A Whole World To See, Places To Get You There

A+Whole+World+To+See%2C+Places+To+Get+You+There

Have you ever wanted to travel abroad in order to help others as well as create memories which you will never forget? This summer, there were many students from who traveled to foreign places like Australia and Thailand with great purposes in mind and great programs allowing them to do so.

You may not have known, but there are plenty of programs that will help and allow you to travel with whatever goals you have in mind. People to People and Rustic Pathways are just two  of the many programs out there. Find one that fits your desires the best, but first, hear about some WHB students’ experiences and what their programs are all about.

As many already know, seniors Ella Collins and Aurora MacDonald traveled to Thailand this summer to help other communities in need. “People of Thailand are a lot different than people here,” said Aurora. “I really enjoy studying other cultures and finding ways to help them how they are in need.”

The trip the two friends went on focused on conserving elephant populations there. “We worked with mahouts, men and women who gave their lives to these elephants to make sure they are happy,” Aurora added. Rustic Pathways is a community service-based program that wants to create a world where travel is an essential part of education and all people are connected by a shared humanity.

Ella had traveled with them before to Peru in order to help young children there learn English and to help build a kitchen for a boarding school. “They have definitely made me have a much better understanding of the world and realize you don’t need much to be happy,” Ella said, referring to the programs she traveled on with Rustic Pathways.

Sara Heaney, Sydney Crawford and I also traveled abroad this summer, venturing on a 24 and 1/2 hour plane ride to down under. That’s right, we got to throw some shrimp on the barbie, cuddle with koalas, and take some pictures with kangaroos all while helping break down cultural barriers between Americans and Aussies.

People to People was established in 1956 by President Eisenhower to prevent any more tragic wars from occurring. He decided to give ordinary citizens the opportunity to travel abroad in order to get to know people from another culture, thus shattering cultural stereotypes and differences. His reasoning was that when people are friends, they are more likely to spread their friends and, in doing so, create an understanding and lasting peace between nations. I have traveled with this program twice, once to Europe and a second time to Australia, and I can contest that his perspective has definitely influenced not only mine, but others’ perspectives around me as well.

“I like traveling with a program like People to People because you are able to meet new people, make new friends, and create life-lasting memories,” said sophomore Sara Heaney. “Next summer, I’m going to South Africa with some of my friends from this trip. It should be a lot of fun.”  When asked what Sydney’s favorite part about traveling with People to People was she responded, “I like how everyone gets so close and there’s an aspect of team unity with all of us. It’s definitely an experience I won’t forget and I probably will travel with them again.”

Learn more about the programs and register online at their websites, peopletopeople.com or rusticpathways.com.