School Design and Technology Trip to New York

A design and technology school trip to New York works so well because design and technology is simple everywhere in the city – from the bright lights and billboards of Times Square, to the skyscrapers that surround you in every direction!

Explore the city streets and its many attractions that tie in with the curriculum. Visit the Cooper-Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, which includes both historic and contemporary design and extends from one-of-a-kind to mass produced items. Or Samsung 837, where technology comes to life. And visit Parsons the New School for Design, where famous fashion designers Marc Jacobs, Anna Sui and Donna Karan all received their education.

Thinking about making yours a cross-curricular trip to give more students the opportunity to experience New York? The great news is there's options here for many subjects including politics, art, business studies, performing arts, media studies, fashion, food technology, maths and religious studies!

Suggested Itinerary

Day 1

Morning

Flight from the UK to New York

Afternoon

Transfer to accommodation on arrival

Evening

Optional evening meal at local restaurant

Day 2

Morning

Visit the Parsons School for Design

Afternoon

Visit the Cooper-Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum Explore Central Park

Evening

Visit the Empire State Building for evening views across the city Optional evening meal at local restaurant

Day 3

Morning

Take the free Staten Island ferry for views over the Hudson and the Manhattan skyline Visit the 9/11 memorial

Afternoon

Visit the Skyscraper Museum

Evening

Optional evening meal at a Times Square restaurant Chance to enjoy a Broadway show

Day 4

Morning

Visit Samsung 837 to see the latest technological ideas, followed by some retail therapy

Afternoon

Transfer to the airport

Evening

Overnight flight back to the UK

Day 5

Morning

Arrive back in the UK

3 nights' bed and breakfast accommodation
Airport transfers in resort
All flights including tax
Detailed information pack
Free staff place ratio 1:10
Itinerary planning service
VAT

Curriculum

GCSE

Impact of new and emerging technologies
Design and organisation of the workplace
The impact of resource consumption on the planet
Designing products for positive impacts
Role of automation and manufacturing systems
Electronic design systems
Developments of new materials
Specialist techniques and processes
The work of designers and design companies
Meeting customer needs

Key Stage 3

Properties of different materials
Use of media in the design process
Digital technologies in design and manufacture
Importance of user-centred design
Key design movements and designers
Common features of manufacturing industries
Designing for the cleaner environment

Accommodation

Hostelling International NY

HI New York is Manhattan’s premier hostel, and is located in a landmark building on the Upper West Side. The building was built in 1883 to help widows of both the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812 and re-opened as HI New York in 1990.The hostel offers clean, modern, mixed and separate male/female dormitory-style accommodation (4 - 12 bedded rooms) with shared bathrooms in the hallways. Linen, towels and a housekeeping service are provided.Private rooms with and without baths are also available (subject to availability). The hostel is situated just one block from Broadway Avenue and a main subway line, and only minutes from Central Park.

Freehand New York

Situated on Lexington Avenue, the Freehand New York hotel has plenty of green spaces nearby, with Stuvesant Square Park and Madison Square Park on the doorstep. For the Epicureans, there are many local restaurants to tempt the taste buds, while in terms of sites, there is the famous Flatiron building and the National Museum of Mathematics. Rooms available to book: solo, suite, king, triple (three king-size bunk beds), queen, 'Three's Company' (queen bed with an overhead twin bunk attached) and quad (four twin-size bunk beds).

Holiday Inn Express Manhattan Midtown West

Based at 538 West 48th Street in Hell's Kitchen, Holiday Inn Express Manhattan Midtown West is on the doorstep of so much to do and see. Vistors can venture to many attractions nearby, including Central Park, Times Square, Broadway and Lincoln Center, as well as the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum. 'Standard' rooms allow the option of king, double beds or deluxe king beds, plus extra floor space, city views and sofa beds. Free Wi-Fi in all guest rooms.

Tour highlights

Visit the Cooper-Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum

The Cooper-Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum is the only museum in the US dedicated to historical and contemporary design, which makes it a must-visit on a design and technology school trip to New York. The museum’s collection consists of more than 210,000 design objects which span almost 30 centuries, from ancient textiles to modern, cutting-edge designs. There are handmade, unique pieces here, as well as mass-produced items. The focus here is on showing the important role of design in the evolution of society, making this a really inspiring visit for your students.

Did you know?

The Cooper-Hewitt funds, awards and hosts the National Design Awards. The awards recognise American design in order to educate and promote excellence, innovation and lasting achievement in seven categories – architecture design, communication design, fashion design, interior design, interaction design, landscape design and product design.

Visit Parsons the New School for Design

Parsons the New School for Design is one of the most prestigious design schools in the world. The school was founded by renowned American Impressionist William Merritt Chase in 1896. Originally known as the Chase School, the name was changed to its current one in 1941, to recognise the profound impact on American life of former director Frank Alvah Parsons. With alumni including Tom Ford, Anna Sui and Donna Karan, this is a really inspiring visit for any young designer!

Did you know?

Frank Alvah Parsons, who joined the school in 1904 and later went on to become its sole director essentially created the modern concept of design, by focusing on the beauty in ordinary things and the ordinary spaces people inhabit.

Visit Samsung 837

Samsung 837 is an experience of art, fashion, technology and sport, where you can experience augmented reality, interactive art installations and musical performances. In the heart of New York’s trendy Meatpacking District, this flagship store isn’t really a store, instead it offers visitors the opportunity to immerse themselves in the Samsung brand. Colour in on a giant screen using the S Pen, doodle in AR and design your own phone case – there’s so much to do here that it’s the perfect choice for a design and technology school trip to New York!

Did you know?

Samsung was founded as a trading company in 1938 and only entered the electronics industry in the late 1960s.

Educational Activities

Cooper-Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum

The Cooper-Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum’s collection is international in scope and includes both historic and contemporary design,extending from one-of-a-kind to mass-produced.

Empire State Building

Reaching more than a quarter of a mile into the Manhattan sky, the Empire State Building was the world's tallest

Parsons the New School for Design

If you’re a Project Runway fan, you must pay a visit to Parsons School of Design on the west side

Samsung 837

Located in the heart of the Meatpacking district in NYC, Samsung 837 combines art, fashion, technology, and sport in unprecedented

The Skyscraper Museum

Located in New York City, the world's first and foremost vertical metropolis, the Skyscraper Museum celebrates the city's rich architectural

Cultural Activities

Macy's Department Store

Shopping in New York is not complete without a trip to Macy's, not only can you stop by and pick

Staten Island Ferry

The Staten Island Ferry exists predominantly for the purpose of getting commuters to and from Manhattan, but outside rush hour

Statue of Liberty

No trip to New York would be complete without a visit to the Statue of Liberty; the city’s iconic symbol.

Supporting you every step of the way

Creating your perfect trip

Your quote will be put together by an experienced Tour Adviser who’ll be an expert in the subject area and will know the destination really well too. They’ll work with you to create a trip to suit your group’s needs and meet your learning objectives.

Launching your trip to parents and students

The next step is to get your trip approved and then get students signed up to it. Our ‘Trip Launch Pack’ will help you with this step. This is full of resources (all free to download) designed to make your life easier at this crucial point in the trip planning process.

After you’ve booked

Once you’ve booked, your dedicated Itinerary Coordinator will start work on the finer details. They’ll make sure your itinerary makes the most of your time and they’ll take on most of the admin tasks for your trip (freeing you up to do what you do best – teach).

Support while you’re away

From lost property to properly lost, we’ll always be on the end of the phone while you’re out on the trip. You’ll get a final info pack before you go, as well as access to all your trip documents via the Vamoos app.

After your trip

We’ll ask you for feedback, so we can improve our service. Let’s start planning your next trip too, so parents have plenty of time to pay (and so it’s less stressful for you). And don’t forget to head to our resources hub to continue the learning back in the classroom.