September Recap: The Team Behind Your Next School Trip

Every Beyond Classrooms program begins long before students arrive. It starts with our team spending time on the ground: meeting local partners, exploring learning opportunities, and considering what will make each experience meaningful for students.

This month, the groundwork took us in several directions. Read on to discover the new program possibilities we found in Bali, meet our new North American representative, and relive highlights from our team retreat in Chongqing, China.

How On-the-Ground Exploration Shapes Our Bali Programs

Lina, our Co-Head of Operations, and Disha, our Associate Project Manager, recently spent time in Bali exploring ideas for future programs.

They met with local partners, visited villages, and spent a day at a coral reef restoration site. The reef became the focus of the visit when Lina saw large stretches of damaged and dead coral.

While it was hard to see the extent of the damage, it revealed a powerful opportunity for student learning. Rather than just reading about coral reef issues, students can meet the people working to restore the site, understand what's affecting the ecosystem firsthand, and take part in coral planting as part of its long-term recovery.

The team also explored lava-field treks, local farming experiences, surfing, and village-based learning opportunities. Each experience helped us plan more clearly for future Bali programs.

Meet Our New North American Representative

We’re pleased to introduce Andy van Riet as our North American representative.

After years of building and leading programs across China and beyond as our Co-Head of Operations, Andy has relocated to Vancouver to work more closely with schools across North America.

Andy has spent his career working hard behind the scenes of the programs we run, visiting destinations, building relationships with local partners, and supporting the teams who lead each experience. He knows that a successful school program needs clear learning goals, thoughtful preparation, and reliable support on the ground.

As our global operations continue to expand, we look forward to welcoming more North American schools to our programs. If your school is based in the region and looking for an experiential learning partner, reach out to Andy. He would love to hear about your school’s learning goals and talk through what a program could look like.

Our Annual Retreat in Chongqing

Before the new academic year begins, our team comes together to reconnect, reflect, and experience our programs from a different perspective.

This summer, we gathered in Chongqing, China. Over five days, we took part in a city scavenger hunt, hiked in Wulong, rafted the Ayi River, and took on a MasterChef challenge together. The meetup was also a chance to step into the kind of learning we create for students: trying new things, navigating unfamiliar moments, and learning through experience.

With teammates spread across the globe, it's always nice to reunite and remember the shared passion for experiential education that connects our team.

Whether it's scouting new destinations, growing our team, or reconnecting as a group, everything we do comes back to creating meaningful experiences for students beyond the classroom.

If you’re planning a program for your students, let’s talk. Email us to start the conversation.