Beautiful Buddhist temples and busy streets were common sights around Bangkok and Chiang Mai as CA students and staff explored Thailand.
One of this year’s International Travel Studies (ITS) trips took 18 students across the world, where they learned about Thailand’s rich culture while making an impact in the local community.
13 Days in Thailand
In 13 days, the ITS travellers journeyed over 25,000KM between Calgary, Bangkok, and Chiang Mai. That only includes the flights—the group also travelled by boat, bus, and on foot as they went from the south of the country to the mountainous northern end.
They started by navigating the hot, humid streets of Bangkok before heading to Chiang Mai and its surrounding mountains. This was the destination of their altruistic travel project at Boonthong Orphanage. However, their journey into sustainable tourism had many stops along the way.
The students visited and supported staff at Elephant World, a sanctuary for elderly, abused, or disabled elephants. They fed and helped bathe the elephants (while getting covered in mud themselves). In Chiang Mai, the ITS travellers visited PooPooPaper Park, where they learned about eco-friendly paper products from elephant waste.
CA teacher and one of the trip supervisors, Jane Conrad, remembers seeing the wonder on the students’ faces when they saw the elephants up close. Grade 12 student Ian D. agrees that it was a magical experience—the highlight of his trip.
“My favourite moment on the trip was undoubtedly our time at the elephant sanctuary. It was a rare experience to feed and care for the massive and gentle animals.”
When they weren’t learning about elephants, the group explored temples and stunning architecture, as the group visited local cultural sites, like Thailand’s royal palace and Wat Pho, the oldest temple in the country.
With one of the largest Buddhist populations in the world, visiting sites like this helped the travellers better understand Thai culture.
“Visiting the temples just gave us a better understanding of what the Thai people believe about respect. And also, how Thai Buddhism makes its way into everyday life, like, everywhere. When we went through the flower market, it was also a place to make wreaths so that people could make offerings at the temples.” – Ms. Conrad
Paper Ranger
Day five of the trip brought ITS to Paper Ranger, a social project started by university students who found a simple way to create notebooks for disadvantaged children.
The group spent their morning supporting the project—making notebooks and designing their own cover art. Ian remembers this being a humbling experience, but one that gave him the chance to help those less fortunate.
“Through my experiences at places like Paper Ranger, I became more aware of how fortunate I am to live in Canada, with access to family, education, and basic necessities. At Paper Ranger, we helped make notebooks, which surprised me, as I had always assumed school supplies were readily available to students.”
Boonthong Orphanage
On day 10 of their journey, the ITS students arrived at Boonthong Orphanage. Located 10 KM from Chiang Mai, Calgary Academy has visited the orphanage on past Thailand trips.
During their two days of work, the travellers poured concrete, helped craftspeople build a balcony for the children, and touched up the building’s paint.
“I think understanding that these things benefit real people… There are tangible contributions students can make. You can pour concrete, you can paint and do things that improve a space. There are also the intangible impacts through personal connections, like giving a child a piggyback ride and spending time with them.”
On their second day, the group completed their work before celebrating with the orphanage that had welcomed them. The students brought gifts for the children, from Canadian souvenirs to school supplies.
Ian felt motivated to help wherever he could during the project, and he tried to repay the kindness of their hosts.
“I spent a lot of time painting, working on the rails of the deck and adding fine details around the lettering on the walls, as well as helping mix and pour concrete. However, the most meaningful part of the experience was spending time with the kids. Despite the language barrier, we were still able to connect and share joy.” – Ian
Heading Home
While ITS Thailand was an incredible experience for the travellers, they eventually had to return home. However, the students took home life-long memories and lessons.
Ian is glad to have left an impact, however small, on those he met on his journey through the country, especially at the orphanage. Now back in Canada, he feels grateful for the life he has and his experiences over Spring Break.
“One of the most important lessons I took from this experience is to remain grateful for the life I’ve been given, to value the support of my family, and to know that the necessities I often take for granted are more than enough. Seeing how others live gave me a new perspective.” – Ian
Next school year, another set of ITS trips will take off for another year of memories. For students entering Grades 10–12 next academic year, there’s a chance to join!
If you’re interested in learning more about ITS, including details on the three trips offered for Spring 2027, attend the virtual session on Monday, May 4, at 7:00 p.m.