Educational Travel for Berkeley High Students

(Thank you to Nayezca Guzman-Jubb for this photo of students/chaperones)

EXPANDING PERSPECTIVES: AN ACADEMIC AND INTERCULTURAL EXPERIENCE

WHAT
● Students from Berkeley High’s Communication Arts & Sciences school (CAS) are
fundraising to participate in an epic international trip and intercultural exchange

COST
● ~$2,000+ per student

ABOUT THE TRIP AND OUR GOALS
Communication Arts and Sciences (CAS), a small school within Berkeley High School, is reigniting the tradition of providing students with experiential education through travel.

With your help, we'll continue that tradition by taking a group of 34 students and 7 faculty chaperones to the most politically isolated island nation in the Caribbean so that they can learn firsthand about the politics, culture, and history of that country. 

The trip will take place over Spring Break of 2020 and will be made up of CAS students in grades 10-12, some of whom are pictured.

During our stay, we will tour various parts of the island through a specially-curated tour and will get to know more of the day-to-day experiences and cultural life of our hosts through family stays. We’ll walk the streets, visit various art and history museums, enjoy live musical performances and practice our dance moves, tour different farms engaging in sustainable land use practices, support local eco-tourism, and compare beaches along the Caribbean to those we know here along the Pacific. The entire trip will be a living manifestation of CAS values and commitment to expanding students’ world views and cultural understanding.The trip will take place over Spring Break of 2020 and will be made up of CAS students in grades 10-12, some of whom are pictured.

In applying CAS's commitment to equity, we are taking students on this incredible trip regardless of individual ability to pay. That ability is quite varied, and to cover the approximately $2,000 per person, we have launched an inspired, grassroots fundraising campaign that we now invite you to join. In the process, we are excited about the concrete educations we are developing together about people power and our communities' abilities to help fund this sort of invaluable cultural experience. 

The total trip cost is between $80,000-$85,000. We have already raised approximately $40,000. In addition to the gofundme campaign, all student travelers and their families are organizing fundraisers. 

Thank you in advance for helping make this trip a reality! 




QUOTES FROM STUDENTS

"I want to show that the US is not just judgment and superiority."

"I want to break out of my bubble, learn more about the world, gain different experiences and perspectives while also practicing my Spanish so that I will be able to communicate with family members in the future more fluidly." 

"I hope to gain an understanding of the world outside of the United States and also bond with my CASmates during the trip. It would be a life-changing learning opportunity. I’m interested in learning more about the free healthcare and education and how the country manages to provide those services to its people."

"I hope to gain a better worldview and understanding about experiences outside of the United States. I’ve lived in the Bay my entire life, and I haven’t done a ton of traveling nationally or internationally. I’ve never even left the United States. I think by going on this trip I would be able to see a type of culture and place that I’m unfamiliar with. This would allow me to learn a ton while also gaining even more empathy by directly seeing experiences completely different from mine."

These are just a sampling of the rich testimonies of students who applied to go on the first international trip of Berkeley High's small learning community, CAS, in nearly a decade. 


TAX DEDUCTIBLE DONATION
Your donation is tax deductible. You will receive a receipt from PayPal Giving immediately, and within two months of the campaign close, you will also get a donation receipt from Berkeley High School Development Group.

THANK YOU FOR MAKING THIS INCREDIBLE EXPERIENTIAL EXPERIENCE POSSIBLE!