Travel Guard, a global leader in travel insurance and assistance services, has launched a comprehensive student travel safety campaign this week that was designed to increase awareness of the consideration’s students should take before embarking on study abroad or school-sponsored trips to international destinations. As a cornerstone of the campaign, Travel Guard has created a dedicated microsite that contains engaging videos depicting common safety scenarios and advice, as well as safety-focused tips around topics such as travel choices, beach trips and nightlife.

The initiative was developed with the understanding that students may not have a significant amount of global travel experience, and their chosen housing, transportation and activities during their journeys may negatively impact their risk profiles. For example, students on shoestring budgets may choose accommodations or transportation that is less secure than other options.

The branding of the Depart Smart™ travel safety training is a nod to the non-profit organization founded by Sheryl Hill, who lost her son Tyler to a preventable death while overseas on a student-abroad trip in 2007. Sheryl made it her mission to arm students with travel safety skills and contingency plans for international trips and study-abroad programs. After years of advocacy working to improve student travel safety, Sheryl passed the torch to Travel Guard.