Welcome to The Passport Club!

Purpose
 

The Passport Club is an individualized, sequential, geography program for schools. Its main purpose is to help students learn some, or all of the world's countries over the course of a school year, and to meet essential academic learning requirements for geography.  It also promotes strong parent involvement in the school.  Finally, the program introduces postage stamps as a valuable educational tool for teachers, and an interesting and enjoyable hobby for students.
 
 

History
 

The program was designed by a grade school teacher and built out of enthusiasm for geography.  It began at Centennial Elementary in Olympia, Washington, in September, 1994, with 400 students.  In the Fall of 2008, there were more than 130 schools in fifteen states using the program.  Over 25,000 passports were ordered.  The Passport Club has also been used at American schools in China, Malaysia, and Mexico.
 

Until now, the program has grown through word of mouth only.   Parents, teachers and  principals relocate and decide to start the program at their new school.   In order to meet a growing demand, we have turned The Passport Club from a completely volunteer endeavor into a small family business.  In this way we can concentrate on quality control, new ideas and training workshops for teachers and parent volunteers. 
 

We look forward to working with new schools and continuing our partnership with participating schools.
 

Results
 

At the end of two years with The Passport Club, eighty percent of all Centennial students, grades 1-5, scored thirteen out of fifteen or better on the geography quiz.  The student body at the nearest comparable school, which had not used the program, had eight percent scoring thirteen out of fifteen or better.  Positive results have also been compiled regarding the comprehensive end-of-year "Whole World Challenge."   
 

In a school-wide survey of Centennial parents in 1996, the statement "The opportunity to participate in The Passport Club is a positive experience for my child" received a 100% positive response. (75% strongly agreed, 25% agreed.)  It was one of the only questions to receive a unanimous positive response.