The teachers and staff at High Tech High International (HTHI) know that not all learning experiences are available within the four walls of a classroom.
Subjects such as history, art and science become tangible concepts when students are given the opportunity to travel and immerse themselves in new cultures where they are free to experiment and discover connections with the planet and to people across the globe.
During the spring semester, HTHI hosts a Multicultural Week that exposes San Diego communities to various cultural traditions and perspectives. It is at this time that many students set sail on Immersion Trips to places such as Australia, Baja Mexico, China, Costa Rica, England and Peru in hopes of gaining consciousness for environmental protection, economic pressures, volunteerism and cross-border service.
“Immersion Trips are part of a much larger package that makes up HTHI,” said Will Turner, Immersion Trip Coordinator. “These trips enhance relevancy to what students are learning so that they can apply that to life and value what they have and value each other more.”
As of 2004, 300 students have participated in the Immersion Trips. Locations vary from year to year and students explore the history, language, culture and ecology of the visited regions through elective classes that are offered before the trips. Students create documentary films and journals while attending physical training as preparation for what is possibly the most exciting journey of their lives.
“In my seven years of teaching high school, I have never witnessed any educational experience that had the same impact on students that Immersion Week did,” said Jill Chiodini, Humanities Teacher. ” I was able to go to several different locations in Mid to Southern Baja (Mexico) with over 30 students, taking many of our ‘city kids’ out of their comfort zones and putting them in tents and in sleeping bags under the stars after a day filled with sea kayaking and whale watching where we were actually able to touch several gray whales that swam right up to our boats!”
Having had these experiences with classmates and teachers, many students feel more connected, both personally and emotionally, to their school. Statistics show that the trips dramatically help students improve their grades and social skills as they are able to take on leadership roles and develop strong friendships with peers who they had previously not known.
Immersion Trips are voluntary. Students who choose to participate are encouraged to help earn money for their trips through a fundraising program. Those who engage in fundraising give time and energy as volunteers at local organizations. Sponsors from the organizations donate funds for each hour of volunteer service completed.
Limited scholarships are also available based on financial need. In order to open the trips to all students, regardless of family income, the scholarships are crucial for they not only support a student’s Immersion Trip, but they also challenge that student to embrace other customs and to become a broad-minded leader in a world where cultures increasingly intertwine
“I think we should have immersion week every year so that students who never thought of traveling to a certain country or students who are not capable of paying for the whole trip will be given a chance to immerse themselves (in) a different culture,” said Greta, a current 10th grade girl who traveled last year to Bahia de Los Angeles.
HTHI is a tuition-free charter school in the Point Loma community of San Diego. It prepares a diverse student body for success in college and careers through rigorous academics and relevant workplace skills in an increasingly technological and interconnected world.
For further information about HTHI Immersion Trips, the scholarship fund and financial aid program, please contact Will Turner at [email protected] or at (619) 398-4916.