Can’t get to the Grand Canyon for spring break? Why not visit during third period?

That’s exactly what members of the nationally recognized Ball State’s Teachers College thought. They wanted to find a way for schools to work more experiential learning opportunities into their curricula. Jet setting across the country wasn’t a realistic lesson plan, so the college turned to technology. From there, the Electronic Field Trips (EFT) program was born.

For the last 10 years, the Ball State EFT program has taken more than 15 million students from all 50 states and seven countries on amazing journeys—from exploring volcanoes in Hawaii to getting a fast lesson in physics at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The program partners with national museums, parks, and historic places to provide extraordinary learning opportunities via a dynamic combination of live broadcasts and online curricula.

“Opening the treasure chests of our nation’s museums and parks to children around the globe through technology is a moral obligation we are committed to,” says Roy Weaver, dean of Teachers College and a founder of the EFT concept. “Our goal is to make each electronic field trip engaging and more exciting than the last, constantly improving our Web-based interactive games and tying lessons to recognized educational standards.”

Students have a blast with the new learning format. After spending time on the Web site and learning in the classroom, students finish up the lesson with a live, 60-minute interactive broadcast originating from the partner museum, park, or institution. But it’s not all fun and games. A recent study indicates that students who used the EFT materials retained more information than those who did not. The success of the program has researchers and students wondering—what’s next?