Hi Lawrence: Coordination does take thought, planning, and effort on the part of the teacher. It helps when the teacher knows his students and their varied backgrounds, especially in the plkanning stages. For guest speakers, one really great idea is to have a fairly recent graduate, one who you consider to be above average, who is working, and have them return as a guest speaker. Although not as experienced, they do being a lkevel of enthusiasm, and inspiration that some "old timers" may take for granted. Most new graduates would be flatrtered to be asked to speak to your class, and the students receptive as they view that graduate more like themselves. "If s/he can do it it, so can I". Field trips only take a little more creativity. There are some ideal field trips I'd like to plan, but for reasons (some you've listed) they're just not practical. I look in the paper every day for civic activities to give me ideas. I network with people in and similar to my specific profession. There may be professional societies that can be tapped for a visit. People who are almost always available are town or city leaders, elected board members, community leaders who are willing to participate in field trips because it gets them noticed. They may not have the exact experience you're seeking, but I bet they have opinions, or perhaps know of others who do fit the bill. An inside reference can be very effective. Finally, I have visited my local Rotary, Soropomist, or similar service club to talk about my program and profession. In turn, I always seek out others who might make for good speakers or field trip outings. Sometimes, we just need to be creative and with planning, good experiences will result. Regards, Barry