Bring your Classroom to Life: Enriching your Curriculum with Unseen Tours
- 15 May 2022
- by
A GUEST POST BY ALLIE MARCHAND, COMMUNICATIONS INTERN AT PLANETERRA
Twenty years from now, when I look back and think of my time at University, there is one class that I am positive I will remember. Although I’ve had many wonderful and engaging professors, lecturers, and guest speakers, five years of academic content generally blurs itself into one big experience. That is, except for the day that I had the opportunity to explore Covent Garden on a tour with Viv from Unseen Tours.
Unseen Tours is an organisation that provides walking tours in London, which are led by people with experience of homelessness. It is an opportunity for students to embark on an engaging and educational excursion, which can be applied to coursework across a wide scope of course subjects. The fresh outdoor air, bustling London energy, and ability to socialise outside of a classroom revitalise a student’s willingness to learn.
In my case, the class that I was attending was a part of my MSc degree at King’s College London, which was called “Tourism and Development.” Viv’s insight on the experience of homelessness left my class with a brand new perception of development in London and an awareness of differing livelihoods within our city. By applying this experience to our course material, we grew an enriched understanding of the key concepts in our studies.
Although my class went on our tour with a distinct academic lens of “development,” an Unseen Tours excursion can enhance students’ learning across various subjects. Anthropology, political science, and geography are some courses that come to mind. Even a history class would enjoy this tour. Viv is filled with fun and interesting facts about London over the last hundred years!
Regardless of which students from whichever majors decide to set about on a tour, one thing is for sure: they will not forget it.
About Planeterra:
Planeterra helps local organisations and communities use tourism as a catalyst to improve people’s lives, protect their natural environments, and celebrate their culture. Unseen Tours are proud members of their Community Tourism Network.