A simple, private way for parents, and caregivers to follow the trip from home
When you're leading a group of students on the other side of the world, the itinerary usually takes care of itself. It's everything around the trip that can create extra pressure.. from the parent emails, the family group chat speculation, and the inevitable "Has anyone heard from the school?" messages.
One of the challenging things we always hear is:
“Managing parent angst, interest and excitement. Polarsteps allowed us to maintain regular contact with home without being too taxing on our time”.
- A teacher that used Polarsteps on a trip in December 2025
Families aren't trying to be difficult. They simply want to feel connected to an experience they can't be part of. The challenge is finding a way to keep everyone informed without adding another task to an already busy day.
That's where Polarsteps comes in.
What is Polarsteps?
Polarsteps is a free travel-tracking app available on iOS and Android. Originally designed as a digital travel journal, it automatically maps journeys and allows users to share photos and updates as they travel.
For school groups, it provides something particularly valuable: a simple, private way for parents, and caregivers to follow the trip from home. Instead of relying on occasional emails or social media posts, families can view a live record of the journey as it unfolds.
A quick note on privacy and permissions
- Confirm photo permissions for all participating students before departure
- Share updates only through private, invite-only channels
- Avoid publishing sensitive personal information in any post
- Ensure students understand appropriate online behaviour when contributing content
“The fact that only members of the group who had been invited to follow us could view our photos and videos, meant that we didn’t have to worry about images ending up in the public domain.”
- A teacher that used Polarsteps on a trip in December 2025
How teachers can use it on tour
Setting up a trip takes less than ten minutes. Before departure, a teacher creates a private trip, enters the travel dates, and shares an invite link with families via email, the school app, or a newsletter. Parents simply download the app and follow the trip.
During the tour, the trip leader (or a nominated student) posts a short daily update. A few photos, a brief summary of the day's activities, and Polarsteps automatically places the update on the journey map.
Features that work particularly well for school trips:
- Live route maps that update as the group travels
- Daily posts with photos and captions pinned to the map
- Private trips visible only to invited followers
- Comments and reactions from families following along
- Offline tracking that syncs when internet access returns
Keep updates simple
One of the biggest concerns teachers raise about trip communication is the time commitment. Fortunately, effective updates don't need to be lengthy. Parents aren't looking for formal reports. They simply want reassurance that the group is safe, engaged, and making the most of the experience.
A typical daily post can include a brief summary of the day's activities, one memorable moment or highlight, four to six photos, and a quick preview of what's coming next. That's genuinely all it takes.
“We were able to upload photos and information about what we were doing and where we were going quickly and easily. Families were able to track our journey in real time. Not only did this allay their fears but they got to experience the joy and the learning alongside their children.”
- A teacher that used Polarsteps on a trip in December 2025
Turn it into a student leadership opportunity
One of the easiest ways to reduce workload is to involve students in creating the updates. Rotating responsibility for the daily post gives students the chance to develop reflective writing skills, practise storytelling and communication, and take real ownership of the group's journey.
Student-written updates also tend to capture the energy of the trip in a way that feels authentic and engaging for the families following along. They also make for a far more interesting read than anything written after a long day on the road.
Why Polarsteps works so well
The value of Polarsteps isn't really the technology, it's the connection it creates. For families, it provides visibility and genuine peace of mind. Instead of wondering what's happening, they can see where the group has been, view photos, and follow the journey day by day.
For teachers, it offers a practical way to communicate with everyone at once, rather than responding to a stream of individual enquiries. The key benefits speak for themselves:
- Reduced parent anxiety throughout the trip
- Fewer individual communication requests to manage
- Greater transparency for the wider school community
- Stronger engagement between home and school
- A positive reflection of the school's travel programme
Polarsteps is free to download and use. Schools should always follow their own safeguarding, privacy, and photography consent policies when sharing content relating to students.
