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Service & Adventure Travel
Expanding Hearts & Horizons
Each year, LWHS students step into adventures that help them grow in maturity, confidence, and awareness. Service Adventure Travel blends real-world responsibility with cultural exploration and personal growth. Students earn part of their travel costs through entrepreneurial work, prepare for the trip through research and team collaboration, and return with stories, skills, and friendships that stay with them. These journeys help students deepen their character, expand their horizons, and discover their own capacity to contribute.
Humanitarian/Ecological Projects
Students take part in projects rooted in the needs and rhythms of each place we visit. Whether working on environmental restoration, sustainable agriculture, or community-based initiatives, they engage directly with the people and landscapes that define the region. Each project offers practical experience and a deeper understanding of how communities care for one another and their environment.
Examples include:
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America the Beautiful — ecological restoration and preservation work in national parks
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Italy (2023 & 2025): Terre di Luce, Assisi — sustainable agriculture immersion with community-supported farming practices
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India: Paramahansa Yogananda Charitable Trust, Vrindavan — student service supporting widowed mothers
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India: Little Angels Ashram, Mumbai — engagement with children at a community-based orphanage
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Crystal Hermitage Gardens, California— hands-on service supporting sustainable gardening, landscape care, and environmental stewardship
Cultural & Adventure Experiences
Students explore the living culture, history, and natural beauty of each destination through immersive experiences. Time in these places offers a felt sense of the values and traditions that shape different cultures and widen students’ perspective.
Examples include:
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Youth ambassadors at the CCC19 Climate Change & Consciousness Conference, Findhorn, Scotland
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Sacred sites of Assisi, Renaissance immersion in Florence, Papal audience at the Vatican
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Italian cooking class with a local chef, Rome
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Nature-based excursions in Yosemite, Zion, Grand Canyon, and Red Rock
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Navigating the cities of Mumbai, Delhi, and Kolkata
Collaboration with Local Schools & Community Groups
Shared projects and cultural exchanges give students meaningful connection with peers and community partners in the regions they visit. These collaborations add depth to the travel experience and help students understand their place in a global community.
Examples Include:
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Cultural exchange and service with the Sant’Egidio Youth Community in Rome
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Shared learning experiences with students and youth groups in Italy through partnerships with Educare alla Vita and Living Wisdom International High School
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Service and cultural exchange with youth groups in India through choir and community offerings
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Joint projects and service days with local schools and community partners during domestic and international trips
Entrepreneurship & Student Leadership
Before traveling, students learn to set goals, work steadily, and contribute to the cost of their experience. This entrepreneurial component develops financial responsibility and the confidence to bring an idea to completion. Older students often take on leadership roles and help guide younger students during travel.
Students learn:
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Goal setting and follow-through
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Budgeting and financial responsibility
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Event planning and hospitality through fundraising dinners and brunches
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Leadership during travel, including guiding experiences and caring for the group
Reflection & Integration
Students return home with experiences that continue to unfold. Through group conversations, journaling, and sharing their insights with the school community, they anchor the lessons of the journey and deepen the growth that began during travel.
Living Wisdom Global Connections Academy (GCA)
The Global Connections Academy offers a deeper pathway for students interested in planning, earning, and helping lead a major domestic or international trip. Working with a faculty mentor, GCA students take on expanded responsibility for research, fundraising, and leadership. The next GCA cycle begins in 2026–27.
Global Service Adventure in Action
High schoolers experience a living classroom through cultural immersion and service in Rome, Florence, and Assisi.
Living Wisdom students share a day of art, music, and connection with children at Little Angels Ashram in Mumbai, India.
Living Wisdom students share their reflections, excitement, and personal goals for growth before embarking on their Global service adventures.