An eye-opening experience

While classroom learning is fundamental for the growth and development of students, it’s not the only environment in which they can learn. On the contrary, many people believe that the conditions in which students learn best often include those outside the classroom.

Undoubtedly, life skills such as having compassion for others, leadership, communication, responsibility and teamwork can be taught in the classroom, however, it is arguably outside the four walls where these skills are really put into context and developed on a deeper level.
    
As Albert Einstein once famously said when commenting on ideas about the conditions in which students learn best: “I never teach my pupils, I only provide the conditions in which they can learn.” And who are we to argue with the renowned physicist?

The perfect project
It was a colleague who first told me about World Challenge; as soon as I did a little more research into it, I knew it was exactly what I and my colleague Funmi Adenaike had been looking for. World Challenge promises to develop crucial life skills that will help set students apart in terms of communication, teamwork, risk management, negotiation, delegation and money management, which immediately struck a chord. In addition, the UK’s key employers voted World Challenge by name as the fourth most important activity undertaken at school, above activities such as Young Enterprise and sporting events, which again was hugely reassuring. Funmi and I decided it was an unmissable opportunity.

Elbow grease required
On completion of their A-Levels, it was decided that students would be eligible to sign up for the three week trip, and 15 would be chosen at random. It was important, however, that they understood that World Challenge wasn’t going to be a simple case of turning up at the airport and catching their flight; the expedition would start at least a year before the students even arrived at their destination. This trip would be no holiday – it would involve a six day trek, after which students would help to repair and redecorate a large school in the local community and also work with orphans in the area.
    
Each student needed to raise approximately £3,600 to cover the cost of the trip itself as well as all the materials required for the work they would be doing when they arrived. Seemingly unfazed by the task ahead of them, our students hit the ground running and began planning fundraising events straight away. They did some traditional fundraising which included bag packing in Marks and Spencer, car washing, bake sales and quiz nights. They also hosted a ‘Pamper Evening’ in the school where teachers, parents and neighbours paid to have treatments such as facials, massages, manicures and pedicures from local providers all at a reduced rate. A luxury raffle was also held on the night where guests could win a huge basket of expensive beauty products. Needless to say, the pamper evening and raffle were a real hit with the female guests, and they contributed a substantial amount to the fund pot. At Christmas, they held a candlelit carol concert in the school which was really wonderful and people showed their appreciation for it generously.
    
‘Become a friend of All Saints’ was another project our students came up with to raise money. Local businesses would be invited to become a friend of the school through sponsorship or by making a donation. In return, images of the sponsors and their details would be included on a special ‘friends’ page on the school’s website. They would also be presented with a school logo highlighting their support and involvement which they could proudly display. While this particular idea was too difficult to implement in advance of the trip due to our tight timeframe, next year’s students plan to roll it out much earlier in the year to maximise its earning potential.

Rewarding work
We travelled to Thailand first and then onto Phnom Pehn in Cambodia; the trip itself was amazing. The students had to organise their own transport and accommodation in advance, which undoubtedly tested and developed their organisational and communication skills.

When we arrived in Phnom Pehn, the physical work began almost immediately; the students started by building the foundations for a water tank. When this was completed, they moved onto the Street Families Centre where they sanded all the walls of the centre before decorating it. They also taught English to the children and women in the centre and spent time in a nearby orphanage caring for and playing with the children there.  
    
As well as all the life skills the students learned, the trip provided a once-in-a-life time opportunity for them to experience some of the world’s most impressive sights. We trekked around Erawan Falls National Park in Thailand, visited the Killing Fields Museum and explored the Temples of Angkor in Phnom Penh, trekked through a rainforest, hustled through the night market in Patpong, discovered the Royal Palace in Bangkok, and even found time to go white water rafting and elephant riding.
    
Student Francesca O’Callaghan, 18, says: “Our project was the perfect time to get involved in the local culture of Cambodia. It took us out of our comfort zone, both mentally and physically, by the way we lived and our surroundings. It was a chance to involve our own culture, language and way of life into another country and intertwine it with theirs.” Her classmate Mairead Brown, 17, says: “I have been left speechless and amazed at how fantastic the expedition to Cambodia and Thailand was. This trip has left me with 14 new best friends which I know I’ll keep in contact with when we go our separate ways. I loved every minute of it and have become so much more confident and grateful for what I have.”

Recommend a friend
When you first tell people that you are helping 15 students aged 16-18 raise £3,600 for a three week trip many become sceptical; either they don’t think it’s achievable or they think that somehow it will be their parents who end up footing the bill. But, as this trip proved, they couldn’t be more wrong.
    
The World Challenge expedition has aided my students in learning skills that will not only strengthen personal growth, but will also help secure university places and impress future employers. It has been an inspiring learning experience for me too and I have taken a lot from it. To date, I have embarked on two World Challenge expeditions and I’m already planning my next; I couldn’t recommend it enough to anyone thinking of undertaking the challenge, they won’t regret it for a second.
    
As a teacher, I know how difficult it can be to get to know your students on a personal level; we spend all day teaching, correcting and instructing them, which leaves little time to really find out what interests or inspires them. In addition to all the fantastic benefits the trip has brought, it has also given me the opportunity to really get to know my students; it has helped me to learn more about them as individuals and connect with them on a very real and human level. Most importantly though, it’s made me realise what an inspirational bunch they truly are.

Further information
www.world-challenge.co.uk
www.allsaintsschool.co.uk