Custom Trips for Schools

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Loop Abroad leads shortened versions of our summer program during the year for school groups. We can customize trips to focus on your group's particular interests. Just as in our summer programs, we arrange all travel, accommodations, meals, visas, travel insurance and logistical arrangements. These trips can include teachers from your school or group or can be staffed completely by our faculty.

We are available for a range of dates during the year. Please contact us (logistics@loopabroad.com) for more information.

Just a sample of Spring Break two-week programs:

Elephants in Crisis: In this program, students spend two weeks volunteering to care for elephants at the Elephant Nature Park and the ENP's Journey to Freedom Project. For the first week, students live with and care for rescued elephants at the Elephant Nature Park. They have the chance to learn about elephant behavior first-hand as they discover what is being done to help wild elephants in Thailand. For the second week, students live in a Karen hill tribe village, observing elephants in their wild habitat. They volunteer their time to support the elephants' living in the jungle, and help the tribe by teaching English in their school and helping with farm work. A portion of program funds will go to purchase safe conservation land for elephants in Thailand.

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Ecology in Chiang Mai: Students spend two weeks exploring the national parks and nature reserves around Chiang Mai. Highlights of the trip include a three-day trek through the rain forest, staying overnights in a hilltribe village and hiking along waterfalls and naturally occurring hot springs. A portion of the tuition goes to support the tribes we visit. Students also visit Doi Inthanon, the most famous and highest altitude national park in Thailand, where they stay overnight. We spend one day at the Elephant Nature Park, one day at the Tiger Kingdom, and many short trips to other preserves in the area. Students complete a short project on ecology and biodiversity in Northern Thailand, supported by readings and talks with the leaders of NGOs.

Leadership in NGOs: This trip gives students exposure to the workings of domestic and international NGOs (non-government organizations). Students spend a week at the Elephant Nature Park, seeing first-hand how a small NGO works to make broad policy changes within a nation. In the evenings, students hear from NGO leaders and use case studies as a tool for discussing and understanding successful development efforts. In the second week, students are immersed in Thai culture through tribe visits, an introduction to Buddhism, and other cultural activities. We also visit conservation efforts in Chiang Mai, including the Tiger Kingdom. In the evenings, students prepare an analysis of NGO success within a cultural context. They also propose a development project that could succeed in their own community at home. A comprehensive leadership curriculum runs parallel to our exploration of NGOs and supports the development of the group as its own community.