York’s service learning trips are part of a larger approach to learning that embraces opportunities for hands-on experiences in settings different from our own, with a goal to better understand how to effectively and authentically forge partnerships that can make a difference in the lives of all involved.

 

In the case of India, York’s early service learning trips to India evolved into the creation of Global Pathways School (GPS), a K-12 day school with a mission to empower under-served students to build an ecosystem comprised of education, healthcare and community development. For more than 15 years, except when travel was restricted, York School students and staff have arrived in India each year, prepared through team-building and culture awareness training, to be active participants in a reciprocal exchange of ideas and learning.

 

For Leah, the experience has come full-circle in her current role as Director of Programs and Partnerships at Village Community Foundation (VCF), the Canadian charity that funds Global Pathways School. 

 

Inspired by the students at GPS who show up every day with enthusiasm to learn despite leading challenging lives, Leah knows how fortunate she was to have access to an education that encouraged her to think critically and globally. “The experience was transformative,” recalls Leah, “My time there definitely shaped who I am today by helping me discover how community service and community projects give meaning to my life.”