Week Without Walls

Borderlands has been devising and running Week Without Walls programs for International Schools who are part of the American Curriculum for over 20 years. We embrace the philosophy that these experiences challenge students physically, emotionally, intellectually and spiritually and helps them realise their potential. By offering authentic, outside-the-classroom experiences, these programs take students outside their usual comfort zones by exposing them to new situations in a totally different cultural environment. Our Week Without Walls can provide experiential learning at its best: it helps students grow and develop team building and leadership skills, travel to locations outside the school, experience unfamiliar cultures and participate in activity based programs that include an important community service with local schools. It’s impossible to underestimate the impact that these service projects have on students – both the overseas students and students from the local schools – as they meet, interact and gain an appreciation and better understanding of how others live their lives.  

Our Week Without Walls programs encourages problem solving, creative and lateral thinking and coping skills both as individuals and as part of the team. It fosters self esteem, independence and develops a global and environmental awareness amongst students.

Week Without Walls is experiential learning at its best: it helps students grow and develop in an exciting and safe environment, offering an opportunity to build friendships, develop team building and leadership skills, and travel to locations outside the school. Week Without Walls encourages problem-solving, creative thinking and coping skills both as individuals as as part of a team, fosters self-esteem, independence and develops a global and environmental awareness amongst students.

We embrace the philosophy that Week Without Walls challenges students physically, emotionally, and intellectually. We hope to inspire greater self awareness and self confidence. By offering authentic, outside-the-classroom experiences, we take students outside their comfort zones by exposing them to new situations in a totally different cultural environment.

Borderlands Community Service  

“If you knew what I know about the power of giving, you would not let a single meal pass without sharing it in some way.”  – Buddha

Borderlands incorporates a community service into almost all our school programs.  These experiences can have a profound impact on a young persons perspective of the world and there place in that world.  It is often an unexpected highlight on our programs for many of our youth.  We work with local village schools which are often very basic when compared with school our students are coming from. Projects are per planned and funds are confirmed. A relationship is developed between the two schools and photos of the projects are shared.  Past projects have included setting up a water system, building toilets, re-roofing class rooms, and setting up computer labs. The main construction work is done before hand but the final touches of these projects are left for a days service where the youth groups work together to paint, build, and open the projects to the rest of the school. After the work is complete we have time for the youth to share stories, sing, dance and play as we find our common ties are far stronger than the differences that exist between culture, customs and language. A truly rewarding experience for all involved with such projects  on the local school resources is very meaningful. In the past a bake sale in Hong Kong has added a class room to a three class room school.  Projects funds have range from 500 to 10,000 USD and 100 % of the funds raised goes to direct expenses of the project. All planning, staffing, and administration costs are donated by Borderlands.