Journal 2 – From Counselor-Led Tours to University-Organized Programs: A Shift in the Landscape
This is a strange time of year for me to be at home. For the last 15 years or more during March I have offered a university tour for my colleagues who work either independently or in international schools. This year, sadly, despite lots and lots of interest in the tour around the Netherlands, not enough people could commit to take part and so with regret I cancelled the tour.
On reflection and reading about multiple university organised tours that colleagues have been taking, it seems like the demand for this kind of tour may have passed. Perhaps I should take solace in the growth of these university led programmes for counselors as a testament to the growing acknowledgement of the value of having university advisers on their campuses. It is a great thing to be able to see colleagues getting and expanding their knowledge of the opportunities for their students.
At the same time as I’ve seen a decrease in the demand for counselor tours, it is heartening to see the demand for school group tours increasing. Currently I am planning two, one-week tours, for schools in China and Switzerland. Both will include a wide range of institutions and I will look forward to giving my impressions at the end of the tours.
