In this testimonial, Springbrook High School teacher Mark Pim shares why he partners with Rustic Pathways for his school’s educational travel and how service learning experiences help students build confidence, curiosity, and a deeper sense of purpose.
The Power of Service Learning Trips for Students
Experiencing a new culture firsthand strengthens classroom learning and helps students understand environmental, social, and historical concepts in context. For teachers leading school group travel, service learning brings lessons to life in ways that simply aren’t possible in a traditional academic setting.
Below is an excerpt from Mark Pim’s reflection on the impact of service learning during his school’s Rustic Pathways program.
Related reading:
Student Service Learning Programs
Teacher Testimonial: Transcript
Why We Chose an International Service Learning Trip
“This is our third year working with Rustic Pathways. A group of teachers and myself were interested in taking an international trip that combined service, environmental learning, and cultural history. When we discussed what would make our trip deeply meaningful, Rustic Pathways quickly rose to the top.”
Connecting Classroom Concepts to Real Projects
“I wanted to major in environmental studies, but after this trip, I’m more certain I want to pursue environmental engineering and work on projects like the black water filtration systems we built here.”
The Transformative Power of Service Learning
“We’ve seen incredibly positive changes in the students. Many have already said they’re changing what degree they want to pursue based on the service work they’ve done here. This shows the impact Rustic Pathways can have on students.”
“These trips can be life-changing. Most of our kids have never done meaningful service work. Their work ethic this week has been tremendous. They’re making a difference—and realizing how the experience is changing them, too.”
Plan a Service Learning Experience for Your Students
Rustic Pathways partners with schools to design safe, educationally aligned service learning trips that support academic goals and student development.
Serving students and educators since 1983. Programs in 38+ countries.