Round Square International Service (RSIS) Projects are more than just educational excursions; they are transformative journeys that inspire character building and social-emotional development through shared purpose. The two weeks we, 44 students aged 16-18, spent in Thailand in July, were dedicated mainly towards helping a smaller school community. We spent the majority of our time on site helping to build a mud house. We made the cob from hay, clay and water, constructed a bamboo grid and layered the cob bit by bit to create durable walls.

In addition to our manual work, we learned valuable lessons — through individual practice and group reflection — about leadership. One of the many challenges included teaching the younger children of the school community English,  incorporating culturally diverse and creative methods into our approach to teaching language. During our time in Thailand, we also gained an interesting perspective on the challenges that arise when the elephants leave Kui Buri national park to ransack the farmers pineapple fields. Not only did we learn about the elephant/human “conflict”; we did also learn about safe preemptive measures taken to hinder the free roaming elephants from leaving the national park.

Worth seeing

We visited Phraya Nakhon Cave — the hike was absolutely worth it; the nature was stunning and the view was amazing. What took those, who were fortunate enough to wander deeper into the cave by surprise, were the monks who were silently meditating undisturbed by the many loud and blissfully unaware tourists.

On our last day in Bangkok, before visiting Wat Pho, otherwise known as the temple of the reclining Buddha, we spent the morning touring the Chao Phraya river via water taxi. That day happened to be the King’s birthday, so the majority of the Thai people wore yellow to honour him. Bangkok was livelier than we could have imagined it and certainly this was an amazing last day to the Round Square International Service project in Thailand 2024.