she's taking the money, right? So, okay. Get, go, go wait outside. No, your teacher will be there in a minute. Go, go. Wait.

Outside, go. So about, 10, 12 kids, they filter through and they finally all go out and then she holds up this notepad and she says, young man, look how much money you brought to my store today. And she looks at Nikki and she goes, sweetheart, you don't have to pay for any of that. You can just have that, well, you go over there on the shelf and you go find something nice for your mother.

[00:18:06] Erica: Oh, so.

[00:18:09] Scott Rainey: so I took another picture and I said, well now I am coming back next year. 'cause my baby's coming next year. Yes. Need the good Lord let me live long enough to see it. So now this has become the talk of the school. The kids that are going on a trip cannot wait to see Nonna.

This Italian lady in this little store in Little Italy who's just like a, something out of a movie, something you would never, you know, expect to see. You certainly don't see that in our little town, right? So there we are the next summer. So we go and Kayla's like, daddy, I can't wait to meet her.

I am like, I know, I know, I know. We are waiting all week to get to Little Italy to go see her. And I am like, oh, there's a start. Let's go. So we go in and the store's all different and there's a young man standing behind the counter and it's even got a different name. and she goes like, daddy,where is she?

I said, well, honey, this isn't the way the store was. I mean, this is like different now. I mean, she was pretty old, you know, and she goes, oh, oh no. I said, yeah, you know, this is kinda the way life is, you know, things happen, right? and, so, you know, of course the kids are very disappointed because we're obviously not going to meet, be able to meet this wonderful lady who had such an impact on the last couple years of kids.

So I walk up to the man behind the counter, and I said, Hey, so there was this older lady who ran the store. She goes, oh yeah, Karen. her name is Karen, not Nonna, it's Karen. I said, yeah, 

what happened? He goes, oh, she retired like eight months ago and sold me the store. She lives down the block. She is just retired. Like she alive.

[00:19:50] Erica: Karen

[00:19:51] Scott Rainey: Oh, so great. Karen was, okay, we're all good. so I share that story, because there was no way, no way, that's over three years understand, you know, there's no way you could orchestrate that.

There is no way you could plan that. That just was completely born out by initially my willingness to entertaina really, really Funny woman who was obviously having a good time to play along with her and to develop a friendship.

[00:20:22] Erica: Yeah.

[00:20:22] Scott Rainey: And we really did become friends, you know? and she really did remember me, the next year.

[00:20:27] Erica: out of thousands, tens of thousands,

[00:20:28] Scott Rainey: I,

[00:20:28] Erica: of people

[00:20:28] Scott Rainey: that is the magic of traveling, you know? That is the beauty of it. even now, even though it's been many years and I don't know where Karen is now, I am sure she's still living down the block, but, she's still impacting people.

[00:20:39] Erica: Through

[00:20:39] Scott Rainey: The story, yeah. her love, you know what I mean? and it was everything she did was pure love. 'cause she was just. Eating it up, having so much fun with me and my kids and giving stuff away and then cutting the prices just because a kid was nice or whatever.

just having a ball doing it and, that kind of big personality you don't necessarily run into on the west coast as much.

[00:21:04] Erica: That is

[00:21:05] Scott Rainey: we don't really see those kind of people and yet here she was just in a, in a random store. and so I think that's really the magic of it, you know, and putting yourself out there and being willing to take a risk.

Willing to talk to somebody. And that's what I have always said, you know, is that traveling is about that is putting yourself out there and being willing to try new things and experience new things. And, you know, my arm here is blank. but I am, and now I am saying on a podcast, I really have to now, going to get my first tattoo.

I am 55. I am going to get my first tattoo. And, I was a literature major at Cal State Long Beach and Mark Twain was my favorite writer. And he wrote a book all about traveling,

[00:21:44] Erica: Yes 

[00:21:44] Scott Rainey: called, called The Innocence Abroad, which of course, I am sure you're familiar if the listeners are familiar with.

And it's all about his travels, around the world. And on the second to last page is a marvelous quote. And, and I am getting it on my arm and it says, travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrowmindedness and charitable views of men and things cannot be obtained by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.

And I think that really sums it up.

[00:22:18] Erica: Yes,

[00:22:18] Scott Rainey: know it is fatal to prejudice and bigotry and narrow mindedness when you have stood in the spot where Dr. Martin Luther King gave his, I Have a Dream speech. And you look at that vista, which I am sure you have, and many of your listeners have, you know, you're a different person

[00:22:34] Erica: yes.

[00:22:35] Scott Rainey: when you have, walked through the Holocaust Museum and seen those exhibits and heard the hushed reverence silence of, hundreds of people.

You are a different person.

[00:22:46] Erica: Yes.

[00:22:47] Scott Rainey: When you stood in front of the US Capitol or inside the Capitol rotunda and looked up at that amazing structure in person, you're different.

One of the things, the first things we do when we get to New York City is I have a time. So we get to the city in the afternoon, we go to the hotel, drop off our stuff, and we go to Rockefeller Center and we go up to the observation deck, which is like 75 floors or whatever up there, and we watch the sun go down.

Over Manhattan and to see day, become, night to see the greatest city in the world, as they say in Hamilton, and I believe it is, to see the greatest city in the world. Light up. You are different.

[00:23:29] Erica: Yes.

[00:23:29] Scott Rainey: You are a different person forever. Forever you are. And to be able to, the privilege of getting to do this with kids who are 14, you know, you know what I mean?

And, and just hitting into high school where they're starting to make those important decisions. What kind of person are they going to be? Where are they going to go in life? What are they going to do? They now have at least a small sense that the world is not a place to be feared and scared of and to cower from, but that most people out there are pretty cool.

Just want the same things that you do. They want to be able to live their lives, have a nice dinner. enjoy themselves, enjoy their children. That is what everybody wants. And I feel like sometimes, with the way society is, there's so many forces in society that want to tell everyone to be afraid.

And I think that living a life of fear, to go back to my literature roots, it was, Thoreau who said that, the mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation. And, that hit me in high school. I have always carried that with me. I actually had a postcard written with that on above my desk all through college.

You know, the massive men lead lives of quiet desperation, and I never want to be that person.

[00:24:43] Erica: and you don't want

[00:24:44] Scott Rainey: And

[00:24:44] Erica: the kids that you are teaching

[00:24:47] Scott Rainey: yeah.

[00:24:47] Erica: people that you love. My dad

[00:24:49] Scott Rainey: Yes.

[00:24:50] Erica: A literature major

[00:24:52] Scott Rainey: Right, right, right.

[00:24:53] Erica: uh, shared that quote with me over and over 

[00:24:56] Scott Rainey: Yeah.

[00:24:56] Erica: my

[00:24:57] Scott Rainey: Yeah.

[00:24:57] Erica: I, 

[00:24:57] Scott Rainey: Right.

[00:24:58] Erica: that it has been very inspirational

[00:25:00] Scott Rainey: Mm-hmm.

[00:25:01] Erica: craft a life that's intentional and, uh,

[00:25:05] Scott Rainey: Yes,

[00:25:05] Erica: And that, you are an artist of your own life. You,

[00:25:11] Scott Rainey: Yes, indeed.

Those of us who are lucky 

[00:25:12] Erica: enough to be born into situations where, where we can,

[00:25:16] Scott Rainey: Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah.

[00:25:17] Erica: that so for you to be able to provide that to your students while they're having these experiences and that you're teaching them for the whole year beforehand, 

[00:25:26] Scott Rainey: Yes.

[00:25:27] Erica: facts and pieces of history, and yet. As you say, it's when you're actually standing there, I was

[00:25:34] Scott Rainey: Yeah.

[00:25:35] Erica: while you were telling, you know sharing all of those places that you have been with your students

[00:25:41] Scott Rainey: Right?

[00:25:42] Erica: how eye-opening, how heart opening it must

[00:25:46] Scott Rainey: Yes.

[00:25:47] Erica: And then I also know that when you host these trips, it's within a pretty short period of time.

[00:25:53] Scott Rainey: Mm-hmm.

[00:25:54] Erica: like peak experience after peak experience.

[00:25:57] Scott Rainey: Yes.

[00:25:58] Erica: leads to, and speaking from myself personally when I have been on trips where it's like multiple peak experiences in one day, and then you

[00:26:07] Scott Rainey: Yeah.

[00:26:07] Erica: on top of each other, you

[00:26:10] Scott Rainey: right.

[00:26:10] Erica: different person.

[00:26:12] Scott Rainey: Mm-hmm.

[00:26:12] Erica: feel yourself as part of this grand sweep of humanity and history.

[00:26:17] Scott Rainey: Absolutely.

[00:26:19] Erica: that at 14, what a

[00:26:21] Scott Rainey: Yeah.

[00:26:22] Erica: what a

[00:26:22] Scott Rainey: Yeah.

[00:26:22] Erica: powerful gift.

One of the things that's so amazing about what you do is that you're able to tie these lessons about history and humanity and this story of America into these real life experiences,

[00:26:37] Scott Rainey: Yes. 

[00:26:38] Erica: to weave together facts and dates and sometimes what can be feel dry when

[00:26:45] Scott Rainey: Mm-hmm.

[00:26:46] Erica: learning about history

[00:26:48] Scott Rainey: Mm-hmm.

[00:26:48] Erica: make it alive and

[00:26:51] Scott Rainey: Oh, gosh. Yes.

[00:26:52] Erica: Feel relevant to them as

[00:26:55] Scott Rainey: Yeah.

[00:26:55] Erica: adults trying to figure

[00:26:57] Scott Rainey: Mm-hmm.

[00:26:57] Erica: are in the

[00:26:58] Scott Rainey: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

[00:26:59] Erica: So, it's a beautiful combination of, teaching and living history. 

[00:27:05] Scott Rainey: Well, I have a poster on my wall that's right up in the front that kids can see every single day, and that's a quote from Pearl S Buck. And it says, if you want to understand today, you have to search yesterday.

[00:27:15] Erica: Yes.

[00:27:15] Scott Rainey: so I refer to that all the time, you know, I mean, like right now I am talking about the Gilded Age and I say, well, you know, there are people who say that today is very similar in a lot of ways to the Gilded Age

Very, you know, it's like, there are some people making lots and lots of money, but while the majority of people kind of wages have sort of stagnated and, I had a very serious discussion with my kids the other day about, well, I found a graphic, which, I haven't vetted, but I am willing to trust, for the most part, that showed the average income you would need per state annual income to buy a house.

And in Washington right now, you had to be making $175,000 a year to buy a house. And I don't care what degree you get,

[00:27:57] Erica: people.

[00:27:58] Scott Rainey: When both of my daughters are college graduates and they are not making, even if they moved in together, they wouldn't be making that much money.

[00:28:04] Erica: right.

[00:28:05] Scott Rainey: And, you know, I had this Provide that context. Yes. Provide that context. And, I actually, it's interesting. I had one of my very astute, young ladies, when I was talking about this you know, her mother's an attorney, you know, and I said, even if you, I.

went to law school you're not going to be making 175K right out the door, right outta school, and so the young lady, she looks at me, she goes, okay, so am I kind of screwed? I say, well, no, I don't think you are, because, you know, I am a big believer also in the cycles of history as well.

and we look at the Gilded Age, what came after was the progressive age where there were constraints and changes put on, you know, that. But it seems that, you know, the way history goes is we tend to, you know, completely, rub it in Santiana's face all the time is like, now we're not going to remember that.

We are just going to keep on repeating the same mistakes over and over again. You know, and not too many people in 2025 are really aware of what the Gilded Age was. and so I think that's why, you know, maybe society's been allowed to get away with, you know, kind of where we are today. And, you know, I don't know, but.

[00:29:08] Erica: more and more people are talking about it in the context of current events and what is happening. Butone of the great gifts that your students are being offered is this idea of understanding history as these bigger waves. And I think,

[00:29:23] Scott Rainey: Yeah.

[00:29:23] Erica: dedicated your life to studying history. You can see those patterns, you

[00:29:28] Scott Rainey: Right, right.

[00:29:29] Erica: bigger context, and sometimes it provides comfort. And just like traveling when you're out and you see that other people are experiencing different, iterations of these same universal themes,

[00:29:41] Scott Rainey: Mm-hmm.

[00:29:42] Erica: it it can provide comfort. People have been through this before.

People got

[00:29:46] Scott Rainey: Right,

[00:29:47] Erica: people,

[00:29:47] Scott Rainey: exactly.

[00:29:49] Erica: got better. and so that, that overlap of both history and travel, getting to see the world from this bigger context

[00:29:56] Scott Rainey: Exactly.

[00:29:57] Erica: Yeah.

[00:29:58] Scott Rainey: and, that's a wonderful thing about being in the mentor position as a teacher

[00:30:02] Erica: Mm-hmm.

[00:30:02] Scott Rainey: to be able to guide them through these big ideas to say, okay, yes, this is where this has gone.

I guess it's human nature. when you get to a certain age to look down your nose at young people and say, oh, They will never make it. I read an article some years ago and I am just killing myself trying to find it. but it was, when we, generation X, there was 13th generation, the unlucky 13th generation and all this consternation among all the adults about how we were the slackers and we were never going to make it.

We were never going to survive, and this, and this and this. But what was interesting in that article was that it went through and it said that, well, okay, but here's what was said about. The, you know, the boomer generation. And here's what was said about the World War ii, greatest generation. Here's what was said about, you know, the generation that, went through the jazz era.

You know, here's where the generation that went through the Gilded Age, you know, and every single generation, all the way back to Jamestown, the older people said, these kids are never going to make it. You know, they don't understand life. They are not going to make it. And yet you have people who built a country and, for us, you know, built an internet economy, every generation has, its thing 

And for people who want to decry the young kids, with their Skibidi Toilet and all their whatever, weird little phrases and things they say and stuff. there is this massive, massive growth of like, constructed language just made up, made up words, all and, and it's, it's all part of the encoding.

You know, if you look at it from a sociological point of view, it's all part of the encoding of them asserting their independence. And I think it's beautiful. I love it. I absolutely love it because it's showing a vibrant generation.

But, anyway, all that to say the thing I see with these kids, is a group of human beings who absolutely have true empathy and acceptance and love and tolerance for people who are different.

I told my kids a couple weeks ago, I said, you know, when I was in eighth grade, there was not a single gay or lesbian or trans kid in my school. What are you talking about? And I have got, several kids in each class. of course there were. Right? and they're like, what?

I said, no, no, no. I said, well, of course there were, but they didn't dare be out because they would've been destroyed. And I said, and look at, I mean, yeah, obviously there are always going to be bigots in any group of people no matter what. But by and large, I mean, I have got, kids who have no worry, no concern about number one, expressing who they are, and number two, accepting others.

[00:32:34] Erica: Yes.

[00:32:36] Scott Rainey: Yeah. You know?

[00:32:37] Erica: with you, Scott. I have, also been lucky enough to work with a lot of teenagers and I just find this current generation of teenagers so inspiring and they give

[00:32:47] Scott Rainey: Mm-hmm.

[00:32:48] Erica: hope. 

[00:32:49] Scott Rainey: Yes.

[00:32:49] Erica: they have had all these opportunities to be much

[00:32:52] Scott Rainey: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

[00:32:53] Erica: and open-hearted and accepting. And I know it's scary for a lot of older folks how fast those hearts are opening, but,

[00:33:01] Scott Rainey: Mm-hmm.

[00:33:02] Erica: I think it, it gives me a lot of hope for the future.

[00:33:06] Scott Rainey: Yeah. I think it bodes well for humanity when you have an entire generation that is just pretty chill with other people. You know? I, I think that's a good, that's a very good thing.

It means that we're recognizing, Hey, you know what? It is not cool to be mean to somebody else because they're different from you.

Mm-hmm.

[00:33:27] Erica: I have read some of the things that your students past students have said about how this trip has impacted them. Could you

[00:33:33] Scott Rainey: Mm-hmm.

[00:33:33] Erica: bit about that?

[00:33:35] Scott Rainey: Yeah, yeah, yeah. So I have got, a couple that come to mind. So one of them was a student named Layton, and Layton came from a kind of a rough background. When he was in middle school, I believe his father passed away. And so he kind of looked at me as sort of a father figure in school.

he, was a very, very studious young man. Really, took his schoolwork very, very seriously. Well, of course he came on the trip, that year. And, I kind of sporadic contact with him through high school. And then after high schoolhe got ahold of me. And, he actually, a couple years ago sent me a video that I now use in promotions

[00:34:11] Erica: Hmm.

[00:34:11] Scott Rainey: I present to charitable groups for my nonprofit, which I can talk about later.

[00:34:15] Erica: Yes 

[00:34:15] Scott Rainey: but he joined the emergent Marine in his early twenties and has now I believe he said his most recent count is 31. Different countries yeah. And six continents.

[00:34:28] Erica: Good

[00:34:28] Scott Rainey: He has yet to hit Antarctica, but 31 countries, six continents, been all over the world. And he told me that it was because he had this chance at 14 to leave a little town and to see the bigger world.

It gave him that sense of water, lust, that idea, I want to be as much as I can. I want to experience as much as I possibly can. and so he's not, not wealthy, by any stretch, yet his line of work, is about traveling. And so he's seeing all these things and he has such a love and appreciation for so many cultures and so many different types of food and different practices and whatnot.

You know, and again, this is a, this was a you know, a kid from a little, again, semi-rural town in, in Washington state. Now here he is traveling the world. So that's Layton,

[00:35:22] Erica: That is a

[00:35:22] Scott Rainey: Second one. Yeah. Is not that wonderful?

[00:35:25] Erica: that there again at 14, he had those experiences that lit that fire for that love of travel

[00:35:31] Scott Rainey: Yep.

[00:35:31] Erica: and that curiosity about the world, 

[00:35:34] Scott Rainey: Yes.

[00:35:34] Erica: that

[00:35:34] Scott Rainey: Mm-hmm.

[00:35:35] Erica: go and see more of our world.

[00:35:38] Scott Rainey: Exactly.

[00:35:39] Erica: Yeah.

[00:35:39] Scott Rainey: and in a, similar story is Alexis Alexis ended up going to Arizona State and majored in biology. And she has since lived in Asia. she's lived in Africa. of course has to do with, her work as a biologist, lived all over the United States. And it just so happened she was, temporarily in Washington DC one year when.

Our group came through and she was probably 24 or 25 at this point. she reached out to me, said, Hey, I am just like one stop down the metro from the White House. Can I, come see you guys. I said, yeah, come down. 

Which is so cool. So I hadn't seen her since, you know, I always go to the high school graduation, and I probably hadn't seen her since high school graduation, so we've been several years, a few times. and so she tells me, she goes, you know, it was that trip that, you know, I have a travel bug.

I go, I can't stay in one place. I go everywhere I can because I love experiencing new places and new things, and you gave me that shot when I was a kid, which gotta get choked up, thinking about it. Like how fun is that? The last one, is probably my favorite. Because it's just, again, so improbable.

And it, it's a story. So it'll take a little bit of time. So I hope you'll bear with me on this, but it's worth it. I am the coach of our school's knowledgeable team, which is, you know, knowledgeable. It is like jeopardy, you know, that sort of thing. Of course. 

[00:37:00] Erica: it's all those facts and figures that make the story

[00:37:04] Scott Rainey: Exactly right, 

[00:37:05] Erica: to invest in knowing those things. 

[00:37:07] Scott Rainey: Precisely.

[00:37:09] Erica: knowledgeable

[00:37:09] Scott Rainey: Yeah.

[00:37:10] Erica: sorry to interrupt.

[00:37:11] Scott Rainey: Yeah. So I am the knowledgeable coach and have been since I started in this school in 1998. some years backaround the time of the great recession around oh eight or oh nine, there was talk that we might end up losing the program.

Well, of course, very upset about that. the rules of the league were that only seventh and eighth grade kids could play. Sixth graders had to wait till seventh grade before they could be on any of the sports teams. 'cause we're actually considered a sport, which is pretty awesome.

It is our sport sport for nerds. And, so, but with, with the possibility of it shutting down I thought, well, I. What are we going to do? I had this little sixth grader named Madison who really wanted to be unknowledgeable. So I said, whatever, just come with us. We will get the parents, parents sign up.

Commissioner said, okay, you can be on our team. That is great. Well, turns out the same time I was working on my, my National Board Certification as a National Board Certified Teacher, back in oh eight going into oh nine. And this was like doing a hyper Master's Degree all in one year. It was an insane amount of work.

I had to, videotape myself teaching. I had to do all this self-analysis and all this research and all the hope, just a ton of work, a ton of stress. And so I was, a little on the scatterbrain side. So now imagine this, now we are about halfway through our season and, this new little sixth grader joins us.

Well, we take, a school bus to our meets, in the area. we were at a meet way up the Columbia River Gorge. 

Anyway, we gone to the meet competed, it was great. And at the end we're getting ready to go and Maddie comes up to me, Madison says, Mr. Reina, I need to use the bathroom. I am like, okay, okay, sure, sure, sure, sure. Look grandma on guys. Gotta get on the bus. We got on the bus so everyone kinda loads up on the bus and I completely forget that there's a kid in the bathroom. 

Mia Pulpa. It was my fault. I totally take all the blame for it, but whatever. I forgot the kid. So we get on the bus and we drive, drive, drive, drive, drive, and we stop at, a McDonald's in the town of gin. We stopped at McDonald's to get dinner 

I still haven't realized the child is missing. So we eat dinner, get back on the bus, drive, drive, drive, drive, drive back to our town, one of the parkings school, and I am met by Madison and her mom.

[00:39:19] Erica: my gosh.

[00:39:23] Scott Rainey: That is awkward. It was, and I gotta tell you, Madison's mom was far cooler than she needed to be because in reality, I mean, the child was never in any danger. I mean, she was at a school, there were adults there. I mean, you know, it wasn't like she was abandoned out in the woods or something, you know? But again, I.

Totally blew it. I, I just blew it. And so, I mean, I wrote her a letter and everything else, and I was so sorry, blah, blah, blah, blah. And she, and she again, was very, very kind with me. I mean, she was mad, but she was very kind. So, a couple days later, Madison Little sixth grader kind of comes up to me, sort of sassy look, and she's kind of shaking her head and she says, Mr.

Rainey, you know that trip you do every summer? And I said, yeah, the eighth grade East Coast trip. She goes, my mom says I am going on that trip and I sure, sure you are. I said, Madison, there is no way your mom's going to send you on that trip. And she goes, no, no. She said, I am going. 'cause she says, now after the other night, you're the only teacher she will trust me with

[00:40:27] Erica: are never

[00:40:27] Scott Rainey: because she never going to lose me then.

Well, two years later, of course she was on the trip.

[00:40:33] Erica: Okay.

[00:40:33] Scott Rainey: And of course I made a big deal out of, you know, whenever we're checking in. Yum. Resident up here. Okay, fine. Shut up already. Right. Well, fast forward a few years, and again, like I said, I always go to the high school graduation 

In art and watch people here. And, so Madison had, I forget where she went to college, but she was, you know, again, college graduate at this point. So again, 23 to 24. And after the ceremony is over, well she comes running up to me, she says, Randy, she comes up and she gives, they just call me by my last name.

Now, at this point, it's just, Mr is just thrown out the window at this point. So I says, Randy, so she runs up, gives me a hug, like, Hey, oh my gosh, so great to see you. And she says, do you remember what I told you in New York? I am like, you know, I am thinking myself. Gee, it was only eight years ago, you know, I am like and I look at her, I said, sure.

She said, no, you don't. I said, alright, fine. What did you tell me in New York? She said, I told you that when I got outta college, I was going to move to New York City. 

I live in New York City, rainy. I am doing it. And I am like, oh my gosh. Doing high five. You know? And I, and again, this is a little, a little had, you know, I still have a little sixth grader in my head, you know? And now here's this young woman, brave, brave young woman, living in brave, bold, fighting, you know, resilient, incredible, tough, you know, woman living in New York City.

[00:41:59] Erica: that trip,

[00:42:00] Scott Rainey: And that trip,

[00:42:01] Erica: inspired

[00:42:03] Scott Rainey: inspired, yes,

[00:42:04] Erica: dream.

[00:42:05] Scott Rainey: So, so there it is. And so,

[00:42:07] Erica: stories, Scott.

[00:42:08] Scott Rainey: yeah. yeah, it's something else. You know, it's really cool to recount them here, to remind myself. It is like, yeah. You know, it's been a lot of cool impact, you know, it really has.

[00:42:16] Erica: people's lives, 

[00:42:17] Scott Rainey: Yeah.

[00:42:18] Erica: on a completely different trajectory with their life. 

[00:42:21] Scott Rainey: Absolutely.

[00:42:22] Erica: And I

[00:42:22] Scott Rainey: Yeah.

[00:42:23] Erica: work really hard to make sure many students who want to go are hopefully able to go. Can you tell us

[00:42:29] Scott Rainey: Yes,

[00:42:30] Erica: your nonprofit?

[00:42:32] Scott Rainey: absolutely. More than happy to do that. So the idea for my nonprofit actually came oh, more than 10 years ago, actually, I was, I was, standing in line at, at Hershey Park, and we always go to amusement park on a trip as well, thing line at Hershey Park. And, one of the teachers I was with said, you know, you know, this trip's starting to get kind of expensive.

What we ought to do is we had to look into, like making a, making a nonprofit, you know, and, and just have business donate, help, help sponsor kids, and said, yeah, that's a, that's a great idea. And then we kind of sat on the idea and sat on the idea and sat on the idea for a few more years, I. Meanwhile, the trip got more and more and more expensive.

When I started doing this trip, Erica, in 2004, the entire trip, again, this is seven days, including airfare, hotels, meals, ground transportation, admission to everything, everything is covered except for souvenir money. When I started the trip in 2004, it was about 1900 bucks. it's, this year, 2025, it's over 4,500.

[00:43:32] Erica: wow.

[00:43:33] Scott Rainey: Yeah. And, that's inflation. I mean it's 20. And that's 20 years, you know, but it's still that is a number that is way out of reach for a lot of families. And, if that's not a problem for a family, hey, God bless you, that's great.

but for many people it is out of reach. So I decided to start a nonprofit dedicated to the idea of supporting educational student travel. And, right now, because it's very small I have it just kind of focused here in Washugal and in East Vancouver. But the idea is for a student who can't afford the trip, they can apply for scholarships, 

So I thought I would be a terrible, you know, terrible salesperson, but I found out something about this is that if it's something you really believe in, you can sell it. And so I began sharing, this story like I was shared with, with you with different organizations, different charitable groups, in the area.

The veterans of Foreign Wars of Canvas and Washugal have been particularly, generous, with us. We just got $3,000 from them this year. I dunno if I can say that or not, but a lot of money

[00:44:35] Erica: how

[00:44:35] Scott Rainey: from them. Yes. And, not just the local Rotary as well, and, Elks Club and different groups.

Because I have done this for so long in this community, there's an awful lot of goodwill about it. And there's an awful lot of families. 

 And the people in this community of Washugal, in particular have been incredibly generous.

Unbelievable. I have been awestruck to tears at the generosity. last year, was really the year really kind of getting rolling with it. I had several parents walk checks of multiple hundreds of dollars at a time into the school office to deliver to me to help offset costs for kids.

And so, so that is East County Student Travel. 

[00:45:21] Erica: And we'll be linking that in the show notes.

You can certainly see why people would want to make sure it happens for as many students as possible. It is very

[00:45:29] Scott Rainey: Absolutely.

[00:45:30] Erica: Scott.

[00:45:31] Scott Rainey: Thank you very much, Erica. 

[00:45:32] Erica: Yeah. 

I think so many of the best teachers, it's not just imparting the information, it's asking the questions in the right way where

[00:45:41] Scott Rainey: Mm-hmm.

[00:45:42] Erica: that curiosity and helping to kindle that fire. Seems like that's really the kind of teacher you have become.

[00:45:49] Scott Rainey: well, thank you. for the viewers and listeners here, Erica and I went to the same elementary school, and then the same high school as well. And so we shared a lot of amazing teachers in Los Alamitos California.

I, and I, I credit so many of those wonderful folks. if I see further it's for standing on the shoulders of giants becausefrom kindergarten forward, I can go through every year and I can name off still to this day. Instructors, teachers who made such a positive impact in my life and encouraged me and helped me to grow and to become a better person.

[00:46:25] Erica: Yep.

[00:46:25] Scott Rainey: And, you know, it's, what a wonderful gift we shared to be able to have that kind of educational experience.

[00:46:30] Erica: Do you have any tips, practical tips for those of us who enjoy traveling? 

[00:46:36] Scott Rainey: Well, I would say if you are going to, go to the capital area it's an area I know very well nowthe National Park, There is tons of resources available online tosee different things.

the wonderful thing about the capital is almost everything is free.

[00:46:51] Erica: Yes.

[00:46:51] Scott Rainey: because it belongs to all of us. the Smithsonians are all free. I would also suggest taking your time. The sheer amount of things to see and do in just the capital area is staggering. 

If you go on a visit and don't see everything, don't beat yourself up over that. because there is, always more to see. a funny little story about that was I, I am so used to the way I travel with the students, which is basically a sprint. It is a sprint for a solid week. Get up at six and in bed at midnight.

And it is sprinting, sprinting, sprinting, you know, to see as much as we can. And, so my wife and I, we went to Williamsburg for, again, for spring break a few years ago. And so I said, oh yeah, well, we can do Williamsburg. 'cause I do Williamsburg in about four hours with the kids. I said, we can do Williamsburg and then we do Jamestown in Yorktown, you know, the same day.

That'll be okay, whatever, And then we can go to Washington, DC maybe a couple days, maybe we'll go to Richmond. We will do this, do this, this. Well, when we got there, we ended up spending a full day

[00:47:55] Erica: so much to do there. 

[00:47:56] Scott Rainey: yes. 

[00:47:57] Erica: our plans too when we

[00:47:59] Scott Rainey: Right. We did a full day in Jamestown, a full day in Yorktown. We did, I think three days in Williamsburg, which again, I normally only spend maybe four hours if I am lucky.

we never even made it to Washington, DC I mean, we, you know, we just so much to see there. So, so I have to say, advice I would offer would be, to pace yourself, and to realize that there is way more than you will see in one trip unless you take a full month.

And even then you won't see everything because there's, you know, 20 Smithsonian museums alone and each one deserves a full day. 19 of them are in dc The 20th is up in New York City, so there's that too. But, but, you know, I would say definitely, I. Definitely check out the online resources will be really good.

we, my wife and I are big believers in watching YouTube videos and seeing what other travelers have done. definitely, if you're traveling with students, I would absolutely, be talking to Erica and talking to Trip Scholars and a lot of tips and different things that they offer here as well.

also the folks that nominated me for Traveling Teacher of the Year, SYTA, student Youth and Travel, Association, who they publish the, Teach and Travel Magazine They are another great source for educational travel for sure. But yeah, that's probably what I would recommend.

Um, those are fantastic.

[00:49:12] Erica: really. Very, very good. And, since You have orchestrated so many large group trips, do you have any tips for traveling teachers or other people organizing large groups? Making sure that you're able to keep track of everybody in all of that.

[00:49:28] Scott Rainey: Oh, yes, that is the question. That was a, it's a regular joke as well. I always tell parents, well, okay, we're taking 45 kids this year. We will bring back 45 kids, may not be the same 45 kids. We will bring back 45 kids. Of course. Now actually, I took my largest group to DC three years ago, and it was 85.

An insane number of bodies. Yeah.

[00:49:50] Erica: to keep

[00:49:51] Scott Rainey: Yeah. that's three full classrooms. it was insane. I honestly was having stress dreams before the trip, But the thing is, I learned very, very early on, I had a mentor on my first East coast trip who taught me a lot of great tricks.

probably the greatest trick I ever learned about managing kids on a trip like this, Never try to take role, especially with 85

[00:50:16] Erica: I can

[00:50:16] Scott Rainey: people

[00:50:18] Erica: you would

[00:50:18] Scott Rainey: here.

[00:50:19] Erica: to get to many sites.

[00:50:20] Scott Rainey: So here's what we do is, before we depart, the airport, we gather all the kids together.

They have to get into a circle alphabetically by last name and we let them organize that.

So then we tell them, alright, now for the next week, the person to your right and the person to your left are going to be your buddy. Your buddy doesn't mean that they're the person you hang out with.

What it means is whenever an adult, yells the phrase buddy check. Every person must stop what they're doing, and they have to make physical eye contact with both buddies wherever they are. 

I tell the kids, the faster we can do this, the more cool things we get to do. Like I said, I mean it works with eight I had with 85 kids and it worked just fine.

 

[00:51:16] Erica: make sure everybody's safe in a large group 

[00:51:19] Scott Rainey: precisely.

[00:51:20] Erica: seconds, 

[00:51:20] Scott Rainey: Exactly. So, you know, we're getting on the, you know, getting on the bus, leaving, leaving a museum.This, you know, it's a way to just make sure we're all good.

[00:51:27] Erica: a lot of people to be responsible for and

[00:51:29] Scott Rainey: Yeah, it is.

[00:51:30] Erica: e emerging adults, who are still learning how to navigate all of those things. But what a,

[00:51:36] Scott Rainey: Yeah.

[00:51:36] Erica: what an incredibly empowering experience for those young people to have that much, autonomy

[00:51:42] Scott Rainey: Mm-hmm.

[00:51:43] Erica: so different from what they have at home. It is awesome.

[00:51:46] Scott Rainey: Absolutely. and again, it's, you know, like I think I mentioned earlier that it's, it's not just the history.

[00:51:51] Erica: Mm-hmm.

[00:51:52] Scott Rainey: it is, it is the there's a very steep learning curve. You know, again, how do you, because it's, it's four boys or four girls to a room, you know, they don't have any adults in their rooms with them.

So it's just kids in the room. So it's like,

[00:52:03] Erica: All

[00:52:03] Scott Rainey: and we tell them, look, you know, mommy or daddy isn't here to make sure your bag is packed. You have to make sure you have all of your stuff together.

[00:52:12] Erica: it's

[00:52:12] Scott Rainey: know, and so if.

[00:52:13] Erica: a thing to manage.

[00:52:14] Scott Rainey: Yeah, you know, you don't want to unpack everything because you have to pack it all back up.

[00:52:18] Erica: Yeah. And they're figuring out so many different things

[00:52:21] Scott Rainey: Mm-hmm.

[00:52:22] Erica: an opportunity to step into that independence

[00:52:25] Scott Rainey: exactly.

[00:52:26] Erica: It is so great what

[00:52:27] Scott Rainey: Exactly. 

[00:52:27] Erica: Scott, you have given us so much inspiration for our own travels

[00:52:32] Scott Rainey: Oh,

[00:52:32] Erica: those

[00:52:32] Scott Rainey: you.

[00:52:33] Erica: interested in traveling like this in the future.

Do you have one like small simple step that we could implement this week to help us get on our way?

[00:52:45] Scott Rainey: Depending on your age, if you were older, for sure, I would. Uh, I definitely recommend making sure that you are physically ready for this.

[00:52:54] Erica: Yeah.

[00:52:55] Scott Rainey: traveling with students is a lot of walking.

You know, we're averaging about 10 miles a day,

[00:53:01] Erica: a

[00:53:02] Scott Rainey: so you want to. It is a lot of steps. Exactly. It is a lot of steps.

But, the thing though too, and I would say for anyone, if you love history, and if you love traveling, I guess I would just encourage you to give in to the joy. Give in to the joy because I have found few things to be as fulfilling as taken kids on this trip.

[00:53:31] Erica: Mm.

[00:53:31] Scott Rainey: You know what I mean? And, and, and recognizing what a wonderful opportunity I have, to spend time with such quality little human beings and, to know that there will be stories down the road that I will hear from them when they're adults, and tell me what they thought of it.

[00:53:47] Erica: Those are both wonderful tips. So getting ourselves physically ready, that is something

[00:53:52] Scott Rainey: Yes,

[00:53:53] Erica: tomorrow.

[00:53:54] Scott Rainey: yes, indeed.

[00:53:55] Erica: into the joy of the trip, 

[00:53:58] Scott Rainey: Absolutely.

[00:54:00] Erica: to have,

[00:54:01] Scott Rainey: Yes.

[00:54:01] Erica: memory making experiences and opportunities for transformation and connection. 

[00:54:08] Scott Rainey: Absolutely.

[00:54:09] Erica: Thank you. 

[00:54:10] Scott Rainey: Yeah.

[00:54:11] Erica: to leave our listeners with a reflection on travel or a quote on

[00:54:15] Scott Rainey: Mm-hmm.

[00:54:17] Erica: carry with them into the

[00:54:18] Scott Rainey: Mm-hmm.

[00:54:19] Erica: I know you've

[00:54:20] Scott Rainey: Mm-hmm.

[00:54:21] Erica: a couple of quotes. Do, is there one you'd like to share with us now?

[00:54:26] Scott Rainey: Well, of course I did mention earlier, the twain quote, which is always my go-to, but another one is from the writer Jonathan Swift,

[00:54:33] Erica: Yeah.

[00:54:35] Scott Rainey: and he said, live every day of your life. And, uh, I love that because that is, that it really is. That is, that's traveling, that's, that's everything.

That is everything you do that know, live every day of your life. You know, again, it's the exact opposite of, of the mass of men. Lead lives, of quiet desperation.

[00:54:55] Erica: Yes. 

[00:54:56] Scott Rainey: really is, you know, live every day of your life, live it to the fullest. Pick every opportunity, see what's around the corner. You know, there's never too much good that you can do.

Never too much kindness. You can spread never too much understanding you can impart, in this world.

[00:55:14] Erica: is

[00:55:14] Scott Rainey: And, and it

[00:55:15] Erica: to leave us with. Thank you

[00:55:17] Scott Rainey: You are welcome. You are welcome.

[00:55:19] Erica: am sure we have some listeners who will want to keep following this

[00:55:24] Scott Rainey: Yeah.

[00:55:24] Erica: that you're doing. Where can people learn more about you and your nonprofit, the East County student Travel.

[00:55:31] Scott Rainey: WashU student travel.weebly.com, I believe is what it's, we'll put the actual link on the podcast for sure.

[00:55:36] Erica: that'll be

For everyone to find. And I would encourage anyone who's been inspired by these stories to consider making a contribution to help future students be able to have this amazing transformational experience.

[00:55:49] Scott Rainey: We would could absolutely love it. Absolutely love it. Well, thank you so much.

[00:55:53] Erica: thank you so

[00:55:53] Scott Rainey: Thank you so much.

[00:55:55] Erica: your insights and your stories and, for your friendship

[00:55:58] Scott Rainey: Your friendship. 

[00:55:59] Erica: gotten

[00:56:00] Scott Rainey: that's right.

[00:56:00] Erica: conversation, 

[00:56:01] Scott Rainey: Yeah.

[00:56:02] Erica: our listeners have too. Thank you.

[00:56:04] Scott Rainey: Great. Well, it's, it's, it, again, it's quite an honor to be asked to, to share with you again. You are, you're someone I have always held in high esteem all through the years. You know, I remember even as little kids that, you know, I knew, what a, bright and and insightful, uh, human being you have always been.

And I think it's just so wonderful that, you are using those gifts in this capacity. now. It just, it just, it's perfect. 

[00:56:28] Erica: thank you. That means a lot. I really appreciate that. 

[00:56:31] Scott Rainey: Absolutely. Yeah.

[00:56:33] Erica: I have met these many years

[00:56:34] Scott Rainey: Yep.

[00:56:35] Erica: in such a similar way.

[00:56:37] Scott Rainey: Thank you, Erica.

[00:56:38] Erica: bye.

Thanks so much for joining me. I know your time is valuable and I am truly grateful that you spent some of it here together. Please come visit me  at tripscholars.com for free travel resources, workshops and travel coaching. And if you enjoyed today's show, please follow, review or share. It really helps other curious travelers find us.

Until next time, curious Travelers.

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