Students at MTHS will have the opportunity to travel to Thailand from June 22 to July 6, 2021 and 2022. The trips will involve a mixture of service, educational experiences, and tourism across various regions of the country. The group will be traveling nearly all across Thailand, including its capital, Bangkok; Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai in the north; and the beaches on the coast of the Gulf of Thailand. 

The main service opportunity involved in the trip is working with elephants in an elephant sanctuary. History teacher Tammy Sweeney, the main director and organizer of the Thailand trip, explained the opportunity. “The elephants we’ll be working with [have been] used as labor, many of them [have been] in abusive situations,” Sweeney said. She mentioned the other educational experiences involved, such as working on problems involving poverty and environmental issues addressed.

Sophomore Pritesh Tanna will be attending the 2022 trip. “We will be able to see the country not as a foreigner, but from the perspective of a native,” he said. 

“One of the things we try to do here at Manheim Township…is encourage students to become involved in their communities,” said Sweeney when asked about the goals of the trip. “Well, this is an opportunity to do that, but on an international scale.” 

Sweeney also says that one of the major components of the trip is having a cultural experience outside of the United States. “Being able to open up and experience what the rest of the world is like really offers some wonderful perspectives,” she said. 

Freshman Ava Larsen is attending the 2022 trip. Larsen says that she looks forward to learning about the culture and gaining a new perspective on the world.

Sophomore Rachel Pongonis and is planning on attending the 2022 trip. “I’ve always wanted to travel. … I’ve just had trouble finding a reason to do it,” she said. Pongonis expressed her interest in talking with locals and visiting elephants. 

Sweeney said COVID-19 has been taken into consideration while planning the trips and outlined the precautions that will be taken, including social distancing, wearing masks, and testing for the virus. “All of those things are little, though, when compared to the benefits,” Sweeney said. She says that those on the trip are willing to take precautions in order to attend. 

Tanna said he is not overly concerned about the virus. “I’ve been working at a COVID-19 vaccine site for the past couple weeks, and I feel strongly about how vaccinated we will be by then,” Tanna said. 

As for the trip itself, Larsen considered general concerns. “I am nervous to try the cuisine, just because I am not always the bravest when it comes to food,” she said. However, she said she feels the trip will help improve her willingness to try new things. 

Pongonis said that there will always be worries when going to a new place, but that she hasn’t been overly anxious. “We’re going to be with a tour guide, [an interpreter], and we’re going to have teachers there, so I’m not really worried,” she said. 

Sweeney discussed what she hopes students will take away from the Thailand trips, especially coming back as a different person with new experiences and perspectives. “That’s one of the most exciting things to see,” she said. “Everybody kind of opening up their world view and seeing things from a different perspective, and you’re never the same again.”