I am part of a group of 5 students, who will be going to Chiang Mai for Project Week (from the 3rd to the 8th of June). Our trip will encompass aspects of creativity, action and service, ie all 3 elements of CAS.
With respect to service, we will be working alongside the ‘Elephant Nature Park’. This is an elephant rescue and rehabilitation center in Cambodia, Northern Thailand which people can visit and volunteer to help. This sanctuary provides home for rescued elephants, engages in a rainforest restoration project and also works towards cultural preservation. T Working with the Elephant Nature park would allow us to engage with service related to animal protection. We would be engaging in activities such as learning to communicate with the elephants, feeding and bathing the elephants.
We will also engage in a cooking class, where we would learn to cook the most popular Thai food and dessert. This would allow us to immerse ourselves in the local culture of Thailand in a very creative way. ‘Basil Thai Cooking School’ is an organisation that provides lessons for students of all skill levels ( beginners and advanced). The lessons are for half a day, and we would learn to cook 7 dishes.
We will also be taking part in a 6 hour trek. We will trek up the mountain to a Lahu Village then we walk down on single track passing another village hill tribe, and waterfalls before finally popping out at the Mae Taeng River. This is about 7 km long. We will descend then about 600 meters.
This has been a very new experience for me, as never before have I had the opportunity to organise a trip to a destination I have chosen. I have never gone for a vacation without being accompanied by an adult. However, the amount I have invested into planning project week, translates directly into my excitement for it as well.
Evidence:
CAS outcomes discussed:
1 – Identify your own strengths and develop areas for personal growth.
2 – Demonstrate that challenges have been undertaken, developing new skills in the process
3 – Demonstrate how to initiate and plan a CAS experience
5 – Demonstrate the skills and recognise the benefits of working collaboratively.
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