As October came around the corner, people got swept up by the charm of autumn beauty, the coziness in the air, dreaming of the charming fall sweater, or the urge to fall in love. But for UNIS students, this month reminds us of something completely different: our annual trip week.
‘Trip Week’ or ‘Experiential Learning Trips’ are a week-long trip offering students from grade 6 to grade 12 opportunities to grow and step out of their comfort zone. Each grade gets to go to different places and experience a diverse blend of exploration and service. Whether it’s trekking through the forest, participating in teaching little kids, or learning about the local culture, the trip’s purpose is for students to learn new skills and, especially, to help bond students in the grade.
Though it always has to be planned months in advance, this year’s grade 10 trip week was totally unprecedented. Due to the aftermath of typhoon Yagi, the old location, Sapa, was deemed unsafe for the grade to continue their trip. In a swift response, Thac Ba, Yen Bai was chosen as the new place. The trip focused on enhancing students’ survival skills, fostering personal growth, and promoting teamwork. Over 4 days and 3 nights, students engaged in a range of activities from hiking and biking to paddle boarding. Moreover, it embraced opportunities for community engagement in the nearby village. Students had the chance to interact with locals and learn about their unique culture by exploring the village and learning about different types of natural traditional Vietnamese medicines. Participating in a thrilling raft-building race fostered bonding within Homebase, as did collaborating in Homebases for hiking by navigating the route without assistance.
To evaluate the overall impact the trip brings, grade 10 students provided some valuable insights regarding their personal experiences. A diverse range of opinions towards the trip was expressed, from enthusiastic praise to critical and controversial comments. When asked about their feelings about the trip experience, a student stated briefly “Overall, everything [was] just fun. It [was] nice. We didn’t get too dirty although some parts were really muddy.” Meanwhile, someone else argued “I think this trip was the worst trip of my life, if I’m being honest, but I did make a lot of memories.” Ethan Hsiao expressed mixed feelings: “The overall of the trip was rather nice but I wouldn’t say too nice as most of the parts were tiring; some people got hurt by the rocky roads. The experience of both hiking and biking was kinda bad for me but the other part when we got to do it as an entire community was quite nice as we got to spend time with them and made new memories.” Mr. Luke Dore offered a glimpse from a teacher chaperone’s perspective of the trip: “It was a fun but exhausting time. I really felt [it] brought the grade 10 group together. One of my highlights was the karaoke at the last night and then also trying to push Mr Taggart into the water.”
The success of the hastily organized activities directly influenced the overall outcome of the trip, given the short two-week timeframe for planning the new destination. However, we must recognize the planning team’s best effort that was put into this sudden change. Many students agreed that these activities foster students to step outside of their comfort zone. When talking about the trip, Nao Yoshida reflected on her new experiences: “Usually I don’t bike in mud or hike in the bushes, that [was] out of my comfort zone; also, [having] to stay in a room with 18 people, that was also out of my comfort zone.” Some expressed concerns about the activities’ safety after they caused injuries to students, such as biking on steep rocky roads filled with slippery mud. They suggested that “more planning would’ve made the trip better”. Looking at the students who directly experienced and benefited from the trip, they believe that there is still more space for improvement. Such suggestions include student involvement in the planning process, which could have led to a more tailored experience.
Ending our journey, as we boarded the bus back to campus, a wave of emotions washed over. We were tired, sore, and some of the first thoughts that came up were to go home immediately. But I believed whether it was an incredible or terrible trip, parts of us were filled with a sense of accomplishment and pride. Despite all of that, after all, we had all pushed ourselves beyond our limits, forged stronger bonds with each other, and did things we had never done before. It was more than just an adventure or a week of “skipping school”. It’s the laughter, challenges, and triumphs that would stay forever in our High School memories.
