I hope this email finds you well and that many of you have been able to get back on the road again. This week we reached an exciting milestone, as we ran our 2,000th program since resuming programs last July, serving 40,000 participants in that time. Now that travel and social gatherings are more do-able for most of us, I’d love to encourage you all to start thinking again about in-person Ambassador Presentations in your communities. But I’d also like to encourage you to continue thinking about virtual Zoom presentations as an option now and in the future.

The great thing about virtual presentations is that you’re not limited by location. That means if you live in St. Paul, Minnesota, there’s nothing stopping you from reaching out to a library in Thomasville, Georgia, a birding club in Phoenix, or a retirement community in Bellingham, Washington. You can now reach and inspire folks who live far away, perhaps in rural communities, where we don’t have an Ambassador nearby.

You could even consider offering Ambassador Presentations to virtual communities, like Facebook groups that you’re active in. Reach out to your college alumni association and offer to do a virtual presentation for your fellow alumni! Maybe you have a network of sorority friends who live all across the country that you’d like to reconnect with— invite them to a private virtual presentation. Or you could research platforms like Well Connected or GetSetUp, where you can offer online classes and presentations for older adults. Use your creativity— think outside the box! Virtual presentations provide more flexibility and opportunities than you may have thought of in the past.

Virtual Presentations: Training Video

I’m excited to share that I finally was able to put together a training video on “How to Do a Zoom Presentation.” Whether you’ve given Zoom presentations before and are looking for ways to advance your skills, or if you are hesitant about trying a virtual presentation and want to learn more— this training video is a great opportunity to get a run-down of the tools and technology so you can become more comfortable and confident on Zoom.

Other NEW & Updated Ambassador Resources

Our “FAQs” are updated at least quarterly. If you hear any questions asked frequently at presentations that are NOT on this list, please let us know!

NEW $500 Raffle Flyer: To help encourage participants at Ambassador Presentations and trade shows to sign up for our mailing list online, we’ve created this gorgeous 8.5x11 flyer. You can print it off on your color printer or have it printed at a local Staples or print shop. Tip: while you’re at Staples, grab a clear sign holder like this one to make your flyer look even more professional!

Remember that these resources, and more, can be found in the Ambassador Resource Center on our website!

Mobility-Challenged Travelers Blog

If you meet folks who are interested in traveling with Road Scholar but have mobility issues that are making them hesitant to enroll in a program, share this blog with them! Our solo travel expert Barbara Winard shares her recommendations on how to find the adventure and activity level that fits their needs.

Do you use Facebook? Join our discussion groups!

With the success of our Women of Road Scholar Facebook group (now more than 7,500 members), we’ve shifted our social media focus to Facebook GROUPS rather than our main page. This is because Facebook GROUPS allow for more discussion on the part of participants: they can post questions, advice, photos, and more. We’ve seen amazing engagement and have created a few other interest groups to encourage continued discussion. If you’re a Facebook user, we invite you to join these groups and share them with or invite your friends! Start conversations, give advice, and help me stay on the lookout for “trolls” and “spammers!”

• Women of Road Scholar
• Road Scholar Outdoor Club
• Retired Teachers Travel Club
• Road Scholar Social Justice Club

Virtual Presentation Opportunity!

I’m interested in offering virtual Ambassador Presentations to the Facebook groups listed above. These presentations may be more of the general “intro to Road Scholar,” or we could work together to design a more specific topic (like a birding presentation for the Outdoor Club, or a presentation on the Civil Rights program for Social Justice Club, etc.). If you’re interested in hosting a Zoom presentation for one of these groups, email me: kelsey.perri@roadscholar.org.

• Programs in Russia have been suspended, and our Black Sea shipboard itineraries that had included Ukraine have been rerouted. Read a message from our Ukraine program provider.
• In April, Road Scholar announced our partnership with Carbonfund.org in an effort to offset a portion of our carbon footprint. Our plan is to announce the sustainability projects we’ll be helping to fund this summer. Read more here.

PROGRAMS: What's New? What's Open? What's Popular?

• We are currently offering more than 650 in-person programs in more than 100 countries and all 50 states. We have more than 6000 open dates in 2022 and 2023.
• Our first Grandparent programs for summer 2022 began this week, and more and more of our Grandparent programs are opening and enrolling every day.
• Small group programs and outdoor adventures continue to be popular, as well as South America programs. We’ve seen lots of enrollments recently in Peru, Galapagos, and Amazon Programs.
• We saw an increase in 2022 in solo travelers: from our usual average of 25% to 30% of our travelers going solo last year. Destinations popular with first-time solo travelers: Kenya and Tanzania safari and Florida programs.

COVID Update

We are still requiring vaccines and booster shots for all participants and Group Leaders who are eligible. Find the most up-to-date COVID policies and procedures here:

• roadscholar.org/Travelupdates
• roadscholar.org/safety

Now that the world is opening up, we have seen a huge increase in call volume in recent weeks, and, just like many other industries, staffing shortages have been a challenge for us. We want you to know that Road Scholar is aware of this issue, and resolving it is at the top of our priority list. Those who are on staff are working very hard to meet the demand, and we are actively recruiting, hiring, and training more advisors to help. Wait times have greatly improved over the past month, and we're hopeful that the news this week about the U.S. ending COVID testing requirements for international travelers will cut down significantly on service calls. Thank you all for your patience and understanding. Another unforeseen challenge in a COVID world!

“CURRENT” Events: Introducing Golden Horizon

Golden Horizon is a brand new, luxury vessel, designed as a near-replica of the 1913-built ship. Road Scholar’s eight new programs in 2023 on board Golden Horizon include a voyage across the Mediterranean from Greece to Sicily, Malta, Sardinia and Spain. All eight programs for 2023 are full charters— meaning participants who enroll in these exclusive voyages will have the ship all to themselves. Learn more here. I have also added a slide about Golden Horizon to the Ambassador Presentation slideshow PowerPoint.

As Always, Thank You!

If we’ve learned anything over the past few years, it’s that Road Scholar wouldn’t be here without the support of people like you. Thank you for your patience, your good wishes, and your willingness to keep spreading the word about lifelong learning. We are grateful for all the work that our Ambassadors do, and we look forward to working with you more in the upcoming year!