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Taking youth and educators through the history and culture
of the United States -- via the Internet!


Odyssey World TrekThe Odyssey was a non-profit founded in the mid-1990's to use this newfangled thing called the Internet to promote global awareness among youth and involve them in activities to create positive change in the world. More than 2000 classes in over 80 countries used our websites while they were being actively created between 1998 and 2001, and over the next decade they continued to receive between 65,000 and 230,000 unique visitors per month.

Our work garnered numerous awards and notable mentions from such organizations as the US State Department, Education World, USA Today, Excite, and the Microsoft Encarta Schoolhouse, among others.

Our first major project, the World Trek - launched in January 1999 and ended August, 2000 - took students on an otherwise impossible field trip - a two-year Trek around the world. The Odyssey website connected tens of thousands of students to a team of five educators doing a real two-year trek around the world. The Trekkers were outfitted with laptops and digital cameras to document their experiences and the people and places they visited.

The photos, video, audio, and text they capture were posted on the website twice a week for students to follow along. In addition to visiting sites of historic and cultural significance, Team Members also interviewed organizations and people working towards positive changein the world – from youth leaders, to international non-profits, to peace and human rights activists, to prominent figures such as writers and Nobel Peace Prize Laureates. Students could also interact with the Team and many of these people via live chats, e-mail, polls, and discussion boards.


September, 2000, The Odyssey launched its second major project – The United States Trek. The US Trek brought US History to life for hundreds of thousands of students who followed along with our ten US Trek Team Members. The Trek allowed students to travel virtually around the US to visit historic places, interview historic figures, and meet experts in US History, all for free via the Internet. Following the same general format as the World Trek, the core content was supplemented by historic audio/video clips provided by PBS and the Library of Congress, live interviews with important people in American life, live chats with students nationwide, and interactive polls and discussion boards.

  • If you'd like to learn more, we encourage you to check out the US Trek Overview.
    It includes information on the educational program and itinerary, a history of the organization, and a little behind-the-scenes peek!


  • Or find additional specific information in one of the other main sections listed below:

Overview Who We Are


Odyssey Home Current Trek Teachers Search

©2000 The Odyssey: World Trek for Service and Education. All rights reserved.