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Grade 12 Visits Peru

Final Year students at Southbank recently took part in an expedition to Peru as part of their Creativity, Action and Service (CAS) for the IB Diploma.

The trip was arranged through Crees Expeditions which was set up by Southbank graduate Quinn Meyer. Quinn worked closely with staff at the school to offer students the chance to join an expedition to study sustainability and conservation as well as volunteering to help the local community.

Quinn says: "The culture within Southbank is a great fit for the work that we do and it was all down to the teachers to kick start everything. The students get to learn what conservation research is and why it is so valuable."

Grade 12 student, Ellina Astakhova, commented: "We started in Lima, the capital, and then went to Cusco to visit the heritage sites of Machu Picchu before going to the Manu National Park to work with the community in Aguanos.

"Travelling adds so much to academic education. Subjects such as History and English require you to understand the different cultures and mentalities of different people and through travelling you gradually gain the skill of analysing societies objectively. Travelling also gives you some of the skills that are essential in modern life, such as learning to communicate with different people and adapting to new environments; we were very lucky to have this opportunity whilst still at school. Additionally, at the Manu centre, we learnt a great deal about biodiversity and sustainability and were shown the ways in which the local people use the nature around them for their benefit. The students studying Biology really appreciated this information.

"Overall, the trip left me with a feeling of having been dipped into a completely different environment. I returned home feeling as though I have gained a dash of additional practical knowledge and, moreover, a renewed perspective on life as a whole."

For more information about volunteering and education opportunities in Peru visit www.crees-expeditions.com

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