The document describes a Week Without Walls trip for 7th and 8th grade students from DAA to Laos from March 1-9, 2012. The trip includes 2 nights in a hotel in Luang Prabang and 4 nights with homestays in a village, with activities like visiting waterfalls, doing community service, and experiencing local culture and cuisine. The trip provides educational experiences in various subjects and requires students to be willing to try new experiences living with a local family. Health, safety, and communication protocols are outlined.

1. Week Without
Walls2012
7th and 8th Grade Laos
Experience March 1-9, 2012

2. Location
A Week to Remember
2 nights hotel stay in Luang Prabang
4 nights home stay in Seuang River village

5. A Week of Adventure!

8. Activities

9. Village Living
A Week of New Experiences

10. Activities
A Week of Amazing!

11. Activities

12. Activities
Experience the
beautiful Tad Sae
waterfalls
A Week of Wow!

13. Activities

14. A Week of Sharing
Community Service at Local School
DAA students teach songs and games to local elementary and
middle school students. DAA students and teachers personally
donate school supplies.

15. A Week of
Giving
Community Service for the Villages
Over the past 4 years, DAA students have built the foundations, walls, and
floors of schools and community lodges. They have also woven baskets used
for community garbage containers. Last year they built additional toilet facilities
for the regional high school that only had 2 toilets for 450 students. This year
DAA students will be assisting in the construction of a dormitory for students

16. Shopping Opportunities
A Week of Memories
Night Market

17. Meals A Week of Yum!

18. Transportation
A Week of
New Ways to
Get Around

19. Accommodation
2 nights at
hotel in
Luang
Prabang
A Week of Not Much Sleep???
4 nights
with local
families in
Seuang
River
Community

20. Educational Value
 Science: Study of biomes.
 Math: Currency exchange. Budgeting shopping money. Figuring some
construction work.
 Social Studies: Observe geography and the 5 themes of geography,
especially Place and Human-Environment Interaction in Laos. Make
observations on how the area and the culture relate to topics in Social
Studies class.
 Art: See the local art and architecture; draw a scene of Laos lifestyles.
 English and IT: Journal everyday experiences. Make a group or
personal diary (video, PowerPoint, scrapbook). Learn new language
phrases.
 PE: Hiking in town and at temples. Swimming and rafting in Seuang
River. Playing games with the school children, and with the community
children and adults at evening events.
 Life Skills: Adapting to first experience of school travel/traveling
overseas without family.

21. Requirements
 Willing to work on a team
 Willing to meet weekly prior to departure
 Able to exercise without respiratory or mental
restraint
 Willing and able to do some light construction work
 Willing to try new foods
 Possess the ability and the willingness to see new
places and experience new adventures
 Possess the willingness to live with a local family
and interact with local people in the villages and at
the market
 Passport and residency visa valid until September
2012

22. Health and Safety Provided
Health Safety
 Buffalo Tours Staff  2-3 Buffalo Tours
members and staff and 2 teachers
Heather and Patrick on duty 24/7
are CPR Certified.
 Life jackets required
 Luang Prabang during water
Hospital for
transportation
emergencies.
 Buffalo Tours rural
 Special diets
accommodated.
evacuation
procedure

23. Communication
Before trip:
- Parent and students meetings
- Information packets
- Email and phone calls
- Telephone tree and email list
- DAA Laos Blog Site: http://daalaos.posterous.com/
During trip:
- No electronics for students
- DAA Laos Blog Site: http://daalaos.posterous.com/
- Seuang River blog site
- For emergencies: DAA will contact Buffalo Tours and/or chaperones
- For emergencies: Chaperones will contact DAA and parents
After trip:
- Email and phone calls
- WWW Student Presentations

24. All transportation including
Thai Air and Laos Air
Visa
(Nationalities of Jordan,
Pakistan, Turkey are not able
to get a visa for Laos)
All meals
Accommodation
All entrance fees
200 DHS donation for
community project
Does not include personal
expenditures or personal
travel insurance

25. Flight Info
 Mar. 01 6:30 p.m. Bus leaves DAA to DXB
Airline Origin & Depart Flight Time Arrival
Destinatio No Time
n
Emirate DXB-BKK Mar. 01 EK 374 23:10 08:00
s
Bangko BKK-LPG Mar. 02 PG 941 09:15 11:15
k
Bangko LPG-BKK Mar. 8 PG 942 16:10 18:10
k
Emirate BKK-DXB Mar. 8 EK 373 20:40 00:30
s
 Mar. 9 01:00 a.m. Parents pick up at Terminal 3

26. LAOS
A Week Like
No Other!

27. For More Information
Patrick Cauley p.cauley_daa@gemsedu.com
Heather Barker h.barker_daa@gemsedu.com
For info and photos about DAA and other schools in the Seuang
River Community:
http://seuangexperience.wordpress.com/school-project/
Our blog with trip information can be found at:
http://www.daalaos.posterous.com