Student Activities

Since the program was established, experiential learning has been the cornerstone of the Wide Horizons curriculum. We try to give the students as many practical experiences as possible and to have them learning by doing, instead of just relying on what is taught in the classroom. Below are some examples of theseactivities.

Trainings

Every year the students receive a number of trainings from external trainers and experts. Past students have had trainings on a range of issues, such as conflict resolution, video shooting and editing, translation and interpretation,first aid and bicycle repairs.

One example was a week-long Sustainable Living training arranged by the Border Green Energy Team (BGET) for the Wide Horizons students in a small village on the Thai-Burma border. The theme of the training was sustainability and during the week students got first-hand experience with making and building with adobe bricks, using sustainable agricultural methods and were also introduced to the technical aspects of installing solar panels and water filters in rural communities.Another example was a gardening training given by Khom Loy, who assisted the students in establishing their own vegetable gardens on the school compound. 

 

To read more about BGET and Khom Loy, click here

Projects

Every year, the students write proposals for and implement a number of development projects at different migrant schools in the Mae Sot area. In past years, students have managedthe completion of boarding house dormitories, fences and roofs, arranged jewelry-making trainings and financial literacy trainingsand much more. These projects and trainings were arranged in cooperation with Room to Grow and Khom Loy. 

To read more about Room To Grow and Khom Loy, click here

Fundraising campaigns

Over the past couple of years, the students and teachers have started doing an increasing number of fundraising activities to supplement the program’s budget. Examples of these kinds of activities have been selling raffle tickets, making and selling WH merchandise, arranging fundraising parties and organizing online fundraising campaigns.  For several years in a row, the students and teachers have been able to raise enough funds through these activities to cover ¼ of the annual budget. Furthermore, these events and campaigns are a great experience for the students, who will be returning to organizations that are themselves often struggling in the current donor environment on the Thai-Burma border.

To read more about WH fundraising, see the success story The WH Fundraising Campaign  here 

Social exchanges

During their 10-month academic year at Wide Horizons the students have a very busy schedule. But there is also time for a bit of fun. Every trimester, the Wide Horizons staff arranges social exchanges with students from other programs in the Mae Sot Area. These social exchanges can include activities like football matches, talent shows, Halloween parties or simply cooking dinner together and playing a few games. The social exchanges help the students create a network outside of their own school and compare learning experiences with students from different programs. In the past, Wide Horizons students has for example had social exchanges with the Minmahaw Higher Education Program and the Teacher Preparation Center, both based in the Mae Sot area. Furthermore, we also have debate teams as a practice fun game with together.