Twenty-seven of LCIS’s bold DP1 students embarked on the trip of a lifetime this June, spearheaded by Expedition Leader and DP head Justin Brooks. Parents and staff were treated to regular, very moving, email updates, recounting the group’s experiences on this remarkable adventure.
The annual LCIS CAS (Creativity, Activity, Service) Expedition is a huge commitment for our IBDP students, not only for the action packed eleven-day trip, but for fundraising and preparation, and of course for the incredible experiences and organisation by Mr Brooks.
In line with the CAS learning outcomes students must achieve as part of the International Baccalaureate, the 2024 trip dived straight into a full and immersive schedule, experiencing, and engaging with local culture, volunteering, teaching and more.
After arriving in Bangkok and enjoying a day of cultural orientation, the group’s first volunteering exercise was two hours in thick mud planting the six hundred mangroves their efforts had funded. Their determination, commitment and spirit set the tone for the rest of the trip. A temple visit, with meditation and an energy-sharing water ritual, served to deepen the team’s connection and one-ness for the following days.
Community outreach experiences included working at a zoo and conservation centre, running an English Camp and planting a garden at a remote village school, delivering gifts to a kindergarten, and visiting a home for the elderly. With cultural performances, street food adventures, floating restaurants, an elephant encounter and so much more, the students were encouraged to take time to discuss and reflect on their experiences,
“We spoke about personal growth, responsibility to self, and to others, and how we should consider not only what impacts us, but the power we have to impact others in a positive way,” says trip leader and DP Head of Pastoral, Justin Brooks.
Everyone who met our students were full of admiration and praise for their focus and commitment to the experience of the moment. Later in the trip they spent a day at an elderly care home and then a special school for more than three hundred young people with various needs and disabilities. They were an instant hit at both, and meaningful, memorable connections were made.
“The heart and selflessness witnessed today by all of our students was not only completely unexpected given the challenging nature of the places we were visiting, but also beyond inspiring and humbling,” said Mr Brooks.
Finishing their adventure with voluntary work and close encounters at an elephant sanctuary was the perfect last day to this incredible journey.
The LCIS CAS Expedition is more than a trip and is very much an experience. What our young people get from it shows clearly how engaging with the wider community and giving with openness, commitment, and determination is an incredibly fulfilling and life-affirming gift to others, and to ourselves.
“Reflecting on our 10-day expedition, I think everyone felt a deep sense of achievement… I am profoundly moved by the empathy, passion, and dedication our students demonstrated daily - even when faced with jet lag, exhaustion, and emotional challenges, they selflessly supported those around them, showing what can be achieved when we focus on what truly matters.”
