Launching a new experiential learning programme in Colombia

The subject of trips can be a difficult and polarizing issue in international schools. There is likely to be a diversity of opinions and experiences regarding the value, preferred approach and perceived safety of trips at school. Of course we all remember from our own childhood days, how impactful the school trips that we went on were for us. Some of our best memories of school are often related to trips . It is also difficult to ignore the clear trend to incorporating more experiential learning into schools, as an important teaching methodology, and a way of developing skills and character traits that are hard to fit into regular lesson plans. The advantage of a Classroom without Walls approach, is the holistic nature of these trips. Various individual talents, and capacities, can be united in a team effort to design one trip that integrates character development, global competencies, global stewardship and curriculum goals into a single highly memorable experience.

Colegio Granadino in Manizales launched their ´Week without Walls´programme for middle school in September this year. Teams joined together to combine previously existing social service oriented trips, adventure trips and field trips into a single week of trips for all middle school students. Scouting expeditions of staff went to visit locations that had not seen our students since pre-pandemic days, carrying out risk assessments, re-affirming transport links and the best service providers to work with. A timely Tri-talks series based on experiential learning proved valuable, where other schools talked about their own experiences and hopes with experiential learning based programmes, within and beyond Colombia.

It was a process of remembering, re-connecting and re-discovery for Granadino staff. One moment stands out in my memory. We were checking a river rafting activity on the Rio Claro natural reserve, located in the valley south of the city of Medellin. The river glowed with almost luminescent colors under a dense canopy of indigenous trees, the sounds of the river and birdsong echoing against an ancient marble cliff dotted with mysterious cave openings.

"Colombia is so beautiful!" reflected one of our teachers. "I can´t believe we ever stopped coming here."

Before the launch date, teachers from different departments came together to design interdisciplinary projects which linked both to the school curriculum, and to the experiences the students enjoyed on the trips. A unifying theme was chosen to link all the trips and the projects; ´the tale of coffee, a true Colombian story.´ The final weeks leading up to CG WWW (Colegio Granadino Week Without Walls) were filled with meetings, and intense communications with all parties involved. It was such a relief to stop planning and to actually execute. We had a big success with our first edition of Middle School Week Without Walls! We are looking forward to refining our model, and to participating in more discussions with other schools about the challenges and rewards of experiential learning.

By: Kenneth Gilmore Horrocks    Colegio Granadino