Academic Credit

As a WorldStrides organization, Explorica is an accredited institution just like your school. Students travelling on qualified tours have the opportunity to earn academic credit, and educators are eligible to receive free professional development.

Earning academic credit with Explorica offers students a competitive advantage on college applications and distinguishes students as successful online learners.

Elementary and secondary school students can earn academic credit by travelling and completing online coursework. Our custom-designed courses, that pair specifically with each travel program, allow students to work at their own pace. Since courses are designed to be completed after travel, they allow students to incorporate much of what they learned during their field experiences. Students have three months from their return date to complete their courses.

We are independently accredited for K-12 education by regional accrediting bodies, including:

• AdvancED, the parent organization of the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement, and the Northwest Accreditation Commission
• Western Association of Schools and Colleges
• Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools

Students in grades 6-12 at the time of travel are eligible to earn free secondary school credit. Once students have completed both the travel program and online portion successfully, they will receive an official WorldStrides transcript. For more information or to enrol, email academiccredit@explorica.com.

Students in grades 9-12 at the time of travel are eligible to earn university credit through our partnership with the University of California, San Diego. Students may elect to enrol in 1 credit or 3 credit course options. Once students have completed both the travel program and online portion successfully, they will receive an official UCSD transcript.

Educators travelling on an Explorica tour, either as a group leader or chaperone, can earn free professional development for their tour. Professional development certificates are issued for up to 35 points/hours or 3.5 CEUs based on the length of the tour. To learn more, please email professionaldevelopment@explorica.com.