This past June, teachers and Springbrook students in the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program (IBDP) went on a service learning trip to Thailand. Students fundraised 3,000 thousand dollars and each student had to pay 2,000 dollars to pay for the expenses of the trip.

The trip was coordinated by a non-profit organization called Rustic Pathways that provides housing, transportation and activities for student groups. During their trip, the students built a house for a family of four, delivered food to members of a village and taught English to students in elementary and high schools.

“I don’t think there was one student who wasn’t touched by the people who welcomed us, and the people we helped,” resource counselor Eileen Lisker said.

The group of staff and students also taught children how to swim because drowning is the leading cause of death in Thailand. Lisker slipped on the tiles surrounding the pool, fell backwards and hit her head. She received six stitches and a neck brace after medical attention. This wasn’t the only danger on the trip.

Upon departure, one student could not board the plane because of issues with their residency documents. Government and Theory of Knowledge teacher Elizabeth Kelley stayed behind with the students to renew his documents with the US Embassy and eventually they returned safely back home. Despite the mishaps of the trip, teachers and students agree that the trip was phenomenal.

“I’ve always known that I wanted to be a teacher, but now I realize I want to teach in third world countries for kids who don’t have as much as we do,” senior Shannon Dunn said.

Next year, the IBDP plans to go on another service trip. The location has not yet been determined, but it has high standards to live up to.

“I got the experience of a lifetime. I’ve been to other countries, I’ve done service work before, but it was nothing like when we went to Thailand,” junior Sofia Perez said.