EF Explore America and Honor Flight Network connect thousands of American students with Veterans

Leading student travel provider and national non-profit bring generations together; offer exclusive opportunities for school groups to meet American veterans in Washington, DC

News provided by

EF Education First

Nov 07, 2019, 09:00 ET

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Nov. 7, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- EF Explore America, a leading educational travel partner for teachers and students across America, today announced an exclusive partnership with the Honor Flight Network, a non-profit organization dedicated to honoring American veterans by transporting them to visit their memorials in Washington, DC.

"The Honor Flight Network looks forward to teaming with EF Explore America to establish valuable connections between young people and past generations of veterans," said Meredith Rosenbeck, Chief Executive Officer of the Honor Flight Network. "Our veterans are always touched by the 'hero's welcome' they receive when they arrive at the memorials. Seeing more young faces in those crowds and engaging in meaningful conversations with students will only make those moments more special."

The partnership builds on a collaboration under which more than a thousand students traveling with EF Explore America in 2019 have had the opportunity to welcome veterans arriving at the World War II, Korean War, and Vietnam War memorials, thanking them for their service in moving ceremonies and one-on-one interactions. As a result of this exclusive relationship, many thousands of students, educators, and veterans will be able to share this experience in 2020 and beyond. Moreover, for every student that participates EF will make a donation to the Honor Flight Network to support its activities at both the national and local level.

"It was absolutely incredible to see veterans' faces as they passed students and teachers lined up clapping as they walked into the WWII Memorial," said Darby Jones, Director of Educational Partnerships at EF Explore America. "There were tears in their eyes, and many stopped to shake students' hands and exchange a 'thank you'. By connecting these two generations, we hope to bring history to life and teach students the importance of honoring veterans' legacies for years to come."

This partnership builds upon EF's longstanding commitment to creating opportunities for student travelers to experience history and culture firsthand. Past programs that have made connections between veterans and students have included tours to commemorate significant anniversaries of D-Day, Victory in Europe, The Battle of Vimy Ridge, and The Battle of Beaumont-Hamel.

About EF Explore America

EF Explore America is the domestic educational travel division of EF Education First, a family-owned global education company. Explore America partners with educators and their communities to create supportive, long-term relationships and safe, memorable experiential learning opportunities. With a mission of opening the world through education, more than one million people experience EF Education First's programs every year. EF was founded in 1965 in Lund, Sweden. For more information, visit efexploreamerica.com or ef.edu.

About Honor Flight Network

The Honor Flight Network began as a group of volunteer pilots flying World War II veterans to see the new national World War II Memorial in Washington, DC. The Network has since expanded to more than 130 hubs across the country. In addition to World War II veterans, the organization transports those who served in the Korean War, Vietnam War, intermediary operations, and in special cases of terminal illness or injury, veterans from the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Since 2005, the Honor Flight Network has taken more than 225,000 veterans to Washington D.C. to visit memorials dedicated to honoring the sacrifices of those who served. The vast majority of veterans enjoy their Honor Flight trip at no personal cost. For more information, visit honorflight.org.

SOURCE EF Education First