Study Abroad Program for High School Students

Loop Abroad LLC:
LOOP Abroad is an exclusive study abroad summer program for high school students between the ages of 15 and 18. Our goal is to provide students with a chance to experience another culture while learning about a field that interests them. This summer's program is focused on ecology and conservation, and will take place in Chiang Mai in Northern Thailand. Chiang Mai offers a chance to explore authentic Thai culture and fantastically diverse national parks, while still having modern amenities and world-class health facilities close at hand. Twenty students will live with eight faculty in a private hostel in a gated community. We spend 2 days in Boston before leaving for Thailand.

Twenty motivated students will travel with our eight-person staff and spend six weeks living together in the city of Chiang Mai. On interactive trips through some of the most fragile ecosystems on the planet, led by experienced naturalist guides, our students will get a first-hand look at some of the most spectacular views and amazing wildlife on the planet. Through a curriculum of science, service, and leadership, we strive to bring students a summer they will never forget.

In Chiang Mai, students will study ecology by traveling to the surrounding national parks with our naturalists and recording some of the wildlife they see in our own published database. By using the rainforest as our classroom, we really have the chance to get students immersed in science. We will also spend a week volunteering and living at an elephant reserve, and get to visit places like a tiger nursery, tribal villages in the mountains, golden temples, the longest zipline in Southeast Asia, and others.

Volunteering, learning about other cultures, studying science, and working and living in groups are impressive and important to colleges. Why not do them in a supportive and fun environment with other students like you?

During the day, the group will explore national parks, mountains, rain forests, and caves in the surrounding area, and will publish their findings in an online wiki. Thai language classes, visits to city sites, yoga classes, and other cultural activities fill the rest of our weekdays. Faculty will also lead some short biology labs in the field, and help students to compose and edit college essays about their experiences. In addition, a leadership curriculum is offered to support the students' working as a team.

On the weekends, we head to activities like zip-lining, the tiger nursery, go-karts, the rooftop pool, thai cooking, and Muay Thai to relax and experience Chiang Mai on a different level. Highlights of the trip include a week living and volunteering at the Elephant Nature Park (satisfying many high school service hour requirements) and a four-day trek through the rain forest, which features riding elephants and staying overnight with the Karen Hill Tribe people.