Making a life-changing difference

Over the Chinese New Year holiday, 17 Qingdao high school students chose service over leisure, spending 10 days in Chiang Rai, Thailand.

Coordinated by LifePlus' Odyssey program, the trip brought together over 50 students from all six schools across China in a mission to enhance communities and cultivate meaningful relationships. Reflective moments were woven into their time, encouraging students to consider who they were and what they wanted their lives to be about.

Justin, a Grade 11 student reflected, "I learned that service can be done in many forms, even by being simply present with the people." Justin was a student-leader, taking on an English camp for the local kids. "I learned a lot about how to make plans by tackling multiple aspects of the camp such as learning, teamwork, and timing and how work with teammates in a mutually productive and respectful way."

Their schedule included diverse morning service projects like painting local facilities, trash collection, and running educational camps. Afternoons were filled with soccer and team-building activities. Justin found the daily balance of service, sports, and socialization memorable, saying, "I appreciated a lot about the fact that we had a very chill daily routine to just do service in the morning, play soccer in the afternoon, eat dinners we chose in the evening, walk around the night market with the group, and share our thoughts and life with great mentors and friends."

We are thankful for our LifePlus connection with other schools that share our values and vision for student lives. "Inspiring learners to make a life-changing difference for the common good" is more than a slogan on our website–it is what drives everything we do, both in the classroom and out.

Melissa McCutchan, Odyssey's director, said of the trip, "We were especially impressed with students who took their free time to ask for Thai lessons from the locals; it was just one way our students showed their genuine desire to understand people who are different from them." She thanked the students and staff for their contributions, saying, "Thank you to the many students and staff who worked hard to make this trip a success."