“Tell me and I will forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I will learn.”

If this is true, then nature, the outdoors and authentic cultural experiences are the perfect learning environment. Link this to the fact that unless we instil a reverence in our children for nature, environment, biodiversity and cultural diversity then, as humanity, we are doomed. As educators, we should be embracing nature and cultural-based field trips to the fullest extent.

One just has to watch the evening news to see that the world is in a desperate state due to war, famine, sickness and corruption. Much of this desperation can be linked directly back to the fact that we, as a global society, have become environmentally illiterate and culturally retarded.

When you look at the fundamental, inescapable benefits of nature, it’s a wonder sometimes that we think of people as so clever. When we’re responsible for unimaginable environmental pollution, degradation and extinctions, it’s beyond time that we acknowledge that we can not only do better but have to do better.

And why? Why would we? Well, because in its most fundamental manifestation, the quality of the environment defines the quality of life each of us lives and breathes.

• It reduces air and water pollution.
• It preserves the wild spaces so needed by the human soul.
• It preserves both aquatic and land ecosystems, maintaining that bridge, and ensuring the perpetuation of a whole biodiversity without which Earth cannot be Earth.
• It protects wetlands and watersheds.
• It also inhibits erosion of the soil layer we consider essential for life on Earth, while providing unparalleled recreation and natural enjoyment for people.

Through authentic cultural experiences we learn:

• The value of cultural diversity.
• That our culture is not the only way.
• That success and happiness are not linked to any form of financial indicator.
• That the world is all the richer because we are different.

At African Insight Academy, we are committed to developing programmes that focus on an environmental and social compact of Global Citizenship.

Inspiration and empowerment are overused words, but also the honest core of the kind of education African Insight Academy provides. Young people who participate in wildlife, conservation and authentic cultural experiences undergo life-changing shifts in understanding and purpose. Learning from local guides, seasoned experts and mentors is a grassroots education that is extremely powerful as a formative force for good.

Beyond-the-classroom education opens students’ hearts and minds to the diverse world they live in. Through experiences such as those designed by African Insight Academy, young people begin to learn the most important life lesson of all: the essential role they play in building and shaping a sustainable future that benefits everyone.

About African Insight Academy

African Insight Academy has over 24 years’ experience in organizing international field trips to South Africa. To date, African Insight has hosted over 12 000 students. The company holds international health and safety accreditation from the British Standards’ Institute and adheres to the highest possible standard of liability insurance, holding a two-decade incident-free record.

Learn more about our field trip programmes here.

Contact us here to talk about your school’s field trip requirements.