2019 Week Without Walls

Many of the international schools here in Dubai host a week away from school for the middle and high school students. Our school, the American School of Dubai (ASD), calls this the Week Without Walls (WWW) -- when middle school students leave campus and travel to other areas or countries for learning outside the school walls. ASD states that, "The objective of WWW is to provide middle school students with authentic educational experiences designed to develop attributes of the ASD Learner Profile. Experiences are designed with four student outcomes in mind: cultural awareness, personal growth, life skills, and service learning." While it sounds mostly foreign to us as Americans, these middle schoolers board planes to travel to exotic countries such as Greece, Tanzania, Thailand, Sri Lanka, and so many others, all in an effort to stretch their learning experiences. What an amazing opportunity!

When Connor attended Dubai American Academy last spring, we just weren't prepared emotionally or financially to send him away. But this year at ASD, we definitely wanted him to participate. However, Connor's baseball tournament team had tournaments planned in Thailand, Kuwait, and Singapore. With all of the baseball travel, we told Connor he would need to stick with the most affordable option for his Week Without Walls trip. He was happy to oblige and signed up for the WWW trip to other emirates in the UAE. His trip had about 30 kids, and they traveled to Ras Al Khaimah and Al Jeer for various activities and projects in and around the UAE desert. Connor was SO excited about the trip; they had so many fun things planned!

In preparation for the upcoming WWW trips, the kids were given a day off of school to pack and get ready. Connor and I took the day to spend some time together after getting all of his belongings together. I love hanging out with this kid!

When it was time for his trip, Kaitlynn and I said goodbye to him at the regular school dropoff. He boarded a huge bus with the other kids and away they went for 6 days!

I was anxious to check the WWW website where the trip chaperones would be posting updates and photos of the kids. I wonder how many times I hit Refresh on that site before seeing anything? Ha! On their first day, the group drove to Ras Al Khaimah (RAK), volunteered at an animal welfare center, conducted a beach/marina clean-up, and hung out together for nightly activities at their dorms.

Day 2 included kayaking, high ropes, rock climbing, and squid dissection with squid ink as face paint. Gross!

Day 3, the group did the Leap of Faith, canoeing, snorkeling, and windsurfing. The kids learned about some of the marine life inhabiting the bay around the camp. Many students licked the sea cucumber after hearing the myth that it would bring 21 years of good luck. Be sure to ask Connor if HE participated in that activity, ha!

On Day 4, the students moved to their second camp, Al Sahara. After receiving their tents, they were taught various team-building activities that they then led and coordinated with some special needs kids from an organization called Tender Hearts. Friendships and bonds were built with the Tender Hearts kids, and switching roles from participants to being instructors proved to build leadership skills. It was a fun day of being able to share the WWW experience with others.

On Day 5, everyone spent time building dune buggies in small groups, tracking various animals that live in the desert, testing archery skills, and visiting a local camel farm. The last evening was spent with a campfire and s'mores.

In case you're wondering (I was) about Connor's attire during the trip...he DID change clothes daily but ended up wearing his red hoodie/jacket every day due to the cool air and breeze. The desert does manage to get quite cool in the evenings and overnight.

I admit, it's a bit unnerving sending your middle schooler off with a school group for an entire week. I can't imagine how so many of the other parents felt, turning over their kids' passports and sending them on a plane to countries far away! 

Connor had an amazing time on his Week Without Walls trip to the UAE desert, and it truly was a week of learning and enrichment outside of the normal classroom walls. What an incredible and unforgettable experience for Connor and all of the students here!