Embark on a trip of a life-time.

You’re invited to take a group of students to the front lines of Compassion’s ministry to witness the beauty and strength of local churches in the midst of poverty. Students will get the opportunity to spend up to a year preparing for and learning about their destination, before embarking on the experience-of-a-lifetime.

Upon return, the students will lead, engage and influence their peers in the continuation of a community partnership advocating for the voiceless. The destination for this service-learning adventure will be determined in collaboration between St Philips Christian school, Compassion and Inspired Adventures.

October 2024

$X,XXX

Trip Cost

$100,000

Fundraising Target

Program Objectives

Enhance School Engagement: This program aims to deepen the engagement of the selected school with Compassion's mission. By involving both students and teachers, it seeks to create a lasting connection that extends beyond the program itself.

Promote Long-Term Relationships: Beyond fostering engagement, the program seeks to establish enduring relationships among the participating students, teachers, and the wider community. Through shared experiences and common goals, these relationships will form a solid foundation for continued support and collaboration.

Provide Immersive Experiences: The program's travel immersion component is designed to be transformative. By exposing students and teachers to the realities faced by impoverished communities in the chosen country, it aims to broaden their perspectives, cultivate empathy, and inspire them to become global citizens who actively work towards positive change.

Achieve Fundraising Goal: To support Compassion's vital work, the program sets an ambitious yet achievable target of raising between $50,000 and $150,000 per school. These funds will directly contribute to Compassion's mission of alleviating poverty and providing essential resources to children in need.

How it works

Student Selection

Inspired Adventures and Compassion will work with the selected school to determine which year level/s should participate in this program. Additionally, through the lens of service-learning, the whole school will be encouraged to participate in fundraising to support these students.

Education and support

Compassion and Inspired Adventures will support the students and school with fundraising activities. This will include:
- Fundraising workshops and bespoke fundraising plans
- Regular phone, email communication with students and parents
- Pre-departure conference call/calls and get-together for students and parents

Experience and Share

Through immersion students are mobilised to engage in real-world issues and social problems, working with community organisations to become part of the solution. Inspired Adventures and Compassion's bespoke itinerary will allow for deep and personal engagement for the students.

Program Model

Phase 1: Pre-Departure - Learn, Prepare and Fundraise

The pre-departure phase focuses on teaching the students about the people, place, and purpose of their trip, preparing them for the realities of travelling in a developing country, and reaching their fundraising target.
This is achieved through a number of professionally facilitated engagement sessions in your school that run concurrently with parent and teacher driven regular team meetings.
Compassion to develop a session for students on work in the selected country and service learning outcomes.
Compassion to brief students on conduct on the adventure inside of Compassion’s expectations and responsible tourism.
The number of sessions will be determined in consultation with the school, Compassion and Inspired Adventures.
The students will be supported to create and deliver fundraising activities and coached to reach their fundraising target. This involves social media integration; students are tasked with creating their own blog, Facebook page, Instagram account and text-messaging campaign.
Some sessions will be made available to everyone in the school to engage all students in the program.

Phase 2: Departure - Experience & Reflect

This phase is about the actual experience of travelling to the chosen country, learning about the work of Compassion, and meeting the people they are supporting.
A key initiative of this phase is daily-facilitated reflection about the trip - this will be an “evening circle."
Student will be encouraged to actively participate in the reflection process, keep a journal and discuss their expectations for the coming days.
Students will have the opportunity for an online call with their parents on a selected day, to review, reflect and connect.
The students’ experiences and progress on the adventure will be evaluated in reference to the relevant Australian Curriculum general capabilities.

Phase 3: Post-Departure - Realise, Share, & Sustain

Following returning to Australia, the purpose of the post-trip phase is to link the goals of the program: connect (build relationships), listen, see, and advocate.
This phase solidifies the experience and encourages a lifelong attitude toward service.
Three main topics are to be discussed -
How have I changed?
What can I teach my peers?
How can I offer ongoing support?
Students will be tasked with leading the school’s continued learning about the country and communities they have visited. They will continue to lead and support fundraising and education efforts within the school in the year following their adventure, and use social media to share their trip reflections.
We recommend the charity provides progress reports and stories from the projects to the students so they can see how their fundraising efforts are contributing to positive change.

Lake,Kivu,,Rwanda,-,October,25,,2016:,Happy,Black,African

Ruhengeri,,Rwanda-november,4,,2013:unidentified,Children,Play,Outside,In,The,Village

Success Stories

The Road to Rwanda

At the end of 2013, Inspired Adventures partnered with a charity to create a unique service learning program for one of their partner schools, Kimberley College. 22 students aged 14 to 17 were selected to participate in the program, which would go on to raise over $100,000 through a combination of peer-to-peer fundraising and community based events. Inspired Adventures and the charity supported Kimberley College to prepare students for the realities of the country, educating them about the people, place and purpose of their adventure. In September 2014 the students embarked on their 11 day immersion adventure to Rwanda.

Spending three days at one of the charities project sites in-country, they experienced firsthand the reality and challenges of living in a developing country and how the charity is working to combat poverty.

Program Deliverables

Travel Development + Management

Develop bespoke itinerary, working with Compassion and their selected school to identify preferred on-ground suppliers. Trip duration will be 8 days, with 4 days of activities/ project visits, 2 full days and 2 half days.
Prepare detailed risk assessments, and child safeguarding checks on all staff including Inspired Adventures team leader and local representatives.
Provide free place for Compassion representative to join cultural experience.
Provide Inspired Adventures travel representative on the ground to ensure smooth delivery of all itinerary elements during adventure.

Marketing + Recruitment

Building and management of landing page and detailed cultural experience proposal for schools.
Develop recruitment resources for student selection.
Run online and in person sessions to educate schools, students and parents.
Inspired to allow for changes and additions to the itinerary to suit Compassion and school's wants or requirements.

The school will be asked to complete a brief that outlines curriculum learning objectives. This information will be used to ensure that pre departure education experiences meet those needs.
In addition to providing the curriculum objectives, an overview of the school’s demographic will also help us to better understand the community and culture.

School and Student Resources

Welcome letter for schools
Information pack for schools including detailed timeline of events and itinerary
Build a registration pack for students and parents
Delivery of fundraising workshop for students and school
Multiple pre-departure briefing for parents

School Roles and Responsibilities

The school will be required to nominate a staff member as the designated School Liaison Coordinator.
This staff member will:
- Be the key point of contact for Compassion and Inspired Adventures
- Oversee global education workshops
- Help to coordinate student fundraising
- Ensure paperwork is completed
- Liaise with parents as required