This year, students in 2nd - 5th grade have the opportunity to explore the world through The Passport Club!  Each child who decides to participate will receive a passport, choose an individual level of study and collect “stamps” for the passport as they learn some or all of the world’s countries over the course of the school year.  The program will begin in October, and children will be tested once a month (during 3rd recess) on the countries they have studied. They will have the opportunity to win fun prizes as well!  

The goal of this program is to plant the seeds of global literacy, as global competency is a complex skill set and takes time to develop.  We want your child to gain the attitude, skills, and knowledge needed for success in the future. 

This program is dependent upon volunteers!  We need about 15 volunteers per testing session each month.  If you would like to commit to one or more testing sessions, please see the end of this webpage for more information and a link to sign up! 

THE PASSPORT CLUB LEVELS 1-5  

LEVEL ONE:  5 countries per month

This is an “introductory level”.  Most of the LEVEL ONE countries are large and fairly well known.  Students will learn a total of 40 countries by year’s end. 

LEVEL TWO: 10 countries per month (five in level 1 and five in level 2)

For this “intermediate level” students study the five level 1 countries plus five more level 2 countries.  By the end of the school year, students will have learned the location of 80 countries. 

LEVEL THREE: 15 countries per month (five in level 1, five in level 2 and five in level 3)

For this “advanced intermediate level” students will study 15 countries each month and will learn the location of 115 countries by the year’s end. 

LEVEL FOUR: 25 countries per month (five in level 1, five in level 2, five in level 3, ten in level 4)

At this challenging “expert level,” students will learn all the independent nations over the course of the year.  Twenty-five countries are studied each month.

LEVEL FIVE:  All the countries in levels 1-4 PLUS the capital cities for level 1 countries. 

At the end of each month, during 3^rd recess, the children will go to the stage in the cafeteria to be tested by volunteers on the location of each country they’ve studied.  The volunteers are very encouraging and helpful, so the testing is the fun part!  For each level that they “pass”, students will be able to glue a stamp into their passport and then receive a small prize for their efforts.  It was a really fun experience last year for everyone and it’s a great way for students to get more familiar with a world map.

How does my child sign up?

Teachers will be asking students in class who would like to participate, so all your child needs to do is raise their hand and their name will go on the Passport Club list.  If your child decides later that Passport Club isn’t for them, they can simply tell their teacher. 

Passport Check Dates for the 2026-2027 School Year are: 

• October:  10/23
• November: 11/20
• December:  12/11
• January:  1/29
• February:  2/26
• March:  3/26
• April:  4/23
• May: 5/21

* All dates are on a Friday.  Please add these dates to your calendar!

I’m excited to start a second year of Passport Club at Pioneer.  My email is emiliasnow14@gmail.com -- please email me if you have any questions! 

Sincerely,

Emilia Snow (parent of second grader Harlan 😊)

Passport Club Volunteers Needed! 

Volunteers play a vital role in the success of The Passport Club.  Volunteers will test the children on the countries they have studied and then give them a stamp for their passport for each level they complete.  We need approximately 15 volunteers for each testing date. Click HERE to volunteer! 

Testing Times:  

• 2nd/3rd grade recess from 1:25-1:40pm (and after)
• 4th/5th grade recess from 1:55-2:10pm (and after until about 2:30pm)

Please plan to arrive by 1:05pm for your first testing session for a mini-training, and by 1:15pm for any subsequent sessions. Don’t worry if you don’t know all of the countries on the map- you will be given a cheat sheet 😊

We could also use donations of snacks or geography-related goodies (pencils, stickers, etc) which as used as participation prizes for the kids when they’ve completed their testing. If you’re interested in donating, click HERE!