Tour Information

• Purpose:

• 

Our tours are designed to acquaint students with the Portland urban community. We hope to foster the concepts of civic pride and service, and to help students see themselves as responsible caretakers of the city. Your tour will focus on Portland’s history and landmarks, noting what keeps our city alive and healthy, and how the city changes to meet the needs of its citizens.

More than fifty years of Urban Tour experience have enabled us to compile this list of procedures that help to ensure that the tour is enjoyable for all involved:

• Policies:

• 

• Should problems arise en route to your tour, use your school as your message center
• In case of emergency during the tour, be sure teachers and parent helpers have the school’s telephone number.
• At the beginning of the tour, your tour guide will explain the tour expectations to the accompanying adult and students. Please help enforce these expectations.
• One adult per eight children is required in supervising the students. Children with special needs will require more chaperones. No extra adults, siblings, preschoolers, strollers, etc. can be accommodated. Please be sure to distribute the Chaperone Letter to all accompanying parents.
• To maintain a safe environment for our tour participants and Urban Tour Group volunteers, to align with weapons policies of the schools we tour, and to ensure entrance to all buildings, including those with security check-points, participants are not allowed to carry guns (even with permits) or other weapons on the tour.
• We observe a “no eating or snacking” rule on the tour. We strongly suggest giving your students a snack, such as graham crackers, yogurt, etc. en route to the tour. Lunches should stay on the bus or in backpacks.
• Have students dress appropriately for the weather. No umbrellas please!
• Unruly groups will be taken to the end of the tour and will remain with the guide and the adult accompanying that group. Please advise your helpers of this possibility
• Adults should carry photo identification.

 

• Your Tour:

• 

Your head guide will call you 10-14 days before the tour. Please advise her/him of any special arrangements your group may require. If there are specific areas of interest for your students, please inform the head guide at this time. Students who are well-prepared experience a superior tour.

Our guides enjoy hearing from the students following the tour. If they do write us, please use the guides’ names provided to you on the day of the tour.

Please return the evaluation form after the tour. Your input is invaluable.

 
Any questions? E-mail us at UTGinformation@gmail.org