THS Expeditions
What is a school expedition? It is definitely NOT “just a holiday”. Yes, we will have fun; we will do and see enjoyable things. However, an expedition involves a lot of hard work, challenges, team work and contributing to others.
How long is a school expedition? It is not just 3-and-a-bit weeks in an exotic country off the tourist trail. It is 18 months to 2 years of planning, fund raising, preparing and training – to ensure we get the most out of the opportunity. It will involve regular meetings, group development days, fund raising activities both as individuals and groups. It will also include a 3 day training weekend where you will get the chance to practice skills like camping, cooking, trekking, navigating, purchasing supplies, managing budgets, team leading, assessing and managing risks – as well as many other skills that may be useful to you in future life.
Shouldn’t students be focusing on their GCSEs and A-levels? Well yes – but that is why we launch expeditions 18 months to 2 years in advance. That gives students at least 15 months to plan, prepare, raise their funds, have their jabs and sort out passports and visas before focusing all their attention, for at least 3 months, on revision and preparing for exams.
Surely it costs too much for ‘ordinary’ families to afford? We don’t think so. Many of our past ‘expeditioners’ have raised 100% of the funds themselves – without relying on the ‘bank of Mum and Dad’! If students have the desire to take part they will find a way of raising the money. The Expedition Company and School Staff have a wealth of experience and a plethora of ideas for fundraising, earning money and hitting the financial targets. We will do our best to help you throughout – but we won’t (indeed can’t) do it all for you.
… but surely you will agree that it is expensive? How much should an experience of a lifetime cost? An expedition is a journey that will stay with your child forever: eye-opening, challenging and truly life changing.
Who can go? Expeditions are open to students who will have just finished their GCSEs or A levels when the expedition leaves. That means we launch expeditions to Year 10s and Year 12s. As far as we are concerned, if a student can cope with the physical, emotional and social challenges of the expedition; and they are prepared to work hard to plan and raise the funds – then we would be happy to take them.
Anything else we should know? Yes, the whole experience is incredibly useful on applications for jobs, colleges and universities. It shows you can stick at something and work hard for an extended period, that you can be creative, that you are able to get along with a variety of other people and many other skills and qualities. There are a whole mass of examples of successful interviews being spent almost entirely discussing your expedition.
Sadly our 2020 expedition to Morocco didn't go ahead due to Covid-19 and the global travel restrictions in place, but we did use our fundraising to send a donation of school supplies to the project we were going to support. The 2023 expedition is going ahead at the beginning of the summer holidays.
If you would like to find out a little more about our expedition to Morocco in 2015 please read the report below.
