To advance our mission as a private school with a public purpose, LWHS students and teachers have been fortunate to participate in global education trips this summer, to Switzerland, China, and Mexico. We designed these experiences to help students build global competencies—strengthening their abilities to investigate the world, deepen their intercultural competence, engage in collective problem solving, and reflect on their power and privilege to take meaningful action. 

Trip Overviews & Highlights

Switzerland: Villars Institute Annual Symposium

For the second year, students and faculty participated in the Villars Institute’s annual symposium, joining high school peers from around the world to tackle sustainability challenges. Highlights included collaborating with global practitioners, examining complex ecological, economic, and social systems, and developing actionable sustainability projects to implement at LWHS. And of course, exploring the Swiss Alps!

China: Language, Culture, and Innovation Immersion

This trip took students through Beijing, Xi’an, and Shanghai, offering a blend of language practice, cultural exploration, and community engagement. Some highlights included a scavenger hunt in the Forbidden City, hiking on the Great Wall, a Kung Fu class, a community service project building benches in Xi’an, visiting the Terra Cotta Warriors, cycling the Xi’an City Wall, and exploring Shanghai’s Old Town, Yu Gardens, and the modern Pudong district.

Mexico City: When the Traditional Meets the Digital

This group of students and teachers immersed themselves in Mexico City’s rich culture and creative arts scene. They explored iconic neighborhoods and landmarks, visited artisanal markets, and participated in a week-long workshop led by Dinorah Martinez Schulte, founder of Manufactura.MX, which blends traditional and digital manufacturing techniques, as they learned about sustainability through hands-on projects.

In grounding these immersive journeys across Switzerland, China, and Mexico, we have witnessed firsthand how global engagement transforms our school community. During their time abroad, students deepened their knowledge of diverse cultures, traditions, and ecosystems. As they bring these experiences back home, we are confident that the relationships forged, the challenges embraced, and the insights gained will continue to enrich our collective learning environment. In doing so, we move closer to realizing LWHS’s vision: nurturing globally minded leaders who are equipped to understand complex systems, honor cultural heritage, and shape a more equitable and sustainable future.