ACHF is now enrolling campuses in the new Beyond Backpacks Online Travel Health Education Pilot Program.
The American College Health Foundation (ACHF), with funding support from Valneva, is excited to open enrollment for Beyond Backpacks: A Guide to Healthy Travel – a free online pilot program designed to help college students prepare for safe and healthy travel.
The course is currently in development and is expected to launch in July 2025, with pilot participation running through the 2025–26 academic year.
Designed to be completed in 1–2-hours, Beyond Backpacks features engaging short videos, interactive activities, and assessment questions covering relevant travel health topics, including:
- Intro to Beyond Backpacks
- Mental Health
- Packing Health Essentials
- Travel Vaccinations/Travel Immunizations
- Travel Health Insurance
- Communication/Emergency Planning
- Identity Care
- Food and Water Precautions
- Responsible/Ethical Travel
- Bite Avoidance Measures
- Returning Travelers
- General Health and Safety Tips
Beyond Backpacks can be easily integrated into your campus learning management system (e.g., Canvas, Brightspace) or accessed externally. Both options allow you to monitor students’ completion and comprehension of the content.
The content has been focus group tested and is tailored for younger travelers. You can preview a sample of the video content here.
The Beyond Backpacks course is ideal for campuses without dedicated travel health services, though institutions with existing resources may also find it a useful supplement.
To learn more or express interest in participating, please complete the interest form here.
For questions, contact ACHA’s Director of Strategic Partnerships Robyn Buchsbaum at rbuchsbaum@acha.org.
This program is part of the ACHF Campus Travel Health Programs project with Valneva.
