Reintroducing EdOdyssey: Purposeful Travel for a Changing World
Who We Are, What We Do, and Why It Matters
In 2014, EdOdyssey was launched with a simple idea:
Travel changes people, and people change the world.
“I founded EdOdyssey to create authentic and meaningful educational travel experiences that open minds and change lives,” Founder and CEO Peter McGovern said.
A decade later, the world—and the way students experience it—has evolved. Today, students crave more intentional travel and deeper connection. They want to slow down, learn through authentic interactions with locals, and engage in hands-on experiences that deepen their connection to place, culture, and community.
We’re listening. And we’re growing to meet that shift.
Peter’s original vision as a solopreneur remains our north star, guiding a global team whose collective philosophy is now clearer than ever: the future of global education lies in purposeful, place-based learning—not volume, but depth.
As a record number of schools and universities reach out to collaborate with our team, we’re pausing to reflect and reintroduce EdOdyssey.
This is who we are, what we do, and why it matters more than ever.
WHO WE ARE
We’re a small, independent team of educators and travelers who believe students learn best when they connect deeply with people and place. Because travel changes people. And people change the world.
Every program we design with our high school, college, and university partners is built around this idea—whether it’s a Signature Short-Term Program among Costa Rica’s natural wonders or a First-Year Abroad Program exploring the Renaissance in Italy.
Through their experiences, students nurture relationships, challenge assumptions, reflect deeply on their experiences, and grow personally and professionally in a transformative and lasting way.
“At EdOdyssey, we believe that student travel is so important because it meets young people at a moment when they’re still forming who they are — and invites them to see themselves and the world differently,” EdOdyssey’s COO Ben Polansky said. “It builds curiosity, empathy, and perspective that no classroom can replicate. When done well, it can shift not just minds, but life paths.”
WHAT WE DO
At EdOdyssey, we approach educational travel design in several different ways, but each one of our programs is intentional, high-touch, and purpose-driven.
SHORT-TERM & CUSTOM FACULTY-LED PROGRAMS
Our academically aligned short-term programs—both ready-to-run Signature experiences and Custom Faculty-Led collaborations—combine cultural immersion, service learning, adventure, and leadership development in 7–15 days of meaningful travel. We handle the logistics so faculty can focus on what matters most: teaching, mentoring, and helping students connect what they learn in the classroom to the world around them.
FIRST YEAR PROGRAMS
First-Year Programs are designed specifically for incoming college freshmen with a focus on connection, exploration, and shared experiences. They intentionally ease an important life transition by building belonging, confidence, and curiosity from day one.
Students explore the wider world in our First Year Abroad programs. We work closely with university partners to align program goals with retention, recruitment, and student development goals.
Our newest initiative, Travel Local, brings the global mindset home through thoughtfully designed day experiences and weekend excursions that can be tied to an academic theme or focus on the broader goals of belonging and engagement. Developed in partnership with colleges and universities, these experiences help students connect with local leaders, culture, and community while we manage the details—partnerships, facilitation, transportation, meals, safety, and impact evaluation—so you can focus on outcomes and students focus on discovering their second home.
SEMESTER ABROAD
For those interested in a longer program, our deeply immersive Semester Abroad experience emphasizes reflection, local connection, and personal growth. Cohorts of 5-50 students live and learn together in Italy, Japan, Costa Rica, or Peru.
COLLABORATIVE CAPACITY PARTNERSHIPS
For more than a decade, universities and schools have trusted EdOdyssey as a partner in designing and delivering exceptional educational travel experiences. As global education evolves, so do the needs of our partners. Growing demand for experiential programs often meets limited staff capacity.
Our Collaborative Capacity Partnership model was created to meet that need through a flexible, human-centered approach built on shared goals. By invitation—to ensure close alignment in mission, goals, and approach—EdOdyssey works as an extension of your team, leveraging our experienced staff, refined systems, and deep belief in this work to help your institution expand impact, accessibility, and student participation sustainably.
It’s a collaborative alternative to expansion, a way to amplify your mission without the heavy costs and complexity of additional hiring. As more institutions reimagine study abroad and experiential learning for scale, impact, and inclusion, our partnership model helps them meet that demand in a sustainable, student-centered way.
OUR PROMISE (THE 4P FRAMEWORK)
“Over the past decade at EdOdyssey, our team has worked to distill what makes travel truly transformative,” Peter said. “Now, every EdOdyssey program—whether domestic or abroad, one week or one year—is small, personal, high touch, and guided by what we call our 4Ps Framework: People. Place. Purpose. Perspective.”
Here’s a closer look:
PEOPLE—Connection Comes First: It’s not the itinerary that is transformative, but rather the moments that pass between people that make the most impact. We design programs around relationships, not only logistics.
PLACE—Every Destination is a Classroom: We see each EdOdyssey location as a living classroom. Students learn through the people, culture, and environment that make it unique.
PURPOSE—Travel That Matters: What differentiates an ordinary trip from a life-changing experience? Purpose. When travel programs align with learning goals and local priorities, students return home more confident, curious, and compassionate. Communities they visit benefit too.
PERSPECTIVE—Meaning That Lasts: Perspective is the legacy of travel. Through reflection—journaling, group conversations, and storytelling—students connect the dots between experience and insight. This transforms their travel into lifelong learning.
EdOdyssey scholarship student Sophia Irvine’s story is one example of how our 4Ps Framework works.
Sophia recently participated on a short-term, faculty-led custom program in Peru with Nebraska Wesleyan University. The group connected with local professionals and community members (people) as they focused on comparative healthcare (purpose). She learned about the intricacies of healthcare in Peru vs. the U.S. (place) and shared how her experience would provide a lasting impact (perspective): “I furthered my understanding of the importance of connection with the people I work with,” she shared. “I am more aware of the experiences my Latin American clients may have, and I am better equipped to approach them and provide culturally sensitive care.”
WHY IT MATTERS (NOW MORE THAN EVER)
As our world feels increasingly divided, and so much of life happens at one end of a screen, young people are urgently craving connection that is human and real. There is a pervasive feeling of emptiness among youth today that is calling out to be filled with belonging and purpose.
EdOdyssey programs are designed intentionally for these students. And what we’ve discovered is that they make a real difference.
In fact, 97% of students agree/strongly agree that their EdOdyssey experience will have a lasting positive impact on their lives. Faculty have also noticed a difference; 98% would recommend EdOdyssey to colleagues.
Families who have a close eye on their students’ mental health can rest assured that, when their student is on an EdOdyssey program, they are supported, safe, challenged, and part of something bigger where they are building the real-world skills, empathy, and confidence that will carry them into the future.
LOOKING AHEAD / WHAT’S NEXT
Over the past year, interest in Edodyssey’s programs from schools and universities has skyrocketed—proof that high-impact, purposeful educational learning experiences that tie in meaning, connection, and relevance are in high demand.
We’re here to collaborate with you to deliver programs that change students’ lives without compromising on safety, integrity, or depth.
As our team grows and partnerships around the world deepen, we’re also focused on accessibility and equity. Through our EdOdyssey Scholarship Fund (stay tuned for more info!), we’re helping ensure that more students—regardless of their background—can experience the wider world in a transformative way, and then bring the lessons they’ve learned back home to their communities.
If you share our belief that travel can change how students see the world—and themselves—let’s start a conversation.
