Diving into Colombia: WSA Students’ International Expedition!
West Sound Academy's Junior and Senior classes traded in their usual finals week for a ten-day service trip to Cartagena, Colombia. After handing in their final evaluations the weeks prior, both classes "took to the skies" on May 15th as they went on their way to the country. Greeted by waves of humidity and an air of excitement, the group spent their first night dining out on traditional cuisine while being serenaded by renditions of well-known Colombian songs.
As an International Baccalaureate World School, West Sound Academy lives out the IB mission of developing inquiring, knowledgeable, and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect. "This year's trip is part of the ongoing IB curriculum for our 11th graders, included in their tuition. I'm excited to see the impact future trips will have on our students," said Catherine Freeman, West Sound Academy's Head of School.
During the 10-day trip, students were immersed in the language and culture of Cartagena through various Creative, Active, and Service learning opportunities. They visited the home of the renowned novelist Gabriel García Márquez, explored the ruins of the San Felipe de Barajas Fort, observed local graffiti artworks, bartered with merchants, and enjoyed typical Cartagena cuisine.
On the market day, the students navigated the environment of a local outdoor market where they sampled local fruits, vegetables, and seafood and purchased ingredients to use with local chefs to replicate traditional recipes.
Students noted this was a very different experience from buying groceries at our local Safeway. "This trip served as an incredible means for learning about people in different cultures and their ways of life," said Ian McCallister, a junior.
On another day, students attended meetings of three different non-governmental organizations (NGOs); "I found meeting with the NGOs to be the most valuable [part of the trip]. In these meetings, we were introduced to people who worked to change not only their lives but the lives of others," said Nadia Fisch, a senior.
It was powerful for students to hear about the needs of the local communities and how volunteers are making a difference. It gave them some new ideas for service projects within their own community.
West Sound Academy encourages its students to be internationally minded. The trip to Columbia was a successful introduction to cross-cultural interaction and fostered a sense of community amongst peers and acquaintances. While there were nerves that came with traveling to a predominantly Spanish-speaking country, all the students built connections with an accepting mindset.
The students returned with big smiles on their faces, excited to share a broader view of the world and a better understanding of the Spanish language. Virginia Staab, one of the chaperones of the trip, concluded that the trip was "a resounding success in terms of Spanish immersion and building bridges between international communities. Can't wait to go again next year!"
