Since 2005, Calgary Academy’s International Travel Studies Program has journeyed across the globe to provide our students with experiential learning that simply cannot be achieved in a classroom setting. Our mission is to provide students and staff with authentic travel experiences and opportunities to share the REACH philosophy through altruistic service-learning projects at home and around the world. We are incredibly fortunate to have students who have participated with ITS and have truly been ambassadors for our school on the global stage.
As someone who was bitten by the travel bug as a student in Grade 9, I have developed a love of travel that has taken me into the Amazon rainforest, across the Sahara Desert, and through the immortal temples of Asia. I have bathed elephants in the Mekong, climbed volcanic peaks in the Andes, and eaten street food the likes of which you would never see here in Canada. To see the world for what it truly is, and to live beyond the confines of Calgary is what motivates me to seek out new adventures every year. You could almost say I’m addicted to travel, and I just can’t quit.
Our ITS Program is also more than just travelling to new destinations. One of the core tenets of our program is service learning. Every trip includes time spent in an orphanage, school, or village that has requested help from the global community. Trust me when I say there is no purer form of altruism than flying halfway across the world to help children in another country build better lives for themselves, their families, and their communities. Our students also give of themselves here at home, by volunteering with local charitable organizations that serve a variety of needs. We believe very strongly in helping our students become true global citizens.
For the 2019-2020 school year, we are thrilled to present a new selection of trips that will travel over March and April 2020. The four trips being offered are Laos & Thailand, Nepal, Morocco, and Brazil. Applications are open to students who will be entering Grades 10 through 12 as of September 2019. Please click the links below to access the Destination Reveal Presentation and Student Application package.
Destination Reveal Spring 2020
ITS Application Form – STUDENT 2019-2020
Student Applications are due by Tuesday, May 21st, 2019 and placements will be announced shortly thereafter.
This year’s destinations are shaping up to be phenomenal trips and I look forward to welcoming new students into the ITS Program. Get ready, it’s going to be one wild ride!
Sincerely,
Darren Chu
International Travel Studies Coordinator
