Our Chiang Mai school and university tours

For many years we have been organizing school and university tours to local communities. We have arranged tours for students to the Karen village Huay Khao Lip, Mae Wang District. Students have constructed several public utility buildings at the local primary school and are immersed in village life and Karen culture.

Here are some images of the trips we have done in Mae Wang district:

Since last year we have operated tours to the Karen community Baan Bon Na, in cooperation with our partner Ground Asia. This village is on the slopes of Doi Inthanon and receives very few visitors. We have organized team-building activities such as constructing water containers, children’s playgrounds, and other projects in this somewhat remote but stunning area. Students also have engaged in meetings and events with villagers. These have been university tours that are beneficial to all participants.

United States Abroad Consortium (USAC)

Since 2018 we have been cooperating with the United States Abroad Consortium (USAC), which office is at Chiang Mai University. USAC organizes long and short semesters for students from the United States and other countries. The long semester is about four months, during which the students follow many courses on a variety of topics. The short semesters are five weeks. During the semester, students stay at Uniloft, accommodation at Chiang Mai University.

Trekking and Field Trips

The regular semester includes three-day trekking which we operate. Students can also sign up for the more in-depth Hill tribe Field Study which includes trips to the Hmong village Baan Mae Sa Mai and to the Dara-ang (Palong or Palaung) village Mae Chon. We also take care of two lectures during which we give students background information on the ethnic minorities of North Thailand, seen from a regional and historical perspective.

During the field trips, students learn about the history, culture, traditions, language, and lifestyle of the ethnic minorities, in this case, the Dara-ang (Palong or Palaung) and Hmong. Activities such as weaving, tree planting, harvesting or corn planting, and local games are part of the experience. We organize question and answer sessions with local students and children, which benefit both students and local people. Apart from that, these meetings are a lot of fun. We try to make this a life-changing experience for all involved. We have to learn from each other.

Here are some impressions of the trips we did for USAC in the past: