Mission and Vision

To provide High School students at Calgary Academy with the opportunity to travel to culturally and historically rich destinations around the world.
To enable students to participate in service learning projects, which focus on humanitarian development in both foreign countries and in Calgary.
Development of sustainable relationships with a global community through humanitarian projects.
To provide students with an opportunity to share their experiences with their classmates through presentations, art and photographic exhibitions.







To provide students with experiences that will assist in creating a community that is aware of the difficulties faced by individuals both globally and in their own neighborhoods.
To provide opportunities to engage in activities which will assist in developing a sense of agency, belonging and competence.
The International Travel Studies (ITS) program began at Calgary Academy in the 2004/2005 school year. That Spring, 16 students and two staff members travelled to Tanzania, working to build an AIDS hospital and helping orphans in Dar Es Saalam.

During the 2005/2006 school year, 16 students and three staff members travelled to Vietnam where they taught English in Can Tho, and worked on conservation projects outside of Ho Chi Mihn city. Students also assisted in reconstruction projects in Sa Pa.



For the 2006/2007 school year, 33 students and six staff members travelled to Ecuador, Cambodia and Laos. The Ecuador group taught English and assisted in the repair of an orphanage in Quito, and worked on conservation projects in the Andes. The Cambodia/Laos group worked with Buddhist monks in Laos and helped to build an orphanage and repair schools in rural Cambodia.

In 2007/2008 our students and staff members travelled to Romania, Mozambique/South Africa, and Peru. The group in Romania worked with orphans in Bucharest. The students and staff in Mozambique worked at a centre for street children, clearing brush and helping with site improvement tasks. The group in Peru, worked on a community garden in Cuzco, high in the Andes.

In the spring of 2009, over 50 students and staff will travel to Ecuador/Galapagos, Morocco, and Cambodia

This program provides students with unique service learning opportunities and exposure to diverse global cultures.

PROGRAM GOALS

Global Citizenship
Engaging and Interactive Educational Experience
Social Action
Leadership Development
Development of Problem Solving Skills
Personal Growth
Opportunity to Experience Diverse Cultures

This Year's Trips

Spring break is just around the corner and you can feel the excitement in the high school regarding the three ITS trips that many of our students are preparing to embark on. The selection process for ITS started last June. Students had to apply for a coveted spot to travel to Ecuador, Cambodia or Morocco. One of the purposes of ITS is for students to give back to the global community through a series of work projects. To prepare for their trips, students and the teachers spend their months up to spring break volunteering their time in our Calgary community. All three groups have spent time at the Salvation Army organizing the donations for Jacket Racket, Toy Mountain support and preparing and serving meals for the Centre of Hope.

Follow their trip through our ITS Blogs!