International & Regional Engagement

In December 2023, Year 11 student Jessica Thompson embarked on a Round Square International Service Project to Thailand. Projects take place each year, in July and December and are open to students aged 16-19 years of age. Below is a speech she gave in assembly about her experiences.

RSIS Thailand speech 

Good morning, everyone, my name is Jess Thompson and I thought I’d share with you one of the greatest experiences I have ever had. In December I went on a service project with Round Square to Thailand, by myself, without my parents, and experienced no phone or social media for two weeks. If this sounds a bit scary to you, you would be right. I was very nervous.  

The service project was to help protect a village’s industry, pineapple farming, from elephants that love pineapples. The project was created with the goal of helping the local people, who struggle with these cheeky elephants, to form a peaceful coexistence so that the problems can be minimised in the least harmful way. 

Myself, along with another 59 teens from around the world helped by setting up cameras to help researchers study the behaviour of the elephants and build a watchtower for the villagers to use to warn them that elephants were approaching. We also created bird boxes for the endangered species of the native Hornbills in the area. All these things were made out of mud and materials that we sourced.  

With this trip came so many memorable moments that I will cherish forever. These included the amazing people I met from all over the world and watching the elephants spirting water out of their trunks at their brothers and sisters. But there is one thing I will never forget and that was being with my new friends, singing, laughing and talking on the truck rides that we were regularly transported in.  

I applied for the Service Project because, I love traveling, adventure, meeting new people and creating helpful things for others. This project was perfect for the opportunity to help a community in need, just for the joy and satisfaction that I, along with so many other people received just from getting our hands dirty, in the hope of creating a better future for others.  

So… if anyone was ever interested in applying for such an experience in places across the world, I am happy for you to ask me some questions! Think of my experience that I have shared with you and the countless memories and fun times that you will never forget. Think of the people you are helping, think of the people you are meeting. This trip was a once in a lifetime experience for me and many others and I truly hope that many of you in the crowd including staff, would consider such a lifechanging adventure.