Leadership and Team Building Programs | Experiential Education

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Chiang Mai Rock Climbing Adventures

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Global Leadership Expedition

A mind-blowing leadership and adventure experience that explores ethnic minority rights and environmental sustainability in the border region of Northern Thailand.

Location

The Huay Puling District is a collection of 5 Karen villages just south of Mae Hong Son near the border of Thailand and Myanmar. The Karen have lived in this region for hundreds of years and have practiced sustainable farming and community development.

Each village creates a standards for food and lodging, expected behaviors for both visitors and villagers, and work together to let tourism be an addition to their income, rather than a substitute for their everyday livelihood. The result is an award winning and educational experience that has become an example for many others in Asia.

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Home Stays

Each pair of students will be adopted for a short time by a local Karen family. During your time in the village, you will eat three meals a day with your family. You will have ample opportunity to help your host father and host mother with daily chores including cooking, cleaning, tending fields, cutting fire wood and more.

As the community is small and familiar, you can expect to develop strong relationships with your families in the time that we have. This is one of the easiest ways for you to get a lasting positive experience from the trip.

Trekking

We travel from village to village on foot. Following old trade routes, we will trace the ancient pathways that the Karen people have walked on for hundreds of years. Led by local guides, we will navigate through high mountain valleys, cross rivers, and witness stunning landscape.

The trek will be challenging and provide opportunities for us to practice individual and group leadership. You can expect to develop a useful skill set including hiking, packing for a trek, treating water, and practicing Leave No Trace ethics.

Local Trade Study

Traditional handicrafts like weaving and blacksmithing have long been a representation of the beauty and creativity inherent in ethnic minority cultures. Each culture has a unique style and color scheme representative of their community. The handicrafts are often a source of income and pride for the masters who make them.

We will spend at least two days learning the skills of weaving or blacksmithing. You will work side by side with a local expert, learning the necessary steps to finish a product. Each student will produce a scarf or utility knife to take home as a souvenir.

Global Issues

During the expedition, we will observe first hand the global issues that you have discussed in classroom settings. We will visit farms, practice fishing, learn about challenges facing the village, and begin to formulate new ideas and innovative strategies for approaching many of the problems.

One of the main goals of the expedition is to allow us to study environmental sustainability, water management, access to education, and other relevant issues. We will also be able to discuss with the villagers, who deal with these difficult issues each day.

Personal Leadership

What kind of experience will you create? This question allows us to begin the difficult process of looking inwardly at the experience we create for ourselves each moment of each day. The physical environment, cultural interactions and opportunity for reflection on the expedition will provide starting points for developing leadership skills.

At CMRCA, we believe that global leadership and global citizenship begins with self leadership. Throughout the expedition, you will have the chance to participate as leaders of the day and help to lead group discussions and take active roles in course logistics. The goal of the expedition is to return home with a new understanding of global citizenship and with ideas for practicing personal leadership and sustainability is our own communities.