I love to travel. As a teacher, however, it can become difficult to plan trips throughout the entire year. Yes, teachers get summers off, but what about traveling the other 3/4 of the year? Early in my career, I discovered how conferences can be a foolproof way to travel!
One of the perks of any work-related conference is the destination, right? One of the driving factors to entice people to a conference is the destination. Most people don’t get super excited about professional development. But offer it in a cool location, and they will come.
As a social studies teacher, there aren’t that many opportunities to attend conferences. But I’ve managed to discover one or two that I get a lot out of professionally, and that always end up being in a cool city I’d love to explore.
Almost every 9-5 job requires some form of professional development. Many industries offer conferences nationwide throughout the year to help people learn the latest in their field while also getting the chance to network.
I highly recommend finding a conference in your industry that can take you places you otherwise wouldn’t have been to.
Here are just a few perks of conference travel:
You experience a city you may have never chosen to visit on your own.
There is one conference I try to attend every single year – the National Council for the Social Studies (or NCSS) Annual Conference. Every year it’s held in a different city. Next year it’ll be in Minneapolis, MN. No offense to Minnesota, but it’s never been a top destination on my bucket list. However, I love this conference so much, I’ll go because I’m that invested in what NCSS has to offer. Not to mention, I can explore a city I otherwise would have never thought about visiting.
Many conference cities are like that – cities people normally wouldn’t consider visiting. However, once there, people realize all these cities have to offer. There are so many cities worth exploring for their unique histories and vibes. As someone who lives in a city that is not necessarily on the top of everyone’s travel bucket list, I know the value in visiting lesser-known cities. You get the opportunity to explore up and coming neighborhoods, support local small businesses, and learn more about the various histories of some really interesting cities!
Sometimes conferences will even offer side trips to local attractions so you have a chance to break away from the conference and explore the city. The annual NCSS conference does this. It is through their conference that I got to explore the Seattle underground, and experience a dinner and special tour of the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, DC at night right after it opened (and when it was virtually impossible to get tickets!).
While the NCSS conference has taken me to cities like Washington, DC, San Francisco, and Chicago, I’m not about to pass up the chance to go just because it’s in a city I may otherwise not visit. So, Minneapolis here I come!
Oftentimes, your employer will offer a stipend, PTO, or other perk for attending on their behalf.
This is a little harder for teachers, as many school districts are on tight budgets and may not have a professional development budget, but I know thousands of teachers who attend conferences like NCSS every year on a stipend from their school district.
For other industries, talk to your boss and find out if there is anything in the budget for professional development and/or travel! Before talking to your boss, however, think about what you can offer in return. Maybe by attending the conference you agree to give a presentation to the rest of your office upon your return. Maybe it means developing a plan for an upcoming project/pitch, or maybe you’ll be required to network while you’re there. Whatever it is, come to your boss with an offer. You may be surprised at what corporations are willing to offer if there’s something in it for them.
As far as time off is concerned, see if there is availability in your contract to take time off! My school district doesn’t pay for out of state professional development, but they do offer five personal days each year. I use those to attend NCSS and it’s worth it! I usually strategically only use two or three, and the rest will roll over as sick days for the following year.
Tax deductions!
My mom always reminds me of this beautiful tip. Any time you take a work-related trip, you can calculate it toward tax deductions. Since conferences are considered work-related, see what you can claim on your tax return. Every time I go to a conference, since my district doesn’t pay for any of it but it’s considered professional development, I save all of my receipts for airfare, hotel, food, etc. and send it all in as part of my tax filing for the year.
It’s worth looking into! And hey, it may save you some money on taxes, and who doesn’t love paying less in taxes?
Safety.
This is especially a perk if you plan to travel solo. Nowadays, if he can get the time off, my boyfriend will come along with me on my work conference trips and we find ways to make it a little vacation. We’ll even splurge on a nicer hotel so it feels more like a vacation than a work trip. But before he was in the picture I was a single 20-something woman traveling solo. Conferences always put me at ease because I knew I’d be surrounded by hundreds of people there for the same thing.
Most conferences have hotel deals, either with hotels attached to the conference center or nearby. Booking in the hotel block reserved for the conference means you’re more likely to be staying in a hotel surrounded by people attending the same conference you are. For some reason, this always brought me a slight sense of comfort. I felt less likely to wind up in a situation I didn’t want to be in if I knew everyone around me was also getting up at 7am for sessions. Or, in my case, also nerdy social studies teachers just there to get their history on.
The chance to grow professionally while doing something you love.
When you are in a job that you are passionate about, you want to continue to grow in that profession, or at least I do. I absolutely love teaching, especially history, which is why I value conferences like the NCSS Annual Conference. It gives me a chance to learn the latest best practices from some of the best in the field. I’ve also had the chance to hear from people like Ken Burns, Kofi Annan, Bryan Stevenson, Chelsea Clinton, and Pete Souza. National conferences will put their resources into bringing in the top people in their field. It’s worth it to be able to hear from and be inspired by people who are passionate about the same things you are.
And the best part of it? You’re getting to do all of that while doing another thing you love – travel. Sure, professional development and local conferences are great too. But combine my passion for education and my love of travel? I’m there.
I always come away from a national conference invigorated and inspired. And even though conference schedules can often be a whirlwind, I always feel like I get a true break, from my daily life for awhile. I still feel like I really got to travel, even if it was for “work.”
While most conferences moved virtual in 2020 amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, as more people become fully vaccinated, the hope is that many of these conferences will return to the in-person format of the pre-COVID world. As the world starts opening back up and you feel that desire to travel take hold, consider conferences as a foolproof way to travel!
For other tips on planning future trips, visit my post on deciding on a perfect travel destination!