Since 2009, high school students and staff of the Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board have had the amazing opportunity to travel overseas to take part in an experiential learning program. Over 1,200 participants have committed themselves to a year of preparation, and left Canada to spend two weeks immersed in the culture of small villages in Kenya, Ghana, Tanzania, India, Nicaragua, and Ecuador.

While the majority of participants are students, a number of staff have also attended and have equally absorbed every minute of the life-changing experience. Director of Education Brian Beal, has been an active advocate and participant in the program, attending several mission trips over the past years.

Using his expertise and hands-on experience in the program, Mr. Beal has written an online blog, “How to Create a Successful Experiential Learning Program” for Education First International Ltd. With the implementation of the program, he shares his insights of lessons learned and what it takes to make the program a success.

To learn more about the SMCDSB experiential learning program, you can visit the mission trips section on the board website.