International Field Trips

  • The CMS International Field Trip resources for staff (guide, frequently asked questions, required documentation) can be accessed through the intranet in the IFT Folder. 

    The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education does not endorse, support, or assume liability for any staff member, volunteer, or parent who takes students on trips not fully approved by the Superintendent or authorized designee.

    A district-approved international field trip must go through a three-step approval process. First, it can take place during the school year or summer and is sponsored/coordinated by a CMS school or department. Second, students travel as a group with a teacher or administrator from their school to an international location. The trip is aligned with the current NC Standard Course of Study and the strategic plan, mission, vision and goals of CMS and the school. Third, the trip provides intentionally and purposefully framed educational experiences abroad that build on classroom learning. Cultural exchanges are encouraged as a substantial element of international field trips. Cultural exchanges provide students with multiple opportunities for mutual learning and sustained interactions between the host community and our students.

    Three officers are involved in the approval process for a non-required international field trip request: the Principal, the Principal's supervisor, and the Superintendent or designee. All CMS staff submitting a request for a non-required international field trip must follow the regulations and procedures outlined in the International Field Trip Guide and/or the Frequently Asked Questions document (see the 'IFT Folder' link above). An international field trip request is not fully-approved until the Principal, the Principal's supervisor, and the Superintendent or designee review the required documentation and agree to approve the field trip. 

    Some CMS schools may establish an exchange agreement with an international school. A field trip under an exchange agreement would include visits to a school and host family stays and travel in the host country. The international field trip length is typically less than three weeks.

    Important note:

    CMS has the right to cancel or postpone a district-approved trip with no advance notice. As a K-12 public school district, we have an obligation to protect the safety of our students and staff, and safety concerns will be the primary reason for trip cancellation.

    For up to date information on travel alerts and health advisories related to international travel, CMS monitors the following websites: