SERVICE LEARNING
How EF Service Learning Tours Change Lives in Thailand
Erin P. | July 30, 2025
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It started with a handful of soil, a stack of mushroom spores, and a shared mission. In the hills outside Chiang Mai, Thailand, students from Thunder Bay, Ontario, teamed up with a local school to do more than just build mushroom boxes for sustainable agriculture. They laid the groundwork for creating stronger communities, too.
As part of EF’s Culture and Service in Thailand tour, these Canadian high school students came ready to work. But what they gained—new skills, global connections, and a deeper understanding of their impact—was something they hadn’t fully expected.
From classroom to community: Creating an impact through service learning
When the students arrived, they got straight to work mixing and packing mushroom spores, constructing mushroom grow boxes, and restoring a greenhouse. These weren’t just simple farming and gardening tasks; they were part of a bigger, long-term solution to a pressing issue: food insecurity in Thailand’s smaller, rural schools.
In many parts of Thailand, schools can’t afford to feed their students nutritious meals, making it harder for kids to stay in school as they get older. Fewer students graduate and go on to higher education.
Working with local social enterprise Track of the Tiger, students from abroad can help local Thai schools produce their own food, like vegetables, protein-rich mushrooms, and cash crops. The impact is immediate and far-reaching. It means schools feed their students better meals. It also means surplus produce is sold to the community, and profits can go toward hiring more teachers or expanding school programs.
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The lasting lessons of student volunteer work in Thailand
For students like Stephanie, the experience was one to remember. “It might just be a small-scale project like we did,” she says, “but it really means so much when you're there and you're doing it—and you’re seeing the people you’re helping.”
Thunder Bay principal Ryan agrees. “To see our kids working with local students, providing sustainable food for a school here—that’s incredibly powerful. And it’s something they’ll carry with them wherever they go.”
A service learning experience is not just about building boxes—it’s about building confidence, empathy, and global awareness. Whether it’s mixing soil or overcoming language barriers, students who participate in these types of trips are pushed out of their comfort zones and into real-life collaboration.
“If students leave knowing they’re capable of doing something difficult,” says Conor, Director of Track of the Tiger, “we’ve given them more than just a cultural experience.”
What makes EF’s service learning tours unique?
Meaningful service: Students contribute to projects selected and led by the community in countries around the world. In Peru, that might mean helping a women’s cooperative build a weaving centre. In the Dominican Republic, it’s installing clean cookstoves in rural homes. All projects are designed to be community-driven and sustainable.
Cultural immersion: Students don’t just visit another place—they make connections. In Thailand, that means working alongside local students, sharing meals, and learning about life in the community. High fives, laughs, and shared experiences help bridge any language gaps.
Leadership development: Through the challenges of the project—tight timelines, hot weather, problem-solving—students grow in confidence and resilience. They return home not just with memories, but with a deeper understanding of how they can lead and make change in their own communities.
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Community-led initiatives that matter
Whether you’re making a difference in Thailand, Peru, the Dominican Republic, or beyond, our service learning tours can take you and your students to new heights.
