Back to news
G7 Two-Day Backpacking Trip
Last updated: 5/27/2026
G7 Two-Day Backpacking Trip — Growing Through Real-World Challenges
Education doesn't only happen in the classroom.
This year's seventh-grade field trip was designed around the concept of backpacking travel. Students were responsible for planning their own routes, deciding on meals, assigning team roles, and responding to unexpected situations along the way. Teachers accompanied the group purely as observers, deliberately stepping back from any decision-making and returning full agency to the students.
Shortly after departure, one group missed their bus stop and had to backtrack. When they needed to ask a stranger for directions, they stood at the corner for nearly five minutes before finally finding the courage to speak up. Upon arriving in Sanzhi, students shopped for ingredients and cooked dinner themselves, starting at six in the evening and not sitting down to eat until nine. Setbacks kept coming: one dish was ruined when a compost bag broke, yet no one complained or gave up. That night, the accommodation was humble, and students discovered their roommates weren't just classmates, there were bugs too. Even so, not a single student asked to go home.
On the second day, the group visited a local kindergarten in Sanzhi, spending the morning playing with and caring for young children. The same seventh graders who often bristle at inconvenience sat patiently on the floor, fully engaged with the little ones, discovering in themselves a gentleness and sense of responsibility they hadn't known was there.
Every route was chosen by the students. Every meal was decided by the students. Every challenge was faced by the students. We believe that real learning happens in the moments when children face difficulty, make choices, and live with the outcomes.
Find your own path.
Education is not about giving you answers, it's about giving you the ability to find them.
📽 Let the footage tell the story of their journey.