Loreto College, in collaboration with World Challenge, undertook their third World Challenge Expedition to Morocco in Easter 2016. Our school has teamed up with World Challenge to take groups of students on international excursions with a difference.
Unlike a traditional school tour these expeditions have pushed students out of their comfort zones and introduced them to the concept of independent, responsible and ethical travel.
The two key stages of an expedition are project-work and trekking. Personal development is at the core of this type of experience as students engage with local development projects in locations in the developing world. This experience of independent travel in an authentic setting is both a rewarding and character building exercise.
Loreto College embarked on its first expedition overseas in 2012 when a team of our senior students along with two of their teachers travelled to Southern India on a fortnight-long expedition during the Easter holidays. The first stop was Kochin where the students spent time working with street children in a Don Bosco orphanage. The group then experienced a challenging trek in the Western Ghats in the state of Kerala.
Building on this success, Loreto College ran a second successful expedition to Ethiopia in 2014. This group was based in Gondar in Northern Ethiopia for project work that gave them insight into school-life in Ethiopia. This group experienced the breath-taking scenery of the Simien Mountains for their trekking phase.
Engaging with another culture on expedition has given these students a global awareness that they will take with them well beyond their secondary school years. From increased confidence and fitness to global awareness and money management, an expedition brings benefits that will have an impact for the rest of their lives. We have seen students return from their expedition with increased energy and enthusiasm and a sense that if they really apply themselves, there’s no limit to what they can do.
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