What an amazing fall season! By the numbers, it was our busiest season yet. Between our fall training in early September and our last trip at the end of November, we somehow managed to squeeze in 39 discrete programs involving 2,200 students.
The majority of our trips were repeat programs with repeat clients, in familiar locations: Yangshuo, Sichuan (Chengdu), Hangzhou, Beijing, Fujian, and Guangdong. That being said, all of them involved new elements, including upgraded accommodation and improved activity sites. Some of our clients challenged us to develop more meaningful enhanced community service options, and we responded with new service learning projects that deepened our relationships with clients and local communities, alike. Students on our fall programs improved trails in Moganshan, helped upgrade a campsite near Hangzhou, repaired a community center in rural Fujian, spackled houses for the rural poor in Sichuan, engaged in panda conservation efforts, and more.
Of course, there were several new developments. First, we hired a new CAS coordinator, Shirley, who spent the season working with clients to integrate program content into school curricula. Second, we expanded our training to 6 days, with more of an emphasis on culture and service activity facilitation.
We also re-introduced two overseas programs, which we had last organized in 2019, pre-COVID. One group of students spent 5 days in Hong Kong, while the other spent 6 days in beautiful Chiang Mai Thailand. Both programs featured a broad array of outdoor, culture, and service activities, including a service learning project at a remote Karen village school and a whitewater rafting adventure.
I would like to once again conclude this post by thanking our amazing staff for their tirelessness and dedication. I would also like to thank all of our clients – old and new – for continuing to work with us. We look forward to working with you again in 2024.