Description

China's newest program, Shangri-La Culture and Service, begins as your plane touches down amongst the dramatic Himalayan peaks surrounding Shangri-la Old Town. Although outside of Tibet Province, Shangri-La is dominated by the vibrant Tibetan culture, with prayer flags waving in the streets, active Tibetan temples overlooking the town from three different sides, and a three-story human powered golden prayer wheel spinning 24-hours a day above the ancient cobbled streets. Get to know this city well, as it will be your base during your time in the region

Service in the Mountains:
In spite of its rich culture and stunning mountain vistas, this region is one of China's poorest. On this program, your group will be partnering with two different NGOs to provide service where needed in the area. Our first stop will be a school for orphans perched on a mountainside along the banks of Jinsha River. The students at this orphanage come from across China's Tibetan Autonomous Regions (T.A.R.), including Tibet, Sichuan, Yunnan, Gansu, and Qinghai provinces. The orphanage, opened three years ago, already has 70 children from the ages of three to eleven, with two paid teachers and three volunteers. Your projects on this portion of the program may include building stairs from their classroom building to their dormitory building, creating a garbage system, or painting the dorm or classroom buildings. You can also expect to play with the kids each afternoon, teach them English, draw pictures, help in their garden, and get to know their stories with the aid of smiles and games.

For our second project we will head back to Shangri-la to work with the Eastern Tibet Training Institute as they strive to provide Tibetan teenagers from villages across the T.A.R. with the skills they'll need to succeed in the developing world. The majority of these students are 16-22 years old, and had the opportunity for schooling as children, but were forced to drop out after middle school to help support their families. With too much knowledge to find a life of village farming satisfying, they have sought out the Eastern Tibet Training Institute (ETTI) to gain the skills they'll need to move on. Most of ETTI's students continue on to work in hotels, restaurants, as tour guides, or find opportunities as entrepreneurs, enabling them to send money home for their siblings to continue their studies. Your time with ETTI will be spent augmenting their classes with English practice, working on a School Library so their students have access to books and other materials, and working with some of ETTI's micro-loan recipients. This project is a truly unique opportunity, as you will get to work with students of a similar age to yourself.

Exploring Shangri-La's Majestic Landscape:
No trip to Shangri-la is complete without exploring the amazing natural sites it has to offer. During this program, you will take breaks from your service projects to visit natural hot springs and dramatic white calcite plateaus. Your adventures in Shangri-La will come to an end with a four day trekking circuit high in the surrounding Himalayan foothills. With the aid of a team of horses and local guides, we will travel across miles of stunning alpine terrain. This four day trek will take you through rapidly disappearing old-growth forest, past sacred Tibetan Alpine lakes, and through villages rarely seen by the outside world. On the third day of your journey, you will find yourself looking across a sea of clouds to the snow-capped peaks of the Tibetan Himalayas. After finishing our trek, we will stop back into the vibrant old town of Shangri-La for one last traditional Tibetan feast before heading home.

Up to 56 hours of community service will be awarded at the completion of the program.

Highlights

IMMERSE yourself in the dramatic landscape of Yunnan's Shangri-La.

EXPERIENCE the vibrant Tibetan culture in ancient towns and villages.

TEACH and PLAY with Tibetan children from across western China. Build a library, design a waste removal system, renovate a dormitory, and expand a sports field.

CREATE traditional Tibetan handicrafts as you are guided by village artisans and your new-found friends.

GIVE your time to local teenagers as they strive to raise their standard of living.

EXPLORE the snow capped peaks, sacred lakes, and alpine meadows of the soaring Himalayan Mountains.

Qualifications

Students must be 16-years old and up to participate on the program. Additionally, participants must submit an application through the Rustic Pathways website and complete the appropriate documents before traveling on the program.

Type of Programs

• Community Service / Volunteerism
• Cultural Exploration
• High School Study Abroad

Languages

• English
• Tibetan

Cost in US$:

USD 3,995 + 765 Internal Airfare

Cost Includes:

• Excursions
• Food
• Housing
• In-country orientation/Training
• In-country staff support
• Travel while in host country
• Written materials abroad
• Written materials pre-departure

Program Fees Include:

The above cost includes all ground transportation within China, 3 meals a day, housing, staff through the duration of the program, all supplies for the community service projects, excursions, and trekking through the Himalaya mountains.

Experience Required

no

Volunteer Types

Age Range

16-18

This Program is open to

Worldwide Participants.

Participants Travel

in Groups

Typically Participants Work

in Groups of 10-16 people

Scholarships are Available

Scholarships are available annually for students interested in Rustic Pathways programs on an application basis. The scholarships are for all Rustic Pathways programs across the world and not only for this particular program. Applications for scholarships are available starting in late January or early February for students and interested parties should contact Rustic Pathways directly to learn how to apply.

Application Process Involves

• Online Application plus Application Assessment

Typically The Application Process Time is

1-2 business days

Rustic Pathways's Mission Statement

Rustic Pathways is a pioneer in providing superior quality travel and service programs for students and families in some of the world's most welcoming countries. Rustic Pathways demands professionalism and integrity across all of its operations, insists on quality in all aspects of its programs, and places the safety of its students above all other considerations. We enrich the lives of our students and our staff, benefit the parts of the world we serve, and build cultural bridges that lead to greater global understanding and cooperation.

Year Founded

1983