TRAVEL, all year round, is a way of life in Shanghai, whether it's reconnecting with friends and family back home, or heading off on a holiday. Expat children quickly get the routines down pat: criss-crossing continents, managing time zones and dipping in and out of different cities, countries and languages. But aside from collecting passport stamps and frequent flyer miles, what are these young globetrotters gaining from their trips?

As parents who try to inject a little culture and educational fun into those trips know all too well, the answer is often "not very much." So it is interesting to consider other models of travel, ones that get the most from both the destination and the young traveler.

World Classroom at Yew Chung International School of Shanghai (YCIS Shanghai) is one example of a program that has been successful on both of these fronts over the years. Students aged 12 through 16 travel to major world cultures with the goals of developing social skills, an appreciation of culture and different world views and a heart for community service.

To this end, the program takes each age group on an in-depth tour of a distinct cultural region: American-Pacific culture for Year 7, Mediterranean culture for Year 8, Eastern European culture for Year 9 and the culture of developing countries for Year 10. While planned visits to historical landmarks like the Taj Mahal cultivate appreciation of culture, students say some of their most memorable history lessons are first-hand experiences, like dancing with the Masai tribe in Tanzania and speaking with ballerinas on a backstage visit to the Bolshoi Ballet in Russia.

Each trip also includes a visit to local schools to allow students to make friends with their host country peers as well as students from YCIS schools across China. Students experience cultural similarities and differences over shared meals, informal lessons on each other's native languages and cultural performances they have prepared for one another in advance. This engagement deepens their understanding of, and appreciation for, the cultural perspectives of others.

These local school visits also serve as an opportunity for community service. Students can be found painting classrooms, delivering school supplies and teaching English, among other activities.

World Classroom Program Manager, Edward Hepting, who has been at the helm of the program for 10 years, sees students return with a fresh perspective year after year.

"(The students develop) a realization that children all over the world share commonalities," says Hepting. "Simultaneously, they return with a heightened awareness of the problems and differences that their peers, and thus the world, face."

"We created the World Classroom Program to challenge students to see learning as something that can and does take place beyond the walls, confines and limitations of the classroom," explains Hepting. "It has its roots in YCIS's philosophy and mission to prepare students to be lifelong learners, to understand the richness and diversity of Eastern and Western history and cultural traditions, and to be responsible world citizens with a commitment to serving family, society and community."

Parents can easily extrapolate from the YCIS World Classroom Program to create fun, yet meaningful, trips for their children. Consider finding a private guide who can give a tour of your host country's cultural highlights, pitched at children. Or do some research beforehand to find opportunities for your children to volunteer while you are there, or even to engage with local peers. All of these things will turn your summer travel experience into great lessons, and an opportunity for you to help broaden your children's world view.

Getting a new perspective

Have you ever been to a part of the world that is so close, yet worlds apart? Have you ever experienced being able to make someone less fortunate than you laugh? The YCIS World Classroom trips to Tanzania, the Czech Republic and Poland allowed us to do just that. It helped us really get a new perspective of things that happen outside of our own perfect little bubble. Some people take so many things for granted. Little things that we live with everyday that we don't notice, such as water, shelter and food.

Even education is taken for granted by most of us. Those of us who can read and write take it for granted. There are children all over the world fighting to get an education. While visiting Africa, it was brought to my attention that kids have to run away from their families to get a primary education. This made me cherish all the things that I have and see as normal every day.

Education around the world is different, but in the end you realize you all end up learning the same things, just at different rates and in different languages. The culture in Tanzania and in the Czech Republic is very different, and they are both unique in their own ways. Interacting with the children from the schools in Tanzania and in Europe was an experience I will never forget. Seeing a smile on those kids' faces is a memory I will remember forever.

Diana, Year 10, visited the Czech Republic and Poland in Year 9 and Tanzania in Year 10.

Making a difference

World Classroom is a fantastic opportunity to explore different cultures and to see the world. Having been at YCIS for 12 years already, I have been on three of the four World Classroom trips, and each destination is very unique with memories that I will never forget.

Every trip, we visit local schools and sometimes even visit areas most tourists do not get the opportunity to visit. The middle school we visited in Hawaii was very similar to ours, and students from our year level still shared the same knowledge. Hawaii is also a great example of a place that has kept its culture, and even though some areas seemed very modern, most of the island charm still remained.

The Czech Republic and Poland featured some of the most beautiful architecture and showcased the very laidback European attitude quite uniquely. The trip allowed me to see the lives of Czech students when we visited a school and realize that young people like us could live such different lifestyles halfway across the world. It really made me wonder how my life would seem to them.

Of all the trips, I found the one to Tanzania particularly rewarding and outstanding. I always hear the phrase, 'Think of the children in Africa." This trip has made me realize that people may use that particular phrase, but they may not truly understand the depth of meaning. All of these trips have made me so much more thankful for what I have and have also given me a broader view of the world. I understand more of today's world issues, so that one day, I will be able to make a difference!



Celine, Year 10, visited Hawaii in Year 7, the Czech Republic and Poland in Year 9 and Tanzania in Year 10.