One of the many aspects that make the learning experience so unique at Cairo American College is the firm belief that learning extends well beyond the classroom walls. Learning is based on encounters and experiences and this is what our two projects at middle and high school are based on. Week Without Walls for our high schoolers, and the PRIME Trips program for our middle schoolers. These are two uniquely-tailored programs that enable the students to travel each year to a different location where they learn, explore and have fun.
WEEK WITHOUT WALLS
WWW has always been a very popular and busy week for the students. While this had to be put on hold for the past two years due to Covid-19 measures, this year we were successfully able to bring it back, bit by bit. Due to the relaxation of some of the Covid-19 measures, CAC was able to host local trips this year to : Alexandria, Aswan, Fayoum, Marsa Alam, Hurghada and Siwa. These ranged from culture and society trips to adventure and scuba diving experiences.
It is through these types of trips that students learn to partake in service and become engaged in experiential learning, which is one of the essential components in the development of the “whole child” and one of the major building blocks in helping each student reach his or her personal potential.
To learn through hands-on projects and to work as members of a group to achieve major goals enhances the learning experience. When students can internalize learning, they begin to develop lifelong learning skills. Moreover, when they have the opportunity to serve others, it touches their hearts and minds in ways that can’t be measured through tests and exams. It is that human touch that students learn in programs such as Week Without Walls that defines them and guides them toward future ideals and decisions that will impact their world in ways that we may never be able to quite describe in words.
Below is a glimpse of some of the amazing memories that the students will be able to cherish and reminisce about as they grow older.
PRIME TRIPS
The same applies to the middle school PRIME Trips. This off-campus activities-based program offers students the opportunity to extend the curriculum beyond the classroom walls in exciting ways in a new environment. They are also able to develop new friendships, try new experiences, and build self-confidence.
Students will be able to extend and apply curriculum work in an authentic and exciting environment, improve physical and mental health, develop a sense of personal involvement, deepen their relationships with their friends and colleagues, develop a fuller understanding of their environments, and develop self-reliance skills as well as self-esteem.
This year, our middle schoolers were eager to have the opportunity to go on these trips back again, and the campus was buzzing with excitement as they all gathered with their different groups to start their trips. The day trips included day visits to Wadi Degla, Sakara and Dahshur, Abdeen Palace, Museum of Civilization, Pottery Factory, Islamic Arts Museum and Ain Sokhna,
Below are some of these unforgettable moments that the students got to experience.
Students are often deeply impacted by these kinds of experiences, fondly remembering them long after their days at CAC are over. These encounters help to define CAC students and may guide them toward future ideals and decisions that will shape their world in ways that we may never be able to measure on paper.
