Arrowhead Social Studies Trip Returns from Thailand

For the past three years, the Arrowhead Social Studies department has taken a trip during the summer. Each trip contains a service project and visits to tourist attractions. Two years ago they went to Ecuador, last year they went to Tanzania, and this year they headed to Thailand.

The Thailand trip was lead by social studies teachers Chris Herriot and Shanna Hechimovich. Both have worked at Arrowhead for 16 plus years and have gone on the past two social studies trips.

The trip is through EF Educational Tours. According to the EF Educational Tours website, they have been in business for 50 years, provide a 24/7 tour guide, and guarantee the lowest possible cost. They also provide a 24 hour emergency hotline and all the vaccinations that students need to travel to Thailand. 

According the the Parent Copy of Thailand Information, mornings in Thailand were spent having breakfast and partaking in the service project. Afternoons were spent visiting tourist destinations and having a traditional lunch. Evenings were time for reflection and discussion pertaining to the days events.

Sophomore Sophie Harriot, said the service projects included, “help find environmentally friendly to build houses and help the school there.”

Junior, Lindsay Tierney, said, “I think the service work was a big memorable part of the trip. I absolutely loved helping out and seeing the difference we made in just a few days.”

The tourist attractions visited included a guided visit to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep (a sacred temple), a day at an Elephant Park, a boat tour through a major river, a guided tour in Ayutthay (a historical city), and a visit to the Grand Palace.

Emma Vorpagal, a junior, said of the tourist attractions, “I really liked the elephant park. It was cool to see such amazing animals up close.”

Next summer the social studies department to Scandinavia. This will not be a service project trip, rather a site-seeing and cultural immersion trip.