Wade West (Morrison Academy Kaohsiung)

I am the Experiential Learning Coordinator at an international school in Taiwan. We have partnered with Beyond Education for several years to bring quality outdoor learning experiences to our students. Beyond Education has been an amazing partner in helping us show our students and school community how learning also happens outside the classroom.  

For many years Beyond Education has led our 7th grade students on a 3 day culture trip in Pingtung County where they have engaged with the Paiwan Indigenous culture first-hand. Through learning activities such as making local crafts and traditional food preparation, as well as the study of local wildlife and geography, our students have discovered new things about an area so close to, yet so different from, the area in which they live. Thanks to Beyond Education’s extensive connections and relationships with the local community, our students have been able to interact with local school children for a variety of activities such as teaching English and learning Paiwan phrases, preparing songs and skits, and just having a great time playing and socializing with children from diverse backgrounds. Our students return from this trip having truly experienced and gained extensive first hand knowledge about other cultures.

In recent years, our school has expanded our relationship with Beyond Education to include engaging them to facilitate a week-long service learning trip with our 11th grade students. The service opportunities our students explored in the 

greater Hengchun area have, quite simply, been life changing for many of these teenagers. They have encountered true poverty and hardship, discussed service with those who’ve dedicated their lives to it, made lasting friendships, and seen the faces of members of local communities light up in amazement and appreciation when our students have completed large scale service and building projects for various villages in the area - all this a stone’s throw from a holiday destination they have been traveling to all their lives. 

While Beyond Education has been an essential partner in providing the logistical support and local relationships that make these trips possible, what I most appreciate about them is their passion, dedication, and love for our students. They strike that perfect balance between providing a safe experience while understanding that managed risk is healthy and developmentally appropriate for children to explore. With Beyond Education you get a partner that truly cares, first and foremost, about providing a tailor-made unforgettable experience for your students.