What is Experiential Learning?

Experiential learning is the process of learning through doing, reflecting and applying yourself to the situation at hand. Rather than simply absorbing information, students actively engage in real-world situations that require them to think critically, collaborate, problem-solve and adapt to the world around them.

In real terms, experiential learning may involve fieldwork, service-learning projects, expeditions, internships or immersive cultural experiences. What defines it is not the location, but the method – students are placed in authentic contexts where they must make decisions, take responsibility and reflect on their growth.

When students step beyond the classroom and into unfamiliar environments, such as trekking through mountain ranges, working on community infrastructure projects, or contributing to conservation initiatives, it teaches them strength and global context that are hard to replicate within the classroom.

The cognitive development through overseas experiential learning is  mainly reflected in the perception of oneself (self-awareness and self-understanding), other people (social communication), and other things (international perspectives, cultural and global diversity, racial, ethnic diversity, and complexities of global issues) (Tian and Lu, 2018).

Mary, a student traveller who visited Cambodia, mentioned she now feels “more confident”, and that “this trip has reassured me in my journey of becoming an adult. As I now feel like I have – or am developing – the essential qualities which makes a successful person”.

The Rise of Global Citizenship and Growth Mindset

Today’s students are growing up in an interconnected world. Everything is chronically online and available instantly at their fingertips, which is both exciting and dangerous in equal parts. Exposure to global challenges, whether environmental sustainability, inequality, or conservation, creates a deeper understanding of responsibility and impact and takes them out of the digital world that they find themselves ever immersed in.

Experiential learning, especially on expedition, allows students to gain a wider understanding of different cultures and traditions, and exposes them to different global issues that are faced around the world. When students work alongside communities in different cultural contexts, contribute to sustainability initiatives, or witness global challenges firsthand, they begin to see themselves not only as learners, but as contributors and true global citizens

At the same time, these experiences naturally foster a growth mindset. In educational settings, developing a growth mindset helps students build resilience and self-belief. It encourages them to take ownership of their development, seek feedback and reflect on how they can improve. This not only improves their confidence, but teaches them how to keep trying when the going gets tough, which is a skill that sets them up for future careers and life paths.

Ronnie Masters, one of our Regional Expedition Coordinators and Dean Bates, the Regional Manager for the North, were interviewed on HMC’s podcast mini series in which they spoke about the need for extra-curricular skill building and how an expedition can be the catalyst for developing a growth mindset;

“It’s about getting young people comfortable with being uncomfortable. That really helps them to develop confidence, self-belief, resilience, self-awareness, all these really hard to come by skills. They’ll get an abundance, you know, certainly after a four-week expedition overseas. That’s when you go into something called your stretch zone, that’s really where the magic happens. That’s where your brain is engaged, that’s where you go into this growth mindset, and that’s where these skills are really developed.”

“[Expeditions help] to get young people out of that comfort zone and into the stretch zone where they can develop these skills that will just help them, you know, beyond school, and deal with the ups and downs of life.”

In this way, global awareness and personal growth develop hand in hand. Students return not only with a deeper understanding of the world around them, but with the confidence and resilience to shape their own futures within it.

Student Traveller Lauren, who took part in one of our Borneo expeditions in 2023, told us that “The highlight of my journey was experiencing the cultures and taking part in the local community, with either project work or having the opportunity to engage with the children and locals. The setting and environment were beautiful in the Borneo jungle, with the river boat ride in the sunset. The journey had a significant impact on me and kick-started my career based on the passion I’ve always had for wildlife, conservation and preserving the environment. The experience of travelling across the globe has changed my life.”

Balancing Experience with Evidence

Schools today are increasingly tasked with preparing students for an unpredictable future. The value/cost perception is under continuing scrutiny and parents want to make sure that their students are getting the most out of every experience, whether inside or outside the classroom. Data plays an important role in helping teachers understand what’s working, where students need more support, and how to keep improving.

The most effective schools are those that balance experiential learning with high academic standards. Actionable data helps leadership teams refine strategy and support staff development, while experiential learning environments, such as expeditions, help build confidence, resilience and independence – qualities that aren’t always easy to measure.

In this sense, personal development and academic performance are not opposing priorities, they are complementary. Character builds confidence, confidence enhances performance, and reflection strengthens both.

Check out our video that dives deeper into experiential learning on a Camps Expedition and the benefit of taking students abroad in your educational toolkit.

Education for the Future

Preparing students for an unpredictable future requires more than curriculum learning. It requires opportunities to test themselves, to lead, to think of things other than themselves, and to understand the wider world.

The most powerful approach utilises both rigorous academic standards and impact driven real-world experiences. When schools combine meaningful challenge with reflective practice and evidence-based improvement, they create learning environments that are both ambitious and grounded. Students leave not only with qualifications, but with resilience, cultural awareness and the confidence to thrive. In a rapidly changing world, where adaptability and global awareness are increasingly valued, experiential learning provides students with the confidence and capability to thrive beyond school.

If we are serious about preparing students for the world ahead, we must give them opportunities to experience it beyond the classroom.

Why Use Social Media?

• It can help with your long-term motivation and accountability knowing that you have people waiting to hear how you’re getting on
• Social media profiles can help spread awareness for the cause behind your expedition and why you’re excited to go
• You can share what expedition you’re going on and what projects you’re going to be involved with to lots of people at the same time
• Sharing fundraising targets and updates to lots of people at the same time helps with time management and organisation
• It gets people excited for you, which means they may be more likely to donate to your cause

Social Media Top Tips

• Start by thinking what platform you want to use. Instagram is often the most popular and has the most people already using it, so a good place to start.
• Choose a clear profile picture and a short but punchy bio to explain what your account is about
• Link to your fundraising platform in the bio so people can easily donate and see more background on your upcoming expedition
• Stay consistent with posting, so people know where you’re up to with your fundraising target. This also helps with Instagram knowing that you’re an active account that has things to say!
• Engage with your followers as much as you can. If people comment, reply back to them and start a conversation. It’s a great way to stay motivated, spark new ideas from a wider audience and signal to Instagram that your content is engaging and worth sharing with more people

What Should I Post?

• Be authentic, and show the highs and lows of your fundraising journey so people can see the effort you’re putting in
• Show all the steps, including the behind the scenes of organising the events and how they went. Did you bake cakes? Did you organise a fun run? What did you do to get there? People love to know how things work, and it will help inspire other fundraisers too
• Share more of the day-to-day organisation and behind the scenes on your stories, but post some of them to your feed too! It helps to make people feel involved and want to continue following your journey, and helps if they’ve missed out on your stories
• You can post about the ‘why’ behind the account, such as where you’ll be going on expedition and what you’ll be getting up to
• Take your photos in good lighting and don’t post anything blurry. They don’t have to be super aesthetic, but clear colourful photos help tell your story so much better
• Talk about your milestones, what upcoming fundraising events and activities you have going on
• Use story highlights to categorise old stories and keep certain stories available on your profile, such as one highlight for each activity, one for behind the scenes, and one for your current fundraising pot

Being Safe on Social Media

• Keep your location and full name private
• Only share what you feel comfortable with
• Don’t share your full address, school name or daily routines, or any other things personal to you
• Ask yourself “Would I be happy for a teacher, parent, or future employer to see this?”
• Stay respectful and avoid posting anything that could be seen as offensive, unkind, or too personal, as it can be hard to delete things forever once they’re online, even though you can delete your account
• If your account is public to raise more awareness for your fundraising, make sure you’re happy and comfortable with who’s following you
• Don’t feel bad about blocking or removing followers
• You can also get your parent or guardian to run your account or help you with content, replying to comments and monitoring your followers

Student Traveller Inspiration

We thought we would share some accounts who we feel have done a great job sharing their fundraising journey on social media!

Getting Crafty

Georgina is travelling to Borneo in 2025, and decided to take on lots of craft projects to raise her funds. She created an Instagram account called 3 Gen Crafts, and used it to promote the items she was making and selling.

We love the way that she took consistent photos of all her handmade jewellery, and showed a mix of close ups, market stall setups and people wearing her items.

She also mentioned her fundraising link in her bio, so that people could donate straight into her fund.

Safety was a key priority too, and we love the way she used a business name for the account and didn’t put her full name in the bio.

Graphic Design and Fundraising

Paige is travelling to Peru in 2026, and decided to create an Instagram account called NoDramaLLama26 to promote her fundraising efforts of cycling the length of Peru over 78 weeks, and climb the altitude of Machu Picchu in 10 days.

Instead of posting photos of her updates, she instead created a feed made up of graphic design posts, each showing how close she is to reaching her goal and what activity she achieved that week.

The colours stand out amazingly, and even though the graphics show a lot of information, they all work cohesively together to tell her story. In each caption, she explains more about how the challenge went that day, and so far she’s managed to raise an amazing £1,885 towards her expedition!

We love that she did something different and used colour and illustrations to document her journey. It definitely makes it stand out from the crowd!

Showing Your Fundraising Efforts

Lacie is travelling to Tanzania in 2026, and decided to create an Instagram account, lacie_tanzania_expedition.2026, to document her fundraising journey and promote all the different activities she was taking part in to reach her target.

We love the way she showed the mix of activities she’s been doing, including uploading to pre-loved clothing websites, car boot sales and making beaded jewellery and custom clothing.

She also noted that her Instagram page has helped her to share her story, and she was inspired to create it by other students travelling with Camps. She told us that the page has helped her visualise her journey and see how far she’s come, and she can’t wait to finally get out to Tanzania in 2026.

What to Do with Your Fundraising Instagram Account After Your Trip

A great way to round off your expedition and fundraising account is to post about your experience once you’re home. This can include photos and videos from your expedition, and a summary post – or a few summary posts – about how you found the experience and what you got up to whilst you were there.

This is a great way to update everyone about your return, and to show your sponsors and followers where their money went whilst you were fundraising.

It’s a lovely full circle moment for both you and the people that supported you along the way!

Your Journey, Your Voice

You don’t need thousands of followers or likes to be a content creator. If you’ve created content and posted it on social media, you’re already there! You also don’t need lots of followers or likes to make an impact on others and fundraise for your expedition, just sharing your journey and genuine passion can go a long way.

Every post helps tell a bigger story — and it’s all part of the adventure! Remember that it’s a great tool for edging closer towards your overall fundraising goal, but it’s also not worth becoming stressed over to keep updated every day.

There are also plenty of social media fundraising resources on the Traveller Gateway!

3. Reforestation and Rewilding

Sell seeds or growing kits for flowers, plants, herbs and vegetables. Not everyone has the time to cultivate their own plants from seed, so look to do the work for people and then sell the already grown plants for a profit.

Don’t  buy plastic pots but look to use old mugs, jars, tins, or even old shoes to add a creative touch to your plants. Handmade tags also add to the rustic charm.

4. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

• Sell old and upcycled clothes using apps such as Facebook Marketplace, Vinted and Depop.
• Upcycle furniture and sell on places like FB Marketplace, Gumtree or Etsy
• Book a spot at your local car boot sale
• Plan a second-hand book sale

Be inspired by Jody!

5. Sponsored Vegetarianism (for the hardcore meat eaters)

Challenge yourself to go vegetarian or vegan for the month and get sponsored to do so. Not only will you be raising funds for your expedition, but it is a good opportunity to add variety to your diet and reduce your carbon emissions.

6. Collect People’s Recycling

• For areas that don’t have glass collection, advertise your services and collect neighbour’s glass bottles and jars for a fee before dropping it off at your local recycling centre.
• Christmas Tree Collection. Make a booking form and deliver to your neighbourhood pre-Christmas, collect trees in the new year and take them to the tip on their behalf.

Go the extra mile like Joseph and Jacob and get the timing right like William!

7. Local Business Hampers

Create hampers to sell using only locally made and handcrafted products.

8. Eco-Fair

Take up a stall at a market or school fete and keep it eco by selling your homemade crafts:

• Reusable cotton pads
• Eco-friendly cleaning materials, soaps etc.
• Reusable bags
• Homegrown teas
• Soy candles
• Beeswax wraps

Channel your entrepreneurial spirit like Maya and Cairo!

9. Cake in a Jar

Layer non-perishable cake mix in glass milk bottles or mason jars. Pop on a ribbon and you have an eco-conscious treat to sell at fairs, in school or to family and friends. No plastic in sight!

10. Contribute to your Local Community

Get a job at your local animal shelter/ eco-café/ local park to do some good in your local area and raise the funds for your trip while you’re at it.

11. DIY Designs

Think about making and selling items that will benefit the wildlife around us.

• Build bug houses / animal feeders – using wood and natural products.
• Create homemade seed bombs – The Land Trust, The Wildlife Trusts and RHS all have recipes, and they can be made colourful with natural food colouring.

Share your love of nature like Owen.

12. Use the UN Sustainable Development Goals

Visit the UNSDG website to find out the SDG of the month to help you with ideas on how to fundraise sustainably. In addition, if you link it to your school expedition you can also raise awareness of the projects you will be taking part in to showcase the positive impact for the community, environment and wildlife.

Costa Rica

In Costa Rica, Halloween is a foreign tradition that isn’t particularly widespread across the country however, it has been gaining strength with the younger generation. The tradition of decorating houses and requesting sweets is not very common at all but they do dress up and have costume parties!

Ecuador

Ecuador is similar to Costa Rica in that Halloween is not widely celebrated other than in the International/American schools however, they do celebrate ‘Día de los Muertos’ or ‘Day of the Dead’ around the 1^st and 2^nd November.

Traditionally on this day in the cities, friends and family exchange ‘Guaguas’ or bread dolls, usually made of wheat, sugar and butter and shaped like a child or baby. A purple drink made of black corn, blackberries, pineapple and spices is also popular on these days.

In certain indigenous communities, inhabitants go to the cemetery to visit their dead relatives and loved ones and symbolically share the food they carry. A ritual of eating food at the grave is performed with the belief that death is a mere step to another life similar to this one.

Peru

Peruvians celebrate 2 holidays around this time of year: Halloween and ‘El Día de la Canción Criolla’ (Criolla Music Day).

Halloween is celebrated following the traditions taken from the USA. Young children look forward to dressing up in masks, superhero costumes or characters from their favourite movies. Nightclubs, concerts and festivals organise events with costume competitions, while children go out in groups accompanied by their parents to ask for sweets from door to door. Although Halloween is a foreign holiday, it has been growing commercially in recent years and is gaining popularity especially in families with small children.

Traditionally, October 31 in Peru is Criolla Music Day. Criolla Music Day celebrates the Peruvian native song which consists of Andean, African and Spanish music influences, and is accompanied by “Marinera”, the national dance of Peru. The whole night is spent dancing and singing, often with a Pisco or two (a traditional Peruvian brandy) among the adults. The celebrations continue into early November and like the Day of the Dead traditions, they share gifts and food in the cemeteries.

In some areas people even decide to spend a night at the cemeteries, providing company to their loved ones who, according to belief, return for two days to visit the living.

Borneo

Halloween is celebrated in a lot of the main cities in Borneo but not so much in the more remote villages. There is a similar festival which takes place around the end of August known as ‘The Hungry Ghost Festival’.

During this time, it is believed the ‘Gates of Hell’ are opened and that the dead return to visit their living relatives. The festival is celebrated with ceremonies and prayers and food are offered to the dead. Chicken, vegetables, fruits, bean curd and white rice are placed at street corners and roadsides to appease the spirits. Some people also avoid doing things considered taboo during this period such as avoiding standing under trees or bus stops. Explore more examples of cultural taboos observed during this time.

Cambodia

Cambodia does not celebrate Halloween at all. However, they also celebrate ‘The Hungry Ghost Festival’ or ‘Pjoom Ben’. People feed the hungry ghosts in temples before sunrise, burning candles and incense and throwing food to the ground outside the temple where the hungry ghosts are believed to be waiting for their food.

Kenya

On the whole, Africa doesn’t really even acknowledge Halloween. For religious reasons (especially in Islam), many people do not like anything related to ghosts and the dead.

Having said this, there are the occasional individuals who do celebrate Halloween in small gatherings of friends, making the most of a reason for a party.

Enjoy the celebrations and traditions!

Autumnal Fundraising examples to get the ideas flowing…

Zombie Run

Host a Halloween-themed zombie run. Advertise the event on social media, posters and emails and raise money by collecting registration fees and charging for sponsorships. You could even go one step further and plan the route through a forest or muddy terrain and divide the runners into humans trying to survive and zombies looking to feed off them! To encourage some awesome fancy-dress outfits, how about offering a prize for the best dressed?

Pumpkin Sale

Get in touch with a local farmer or wholesaler and explain the cause you’re raising money for. See if they will do you a deal on a batch of pumpkins that you can buy cheaply in bulk and then sell on at a higher price. If you’re feeling creative, get carving and sell ready carved pumpkins to local shops/cafes to decorate their window displays!

Hot Halloween Soup

Don’t let that pumpkin flesh go to waste! Why not cook up some pumpkin soup to sell to friends, colleagues or passers by – you could even dress up as a witch and serve it up from a big cauldron! Experiment with different spices and flavour combinations for a really unique, home-made taste or bake some crusty bread or sourdough to go with it. Check out a basic pumpkin soup recipe here

Spooky Stand Up

Organise a stand-up or open-mic night where participants can take to the stage to entertain the audience with spooky stories, horrible humour and spine-chilling songs! Depending on where you hold the event, you could also look into providing refreshments to make a little extra money on top of the money you make from ticket sales. This could also be held as a virtual event which you could advertise on social media. Share a link to your GoFundMe or easyfundraising account and ask that anyone who wants to tune in donates towards your expedition.

Bonfire Night

Bonfire night or Guy Fawkes Night is a great excuse for hot chocolate, warm tray bakes and hot pots! Check out local events and find out if you can set up a stall selling edible goodies or organise your own evening! As this date falls on a Friday this year, you could even start the celebrations early and sell your comfort food creations at lunchtime at school/college (please be sure to check with your school first!)

I started with car boot sales

Some of my neighbours said they had lots of stuff they wanted to get rid of and so we decided to sell some of these items at a car boot sale. It was also a good opportunity to try and declutter our own home, especially my room!

We started by collecting friends and neighbours unwanted items and had a clear out of our own home. We then organised and sold on a stall at the local car boot. It was great because I got a chance to spend time with my mum whilst doing this.

The early mornings were hard, and it takes a lot of effort taken to plan and display a good table of goods, but we did make £428 altogether.

Top Tip: For anyone wanting to do this idea, I suggest visiting the car boot sale prior to arriving as a seller. We found that the prices we were thinking of asking for was not the same as other sellers so this allowed us to easily adapt before arriving to sell.

I also would also advertise that you are doing the car boot for a Camps International expedition. You can print out a poster, place it on the stand and wear your t shirt. We had a fundraising bucket, and some kind people gave £5 donations just for the cause and did not buy anything from the stall.

Setting up my own business was a great earner

I set up my own business called Tillie’s Cage Liners, making fleece cage liners for Guinea Pigs and Rabbits. I have my own Guinea Pigs and wanted to buy some absorbent fleece cage liners and when checking the price, I was surprised at how expensive they were. This led me to think that perhaps I can make my own and sell them.

A friend owns a sewing machine, so I asked her if I could borrow it. I then sourced the fabric that I would need by looking online which I had to buy in bulk to get the best price. I used YouTube for ideas on how others were making their fleece liners and then had a go at making my own. The result was great, so I decided to set up a Facebook page, advertising it.

This was proving to be quite successful, and the orders started to come in so I set up an Esty Shop. I started getting some really good feedback and reviews, so I increased my product range to include, tunnels, hides, hammocks and drip pads. I was specialising in bespoke liners made to the customer’s specifications.

I have really enjoyed this business, it has helped me to improve my understanding of marketing, finance, pricing and estimating and general communication with my customers. It is proving to be a great source of income for me and will hopefully continue after my Cambodia experience is over. Overall, I have made over £1,800 from this business.

I’ve loved seeing my creations in customer photos

I have been amazed by how much money people spend on their animals, which has been great for me. I did not realise that I could create a way to earn a good amount of money which will not only pay for Camps but will also pay for my driving lessons and help towards future car insurance.

I’m looking forward to my Camps International expedition

I am looking forward to spending time with my friends and sharing the journey with them. I’m also excited about the flights, but slightly nervous too. I’d like to experience how other communities live and I’m excited to contribute to making a positive impact.

Our final week of scuba diving training means I get to explore the wildlife whilst learning a new skill which I can continue in the future.

If you have a great idea or inspiring fundraising story, let us know by emailing submissions@campsinternational.co.uk and you could be featured in our next blog.