A Productive Year as Board Chair Chase Poffenberger, ATA’s Executive Vice President, just finished her year as the Board Chair of the National Tour Association (NTA). She focused her energy in this critical recovery year on the Association’s work in sustainability and advocacy for the travel industry. On her watch, NTA formalized a permanent Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Advisory Group to the Board, and joined with other travel industry leaders to commit to permanent and purposeful action to diversify the travel industry. Chase also joined a sustainability pilot program facilitated by Tourism Cares, NTA’s philanthropy partner, which invited tour operators to look at their business critically to accelerate key sustainability goals. Finally, she supported the association’s government relations work advocating for economic relief for hard-hit small businesses; equitable entry for tour groups into national parks; science-based, county-by-county COVID travel guidance (instead of blanket closures); and the urgent need for consular offices and embassies to expedite passport and visa processing. Chase remains on the board for an additional year and will continue to advocate for the industry’s recovery. New Brands Launch Travel Programs Several of ATA’s new collaborating partners launched travel programs this past fall! ARTNews, the oldest and most widely circulated arts magazine in the world, launched ARTNews Travel. ARTNews travelers will be whisked away to visit private ateliers, vibrant arts districts and iconic collections, all in the company of in-house professionals who will provide sophisticated analysis and engaging commentary along the way. Bicycling Magazine has launched an exclusive cycling tour in Tuscany along the roads of Chianti, including L’Eroica Vintage Route, and the Backroads of San Gimignano, and has appointed Editor and Racing Cyclist Dan Chabanov to lead it. Decanter, a global wine media brand, launched Decanter Wine Experiences, a series of carefully curated wine trips hosted by the magazine’s regional wine specialists. Starting with a trip to the Rhône valley, expert Matt Walls has curated a series of exclusive experiences, including a welcome dinner at award-winning Chef Phillippe Giradon’s Michelin-starred hotel and restaurant, Domaine de Clairefontaine. Fred Plotkin, world-famous opera expert and gastronome, has curated a trip to his home town of New York City that will include three operas (Turandot, Lucia di Lammermoor, Madama Butterfly) at the Metropolitan Opera and tickets to The Music Man starring Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster. Anyone who has traveled with Fred Plotkin knows that one also eats very well with menus he creates and wines he selects! Announcing Four Sr. Level Promotions at ATA We’re proud to announce the promotions of four superstar colleagues! Emma Impavido, Senior Director, Educational Travel Programs Over the course of two decades, Emma designed and operated some of the company’s most creative, complex, and highly rated programs. As Director, she skillfully managed a talented team dedicated to telling the important stories of the organizations ATA serves through excellent educational travel programs. In October, she led a smashing culinary trip that she designed to Italy, headlined by hosts/chefs Nancy Silverton and Ruth Reichl and journalist Laurie Ochoa. But Emma’s contributions don’t stop there! Early in 2022, as Chair of ATA’s Green Committee, she will be sharing a roadmap for ATA’s sustainability journey for the next ten years. We are deeply indebted to Emma for the many ways she has contributed to ATA’s success: creative program designer, expert problem solver, inspiring leader! Shelley Jessee, Senior Director, Marketing for CET Shelley was promoted the same year she earned her MBA from UNC Chapel Hill AND gave birth to twin girls, Quinn and Kate! Indeed, “Super Woman” would be a more apt title. She has strategically managed CET’s annual marketing schedule, scholarships, and travel budget, and she’s been a valued member of the CET Executive Team. Outside of CET, she’s contributed to the field by serving on the NAFSA Education Abroad Knowledge Community Leadership Team from 2014-2018, the NAFSA Local Arrangements Committee for the DC Conference in 2019, and the Fund for Education Abroad’s Host Committee for the Scholar Gala. Shelley’s leadership and steady hand have also been put to good use in leading educational travel programs—taking Chef Edward Lee and his followers to Kentucky for an exclusive Bourbon Experience earlier this fall. Randall Salisbury, Vice President, CET Programs He served as Program Manager and Senior Program Manager for Italy, before becoming a Regional Director in 2014. In 2019, Randall was promoted and tasked with unifying the CET Program Team. He applied his management experience to balance workloads, reduce inconsistencies, and motivate the team. At the beginning of the pandemic, Randall and team brought students home, determined refunds, pivoted to pursue new opportunities, and made difficult decisions about program staff and locations. During this time, Randall’s management responsibilities expanded as he took on the leadership of Health & Safety, High School Pre-College/Gap, and Academic Affairs. Throughout the last 20 months of uncertainty, Randall has consistently demonstrated leadership, resilience, sound judgment, loyalty, and clarity of purpose. Randall’s contributions encompass the entire organization—from leading culinary trips to Italy with world-famous chefs to orchestrating fun field days and magical Fund for Education Abroad annual galas. We are not sure how he does it all—and so well—but he does! Vanessa Sterling, Director of Health and Safety Vanessa was hired to standardize, organize, and elevate CET’s response to health and safety. Since early 2020, Vanessa has taken point on COVID response with parents and university partners, successfully represented CET in almost 100 program post-COVID reapprovals with study abroad offices and represented CET in three national webinars. She provides consulting to university partners on health and safety, and designed, wrote, updated, and promoted the CET COVID Playbook. While Vanessa’s tenure at ATA is not long, she has known us longer than most, having been a CET student in China in the day. We feel privileged to have such a fine, wise mind devoted to protecting our most precious charges: our students! Our Annual Year In Review As is tradition, we’ve spent time reflecting on our challenges, celebrations, and growth over last 12 months. Please read our 2021
News & Announcements
2021 Year in Review
A Year In Recovery Closing the books on 2021 looks vastly different than a year ago. I’m delighted to report that our recovery in travel and international education is underway! ATA in the World In 2021, often despite long odds and unique challenges, we made travelers’ and students’ travel dreams come true in many places around the world: We paired travel and gastronomy on culinary trips led by brilliant chefs and food writers, including Nancy Silverton, Ruth Reichl, Laurie Ochoa and Edward Lee. (Chef-led experiences) Early in the year, when American students could not cross international borders, we operated successful international student programs in China; virtual language programs for Chinese, Japanese, and Arabic; a DC-based internship program for Dickinson College; custom language training in Chinese, Japanese, and Arabic; AND a virtual internship program with students interning remotely for organizations in Brazil, Colombia, Greater China, the Czech Republic, Italy, and Jordan. We paid tribute to the 80th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor during a commemorative week in Hawaii that travelers shared with civilian and military survivors. (Smithsonian Journeys) As New York theater reemerged, we invited travelers “into the room where it happens” for a week of behind-the-curtain conversations, workshops, performances and discussions with creatives and creators of the theater world. (New York Times Journeys) We helped a family celebrate a father’s 91st birthday in Andalusia, Spain. (Private group) We oversaw the return of study abroad programs as our first groups of students from the US headed out to Prague (CET Film Production at FAMU) and Jordan (Wellesley College Custom Program). We facilitated the unveiling of a permanent marker in Amsterdam at the very site where John Adams, America’s First Ambassador to the Netherlands, accepted banker Jan Willink’s funds in 1782 to help finance the American Revolution. (Daughters of the American Revolution) New Relationships We welcomed the following new partners to the ATA family in 2021! Back in DC: Our Priorities at Headquarters to “Build Back Better” We made significant progress this year in two areas critical to our evolution as an organization. Led by our JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion) facilitators, each department within the company shared its annual progress report on our anti-racism action plan. We created a decarbonization fund and named Cool Effect as our investment partner. We will also join other tourism industry colleagues in signing the Glasgow Declaration. Watch for more progress reports in these areas in 2022! Our Incredible Team Previous Next Despite spending most of the year working physically apart from each other, we cherished the occasions where we did get see each other! Our “hybrid” plan to return to the office in 2022 will balance flexibility with “irreplaceable moments of togetherness” that foster our sense of community, collaboration, synergy, and serendipity! Our Thanks and Gratitude Never have our partnerships, both personal and professional, been tested more than during the last two years. We have new insight into each other’s lives: we’ve met each other’s kids, pets, and spouses who’ve wandered into our virtual meetings. We’ve held space for each other during our bleakest moments, and shared concerns about the health of our travelers, students and teams. Yet, our collective wins have been especially sweet, and celebrating them will never again be taken for granted. May we carry our resilience, courage, sense of humor, and commitment into the years ahead! With fortitude and optimism for all that awaits us in 2022,
ATA Partners with ARTnews
ATA Partners with ARTnews We are pleased to announce our partnership with ARTnews and share in the unveiling of their new travel program! Beginning in 2022, ARTnews will take readers across the globe to explore vibrant cities through the lens of art. The first departures will take readers to Santa Fe, Berlin, South Korea, and Los Angeles. Each itinerary has been carefully curated in partnership with editors of ARTnews to provide an exclusive experience of each destination’s art, culture, and creative atmosphere. To learn more, read the official ARTnews announcement here.
2021 Q3 Newsletter
Building Back! While ATA’s study abroad division, CET Academic Programs, has managed to run many virtual and several on-site programs in 2020 and 2021, this fall season will see the most robust return to in-person programs since the beginning of the pandemic across the company. Chef Edward Lee led ATA’s first trip since March 2020—a Kentucky Bourbon experience that exceeded expectations! Here is one traveler’s testimonial: “The level of thought, passion and detail that goes into planning a trip like this is unparalleled. Every detail was well-planned, but there was also wiggle room for going with the wants and whims of the group. We had a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and it was utterly incredible.” In the coming weeks, the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) head to the Netherlands and will lay a plaque in Amsterdam with the following inscription: “In Gratitude Of Dutch Support For The American Revolution.” Our very own Emma Impavido, Director of Educational Travel Programs, will personally manage the Italy culinary trip she designed called Dinner with Friends Abroad, led by Nancy Silverton, Ruth Reichl and Laurie Ochoa. This trip features a sought-after reservation and experience at Massimo Bottura’s country inn, just outside Modena, Casa Maria Luigia. Finally, New York Times Journeys’ Behind the Scenes of New York Theater, hosted by Scott Heller, Deputy Arts & Leisure Editor of The New York Times, and designed and led by former casting director and current ATA Senior Program Manager Samantha Barrie, departs later this month! Our teams have renewed vigor as a glimpse of normalcy returns and the warm, fulfilling glow of providing enriching, educational experiences fills our hearts. Our Newest Partners National Public Radio Launches NPR Travels ATA is thrilled to be working with National Public Radio on NPR Travels, created to connect listeners to each other and the world. These immersive experiences, built with deep learning and joyful exploration at their core, will debut in 2022 with international trips to Iceland, Chile, the UK, and other countries. Closer-to-home destinations include Memphis, Nashville, and Yellowstone National Park. Please read the full press release here! Repositioning the Great Courses’ Virtual Travel Content as Luxury Educational Experiences The global subscription video-on-demand service known as Wondrium (formally The Great Courses) has partnered with ATA to launch Wondrium Journeys! Subscribers will now have the opportunity to experience—in person—the educational programs that mirror the online curriculum and are led by the world-renowned faculty who teach The Great Courses. Exploring the Mayan World, led by archeologist Dr. Edwin Barnhart, offers travelers the chance to climb temples, swim in cenotes, taste tequila, and make chocolate. Nothing Beats an In-Person Meeting We have sorely missed—and even find ourselves craving—the meaningful, in-person interaction that has always been a cornerstone of our office culture. It is in that spirit that Kate Simpson, our President, and Chase Poffenberger, our Executive Vice President, set off on a road trip to Chautauqua, NY in August to meet their counterparts at The Chautauqua Institution, one of the company’s newest strategic partners. Over the course of a few days, the “magic” of the historic, lakeside learning community became clear: the caliber of the speakers, the contemplative dimension of the environment, and the artistic “electricity” generated by gifted performers. All these qualities and more have kept generations of families coming back every summer. Kate and Chase had inspiring conversations with Emily Morris, Chief Brand Officer, and her team about how to embed Chautauqua’s core values into its travel programs, making them uniquely “Chautauquan” and differentiated in the marketplace. As good relationships make good business, we can’t wait to introduce ourselves to other new partners we’ve only known virtually over the last year, as well as reconnect with those we’ve valued for decades.
ATA Partners with Wondrium
We’re thrilled to announce a new partnership with Wondrium, formally known as The Great Courses Plus. Together, we’re launching Wondrium Journeys, immersive vacations designed to bring the company’s vast collection of travel courses, videos, documentaries, and series to life.The first Wondrium Journey is a 9-day, 8-night one-of-a-kind luxury adventure inspired by the virtual tour, Exploring the Mayan World. Read the full press release below and visit their website to learn more about Wondrium Journeys. WONDRIUM JOURNEYS RECREATES THE GREAT COURSES VIDEO TRAVEL TOURS AS LUXURY EDUCATIONAL VACATIONS Wondrium (formally known as: The Great Courses Plus) is excited to announce Wondrium Journeys in conjunction with Academic Travel Abroad, bringing travel enthusiasts the opportunity to experience The Great Courses virtual travel tours as live, luxury tour vacations. Wondrium Journeys will offer the opportunity to book and experience in-person tours that are designed around the itinerary of – and are led by the world-renowned educators who teach – The Great Courses popular video tours. Wondrium is the global subscription video on demand (SVOD) service offering over 7,500 hours of a broad slate of intellectually-stimulating, nonfiction learning content. Wondrium offers more than 50 travel and culture related courses, videos, documentaries, and series featuring leading experts and covering experiences such as African safaris; Washington DC; National Parks; England, Scotland, and Wales; Ancient Egypt, and more. The first Wondrium Journey will include two opportunities (a Gold package and Silver package) 9-day, 8-night adventures of a lifetime with luxury accommodations designed to recreate the experiences found in the virtual tour, Exploring the Mayan World. Travel lovers will be given an opportunity to embark on a once-in-a-lifetime adventure led by famous archaeologist, explorer, instructor and director of the Maya Exploration Center, Dr. Edwin Barnhart to climb temples, swim in cenotes, taste tequila, make chocolate, plus much, much more. Wondrium Journeys will provide: Worry-free travel packages, including accommodations, meals, transportation, and tours. Engaging, educational, and fun-filled itineraries, recreating the learning experiences found in The Great Courses video tours. Group sizes are limited, providing an individual and personal experience. Expert guides on location giving amazing insights and information about every locale. Dr. Edwin Barnhart – who wrote the book, or in this case, taught the course – will lead the Gold Tour exploration. Wondrium Journeys are coordinated through Academic Travel Abroad. For questions and additional information about tour packages and booking a trip, consumers can visit: www.wondriumjourneys.com “Our rebrand to Wondrium earlier this year was really meant to show our commitment to offering learning experiences that go beyond just video courses,” notes Cale Pritchett, CMO. “Wondrium Journeys is a great example of that expansion and we are enthusiastic to offer travel fans the one-of-a-kind opportunity to experience The Great Courses in real life, alongside the expert guides who teach these insightful courses.” “We believe that learning through travel is an enriching, life-changing experience,” said Chase Poffenberger, Executive Vice President of Academic Travel Abroad. “The chance to design trips in tandem with Wondrium’s award-winning programs is a dream come true!” Academic Travel Abroad (ATA) is a 71-year-old, DC-based educational travel company, and creates experiential travel programs for organizations such as the Smithsonian Institution, The New York Times, and Hearst Magazine Media. —About WondriumWondrium takes the learning experience to the next level, combining the library and legacy of in-depth content from The Great Courses with the best in entertaining, engaging, and educational content. The service provides a resource that complements people’s daily media habits, allowing them to pursue their passions, dig deeper into subjects, hone their habits, and find something they will love to learn about.Facebook | Instagram | Twitter About Academic Travel AbroadAcademic Travel Abroad, Inc. is an educational travel provider for some of the world’s most prestigious organizations. Riding the post-war wave of interest in travel to Europe, ATA launched operations in 1950 by assisting universities and cultural institutions in the creation of group travel programs for their members. Today, ATA is a leader in educational and branded group travel and offers an array of programs and services that marry travel and learning, such as study abroad programs, call center services, and international conferences.Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn Media Contacts:Lisa Hanlon, Wondrium, [email protected] or 914-954-1553Melinda Schrom, Academic Travel Abroad, [email protected] or 202.349.7345
ATA Partners With NPR
We’re excited to announce a new partnership with NPR and launch NPR Travels, a collection of immersive, educational trips designed for public radio enthusiasts with insatiable curiosity about topics such as music, history, astronomy, politics, and climate change. Each small-group trip will be led by an engaging expert who will provide insight and context and special NPR “touches” will be woven throughout. The inaugural departure will be in January 2022. To learn more about NPR Travels, read the the official press release here.
