As part of RCDS’s annual Global Studies summer offerings, 17 rising tenth, eleventh and twelfth graders traveled to Peru for a transformational journey from the Amazon to the Andes. They were accompanied by Director of Global Studies Dan Murray, Director of Sustainability Kerry Linderoth, and US Computer Science Teacher Jason Leath. RCDS partnered with Grand Classroom to provide this memorable opportunity to explore Peru’s rainforests and cultural heritage sites.

Highlights of the 11-day journey included hiking deep into the heart of the Amazon Rainforest, up to the sacred peaks of the Andes Mountains, and into the storied streets of Cusco.  

The trip began in Iquitos, the largest city in the world unreachable by road, where students boarded riverboats to navigate the Amazon. Staying in a remote lodge, they immersed themselves in piranha fishing, canopy walks 100 feet in the air, night hikes through biodiverse terrain, and meaningful exchanges with the Indigenous Yagua people. In the community of Santa Isabel, the students engaged in service work. They painted a school, planted crops, and learned traditional dances. Local experts guided the students and faculty, encouraging reflection along the way.

Next the group ventured to the Andes, discovering Cusco and the Sacred Valley. At Machu Picchu, they explored the architecture of the ancient Incan citadel and hiked to the summit of Huayna Picchu.

The first Global Studies trip to Peru, this experience expanded the students’ horizons in a variety of ways. While navigating language barriers, exploring ecological sustainability, or even just bonding over card games, students were constantly building cultural competence, empathy, and self-confidence.

This trip is everything we hope for in global education,” said Mr. Leath. “Students stepped outside their comfort zones, built authentic connections across cultures, and returned home with a more nuanced understanding of the world—and of themselves.

A special feature of this, and other Global Studies programs, is the “unplugged challenge.” Students left their smartphones at home in order to be fully present and experience the wide range of learning available to them. “This allowed them to better connect with each other and with the new surroundings,” recounted Director of Global Studies Dan Murray. 

The Peru trip is one of a number of experiential learning offerings in RCDS’s Global Studies Program, which aims to cultivate global citizens who engage with people, places, and new ideas with curiosity, compassion, and understanding.

I thought I was afraid of heights,” one student wrote in the daily trip blog, “but today I stood in the sky.