World Challenge...
The Expedition of a Lifetime!
INDIA 2019
On Thursday 21 November 2019, 60 members of the Frankston High School community set off on an adventure 18 months in the making. Prior to this departure date, our students got to know each other better during the preparation phase. With the help of their teachers and World Challenge they fundraised for their community engagement project, organised group meetings, met with World Challenge for fun and informative workshops and attended a weekend training camp and then they were off!
Our Frankston High School expedition consisted of three teams. Each team included two Frankston High School teachers and a World Challenge Expedition Leader. Our students chose their own itineraries and took charge of team budgets, transport, accommodation and food choices whilst on expedition. In India they partook in four phases: acclimatisation, trek, community engagement and rest and relaxation.
All teams landed in Delhi and then travelled to their team’s chosen ‘Hill Station’ in Northern India. Here they acclimatised in preparation for trekking in the amazing Himalayas. During the trek phase students walked through local villages, camped in lovely valleys and upon plateaus with stunning views. All groups managed to reach an altitude of over 3000m to see stunning panoramic views of the Himalayan peaks reaching over 7000 metres above sea level!
During the community engagement phase teams worked with different organisations and had different homestays. During this time students engaged in an amazing cultural immersion program. This included working on a community project, such as cleaning up toilet blocks and fixing rooms to be used for educational purposes. One team also cleared land space and planted an herbal medicinal garden for primary students to use. One group of students were also shown by Indian Secondary School students how to dance to traditional Indian songs and then they performed at a local school in front of staff and students - in traditional Indian costume!
All groups learnt to cook the local Indian dishes and another team played a friendly soccer match against the local students. One team even attended an authentic cultural ‘puppet show’. Students also took up the opportunity to do yoga on the water at ‘The City of Lakes’.
The Rest and Relaxation days - in between all the travelling, trekking and community immersion -included white water rafting and attending religious ceremonies and festivals on the Ganges in the beautiful cities of Rishikesh and Haridwar. Students also visited incredible palaces in both Udaipur and Rajasthan. All three teams finished with the amazing bucket list destination of The Taj Mahal!
On top of all this the food was amazing; everything from traditional curries to Nutella filled momos!
Our current 2020 Years 9 and 10 students will have the exciting opportunity to attend our next expedition destination of NEPAL! This will take place at the end of November 2021 for a month. Students were briefed about this opportunity last Friday at an assembly. There will be a Parent and Student Information evening early next term for those students who are interested – the actual date to be confirmed early next term. So, stay tuned!
pics
Ms Cheryl Hodgson
World Challenge Coordinator