World Challenge
WORLD CHALLENGE EXPEDITIONS
What is a World Challenge expedition?
World Challenge expeditions are educational expeditions run through school, that head to developing world communities for four weeks. The expedition comprises of four sections:
- 1.The acclimatisation phase: prepares challengers for the rigours of trekking in the destination country
- 2.The trekking phase: a challenging trekking destination in remote areas, challenging team members physically and mentally
- 3.The community project: a week spent working on small-scale projects in local communities, working in schools or on projects such as local conservation
- 4.Rest and relaxation: a couple of days to unwind indulging in activities such as sightseeing or white water rafting
“A life changing experience”: Signing up to an expedition means so much more than simply the four weeks abroad. It involves fundraising the money, expedition planning and organising. World Challenge expeditions differ from normal school trips as students are in control of the trip. They plan the itinerary, manage the budget and sort out all the logistical issues in country, such as transportation, food and accommodation. Students will learn money management skills, develop social skills, lead teams in challenging circumstances and build confidence whilst exploring a fascinating country.
APPLICATION: When an expedition is launched at Sheriff, it is open to those who are in Year 10, 11 and 12 at that time.
HISTORY: Sheriff have a long history of taking successful World Challenge expeditions around the globe. Previous expeditions have been to Peru (2000), Canada (2002), India (2004), Tanzania (2006), Chile (2008) and Nepal (2010).
STAFF: The World Challenge expeditions are run through the Geography Department. Mr Riley, Mr Hartley and Miss Handley are all leading teams to Uganda in 2012.
COST: The expeditions are not cheap. They cost challengers several thousand pounds. The whole ethos of the trip however is that team members fundraise as much of the money as they can in the two years of build up before departure. Some enterprising and hardworking students will raise every penny themselves. Generally students manage to raise about 85% of the total. The challengers who raise the money individually get a lot more out of the experience.
FUNDRAISING: With help from World Challenge and the staff at school, students raise their money however they can; washing cars, packing bags at supermarkets, running quiz nights etc. Some hold down part-time jobs for the two years before going, others plan large one-off events. Some plan a careful mixture of both.
So are the World Challenge fundraisers in school paying for these boys ‘holidays’?
NO! This is a common misconception about school fundraisers. Any fundraisers that are run through the school (such as cake sales, discos and quiz nights) raise money for ‘team funds’. These are completely separate from the students’ personal fundraising which they do outside school. These group fundraisers raise money for taking out to spend on developmental projects in the developing world communities that we visit. For example, teams may decide to spend group funds on additional materials for use when we are painting a school; thus aiding both a local painting firm and the school.
The most recent trip: NEPAL 2010
LSS took four teams on expedition to Nepal in the summer of 2010. The Nepalese treks are some of the most arduous trekking routes that World Challenge run. Two teams trekked the Langtang region and peaked Tsergo Ri at 5,000m above sea level. The other two teams trekked the Annapurna circuit, going through a pass at 5,500m. All four teams spent time in local Nepalese communities helping Nepalese schools. Highlights of the rest and relaxation phase included visiting temples in Kathmandu and flying around Mount Everest.
“Our World challenge trip to Nepal was the best month of my life. It is completely different to our culture and changed my views on other countries. The trekking stage was tough and a great achievement in my life as we reached 4986m which is higher than anywhere in Europe. In the project stage, working at a school in Kathmandu, the children were truly amazing and to help them and their school was a great feeling.” Steve Twentyman
“Our world challenge expedition was a completely outstanding different one month trip away from the familiarity of England. The trekking showed us the beauty of the destination, and took us away from city life. The biggest achievement was getting through the trek unscathed, and was the best feeling ever was peaking twice at over 4000m. Then in the project phase, the feeling of helping an unknown, less well off community by renovating classrooms in their school, and just making friends with completely new people while we were there, It is the perfect opportunity to try and achieve a completely different task in life.” Hem Mistry
The next trip: UGANDA 2012
LSS have two teams and thirty one challengers (plus three staff) signed up to go out to Uganda in the summer of 2012. Both teams are tackling Mount Elgon, a 4321m extinct shield volcano on the Uganda-Kenya border. Project work will be based in Ugandan schools and rest and relaxation could include white water rafting or some safari.
For more information, please see Mr Riley or visit http://www.world-challenge.co.uk/