School trips are a core part of a students’ education, offering amazing opportunities to learn outside the classroom, develop new skills, and bond with peers. Student safety and effective group communication during these excursions is of primary importance, and a core part of effective trip coordination.
Until now, a school mobile phone carried by a teacher has been the main safety and communication tool for school trips. Some schools may use WhatsApp for group chats while others may use Life360 for location sharing. While collectively these tools provide a good range of features, they require the use of many different apps rather than one centralised platform.
Lifestream is designed to bring location-sharing, chat, communications and safety together in one easy-to-use platform, providing a central place for trip safety and comms. Lifestream lets the teacher see where everyone is as well as easily communicate with students via group chat or calls to arrange meeting spots and communicate plans.
The screenshot demonstrates Lifestream in use on a recent school trip to Vietnam. Students and teachers used Lifestream for group communication, safety resources and location-based connectedness while travelling.
The in-app screenshot shows the coordinates of trip members on a map as everyone enjoys some free time shopping in Hoi An.
Here’s how Lifestream was incorporated throughout this school trip:
Private Group Setup:
Students and teachers attending the trip are added to a private group on Lifestream. This group served as the central hub for all trip-related communications.Location Sharing:
Students shared their location throughout the trip. This feature allowed teachers to have real-time visibility of everyone’s whereabouts, ensuring that everyone is safe and accounted for.Check-Ins:
Teachers used location-based check-ins to arrange meeting spots. Students received a notification and can tap to get directions to the lunch spot.Group chat:
This was the central trip communication tool where group chat is used for activity coordination and sharing of information.Parent’s chat group:
A separate parents’ group is used to send trip updates and photos.Safety Features:
Lifestream’s safety features provided a safety net on the trip. Students could quickly send an location-aware alert to the group if they needed help or access local safety and support numbers.
By offering a secure platform for communication and safety, Lifestream empowers teachers and students to focus on the educational and enjoyable aspects of their trips, regardless of whether it is a city day trip or a more extended adventure.
