CAS Trips August 2024

cas service trips

COSTA RICA 2024 This year’s CAS (Creativity, Activity and Service) trip to Costa Rica for 18 of our Lower Sixth Form has been a great success, with the students enjoying an adventurous two weeks around the country.

Starting point was near Arenal volcano, where they enjoyed some hiking and the hot springs, before heading off to the small village of Mollejones, to begin their project work – which involved renovating the local school, and helping a family build the front area of their house. Students were mixing cement to build the school’s driveway, sanding the walls and playground and applying a new coat of paint. It was hard work but extremely rewarding.

There were lots of opportunities to interact with the local community: students learned how to make cajetas, a local delicacy, played football with the locals and learned how to make bread. On the last day at camp the community organised a presentation, with lots of traditional dancing and a dinner, and our students introduced them to some traditional Scottish dancing.

After their project work, the students enjoyed various activities including a brilliant day water-rafting, a great walk in a national park seeing lots of different animals, a fantastic chocolate tour, concluding their trip with an amazing surfing session!

MOROCCO 2023 Fettes IB students experienced a fantastic two weeks in Morocco discovering a new culture, tasting new food and working hard on the CAS service project.

The first day was spent exploring Marrakech before heading off to the Atlas Mountains to start the students’ service project in a village with around 150 families which faces issues with water distribution and rubbish collection. The first stage of the project was spent covering water pipes, and the following days working on building incinerators to burn the rubbish. The students worked well as a team to build these, and the project was extremely successful! They also had the chance to explore the beautiful valley of Ait Bouguemez, hiking through mountains, and meeting the locals for tea. Once the project was complete, the students headed to the coast, to Essaouira, where they enjoyed a wonderful camel trek on deserted beaches, camped, enjoyed some free time in the pool and by the beach, and finally had a chance to wander the streets of the old Medina of Essaouira.

What a wonderful achievement from our Lower Sixth form IB students! They proved themselves to be very hard and efficient workers, and embraced the whole experience as true Fettesians!

GREECE 2022 Last minute flight cancellations provided an early and unexpected challenge for both staff and the team of Lower Sixth Form students travelling to Greece for the 2022 summer CAS service trip. The team were forced to divide into two groups to travel; one group flying to Zakynthos and the second, travelling to Athens. Fortunately, everyone was able to reunite in Kefalonia without further delay the following day.

Students spent the majority of their stay on Kefalonia learning about the research and conservation of Loggerhead turtles under the guidance of Wildlife Sense. The group took part in beach cleans, early morning beach patrols, turtle nest relocations and harbour surveys monitoring turtle behaviour and characteristics in Argostoli. In addition, the team participated in a tour of a bee farm and an organic olive farm as well as a Greek cooking lesson after which they enjoyed consuming the food they had created.

One highlight of the trip was the day spent sea kayaking along the coast from St Theodore’s lighthouse exploring the incredible beaches, caves, and rock formations. Despite considerable heat and travel challenges, the students bonded well as a group, experiencing an informative trip packed with memories to last a lifetime.

"Despite considerable heat and travel challenges, the students bonded well as a group, experiencing an informative trip packed with memories to last a lifetime."

BORNEO 2019 Twenty Lower Sixth students accompanied by three members of staff travelled for a three week adventure to Borneo.

There they learnt about marine conservation including the importance of coral reef ecosystems, worked at Kampung Gurung Village and finally spent time at the Sepilok Orangutan Sanctuary and the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre.

During their trip at Kampung Gurung Village the students helped with the completion of two new showers, the refurbishment of the community hall, construction and decoration of two interior rooms in the school as well as spending time teaching local children.

On Gaya Island, the group helped to replant broken coral and undertook a beach clean-up, collecting 20 bags of plastic in less than an hour.

“The work ethic, commitment and enthusiasm from the group was outstanding and we achieved far more than we initially thought we would. Everyone worked extremely hard and the villagers, who looked after us incredibly well, were very grateful. It’s safe to say that the group fell in love with Borneo; an amazing country with so much wildlife and many wonderful people.”

INDIA 2018 Twenty Lower Sixth Form students travelled to Jhamtse Gatsal Children’s Community in the Arunachal Pradesh region of India high up in the Himalayas bordering Bhutan.

During their stay they worked on a construction site preparing materials for a new accommodation building for the children as well as helping to construct a perimeter wall to increase security around the property. In addition, the Fettes team collaborated with Jhamtse staff and students to design and paint educational murals in the classrooms. Fettes students also had the opportunity to shadow students in lessons, observe their house system and talk with Lobsang the founder of Jhamtse and a former Buddhist monk.

“Jhamtse Gatsal is a truly special place and it was a real privilege to witness the work they do and contribute to the future of the community. Lobsang has created a society that values love and compassion above all else. It is a home as well as a school where everyone cares for each other and each child is a valued member of an extended family.”

MADAGASCAR 2017 Twelve Lower Sixth Form students and three staff travelled to Madagascar to volunteer with the charity SEED Madagascar an award-winning British registered charity that aims to enhance the capacity of individuals, communities, organisations and governmental bodies in fulfilling sustainable development and conservation goals in southeast Madagascar.

During the twenty-day expedition the team split their time between working on a construction site to help build a new high school building in Manambaro, a rural village overlooking the mountains.

They also helped with conservation surveys in the coastal forests near St Luce. The construction work in Manambaro involved digging foundations for the school building and learning a number of skills including mixing cement, brick laying and making rebar by cutting, bending and binding steel bars together with wire.

Other trip highlights included visiting Nahampoana Reserve, home to many species of lemur including the dancing Sifaka lemur, drumming lessons at the beach and trekking through steep, leechinfested forests to the cascades near Fort Dauphin.

“Both staff and students were struck by the extraordinary kindness and generosity of the Madagascan people, our local guides, the builders on the construction site and our hosts at SEED.”

KENYA 2017 Sixteen Lower Sixth Form students travelled to Rongai in western Kenya to volunteer with the Vanessa Grant Trust, a charity that brings educational opportunities to children and young adults in rural Kenya.

The thirteen-day expedition began in Nairobi and through the Rift Valley to Gogar Farm which they made their base for the volunteering phase of the trip. Gogar Primary School is situated a short distance away in the town of Rongai and the Fettes team began establishing themselves in this community by constructing paths to connect the school buildings and decorating the interior of classrooms with educational murals under the guidance of local builders and the head teacher.

“Throughout the expedition the emphasis was on student-led learning and as such two students were selected each day to lead the group. The students decided the structure of the day, roles within the group, the aims and objectives and reviewed their progress daily. The team’s attitude towards volunteering was responsible and heartfelt and they quickly developed a huge amount of respect for the school community.”

NEPAL 2016 Twenty Five Lower Sixth Form students travelled to Nepal for an 18 day expedition with PoD Expeditions. The team flew to Pokhara which became the base for the majority of the trip.

During their time here, the team worked to help renovate school buildings, paint walls and educational murals in Shree Janachetana Primary school in Bhalam Village and Shree Shukla Gandaki Higher Secondary school in Ghachowk Kaski Village under the guidance of Prem, founder of the Nepalese charity KarmaFlights.

After the volunteering phase the team travelled into the Annapurna Mountains, an area of the Himalayas in north-central Nepal to embark on a four-day trek up Poon Hill and also spent two days rafting on the Trisuli River with GRG Adventures.

“During the Kalabam Village homestay, students sampled local food, learnt traditional techniques of churning butter, grinding millet flour and making rice wine, helped to plant rice, visited local temples and were taught traditional Nepalese dances. This experience was hugely beneficial and helped us to understand the culture and traditions of the Nepalese people better, and we were reluctant to leave when the time came.”