At Ridley, we embrace the power of international learning as a fundamental aspect of our approach to education. Our global community, with students from over 60 countries, enriches the learning experience by fostering diverse perspectives and preparing students to become compassionate, globally minded leaders.
International learning opportunities are invaluable, offering access to world-class education and promoting personal growth through cross-cultural experiences. As a proud candidate school for Round Square, Ridley's PERMA-V model aligns nicely with their themes of International Understanding, Democracy, Environmental Stewardship, Adventure, Leadership and Service, ensuring our students develop the virtues necessary to make a positive impact worldwide.
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At Ridley, we offer enriching international exchange opportunities for students in Grades 7 through 12. These exchanges are designed to broaden horizons, foster global understanding and develop essential life skills.
Ridley is proud to partner with Round Square, a network of over 260 schools in 50 countries that collaborate on character education through themes such as International Understanding, Democracy, Environmental Stewardship, Adventure, Leadership and Service.
Learn more about Round Square and its member schools.
Students currently in Grades 6 through 11 are eligible to apply for exchange opportunities. To participate in an exchange, students must be in Grade 7 or higher.
We understand the importance of flexibility, which is why our exchange programme does not have specific application deadlines. Students can express their interest and apply at any time during the school year.
Our service trips enable students to:
Ridley offers March Break Service Learning trips to provide students with unique opportunities to engage in meaningful community service while exploring new cultures. These trips are designed to foster a sense of global citizenship, empathy and leadership as students work on projects that make a positive impact in communities around the world.
This long-standing service trip to Guatemala is in partnership with the Doppenbergs, a local Niagara family, who packed up their lives and followed their hearts to Central America after witnessing the conditions. Rita and Geoff Doppenberg and their three children now live in Jutiapa, where they work tirelessly with the indigenous Mayan people. The Doppenberg’s main mission is to abolish malnourishment through education and empowerment. Their work is truly making a difference in the lives of Guatemala’s most impoverished citizens, and their kindness and generosity is inspiring.
On this service trip, students will have many opportunities to service the people of Guatemala, with a direct focus on nutrition, health, personal empowerment and sustainability. Alongside the Doppenbergs, Ridleians will help install new stoves to improve lung health in remote Mayan villages and help with the English programme at their school in the afternoon.
For more information, please contact [email protected].
Founded by CNN Hero, Marie Da Silva, The Jacaranda School in Malawi, Africa, is a haven where orphans impacted by HIV/AIDS come to realize a better life through access to education, nutrition and medical care. The multi-building school has more than 400 students enrolled and ever-expanding needs.
For the fourth year, Ridleians have the opportunity to visit The Jacaranda School, where they will interact with its students and teachers while they learn about its unique culture and circumstance. Ridleians and Jacaranda students will participate in collaborative lessons that focus on their passions as well as a core academic subject.
Students will spend time in classrooms or outdoor learning spaces assisting in a lesson or teaching a lesson. They will also get to participate in community service projects in the local villages near the school, renovating a student’s home or helping build a new home for a family. On the final weekend, students will go on a local safari to see some of the African animals in the wild.
For more information, please contact [email protected].
We are pleased to offer the Thailand Service Trip at Ridley College again this year, which will provide a fantastic chance to participate in global service while also experiencing the history and culture of this beautiful country. The service activities will include helping GreenKayak keep Bang Krachao clean in Bangkok, assisting the Royal Thai Navy Sea Turtle Conservation in cleaning sea turtles and their homes as part of habitat restoration, visiting the Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation (GTAEF) to participate and learn about their animal rescue projects and work with the Royal Gibbon Rehabilitation Project in Phuket to rescue, rehabilitate and reintroduce gibbons into their natural habitat after they have been poached or mistreated.
Along with supporting these organizations, students will also help with smaller community-based projects such as Days for Girls, which provides access to menstrual health education and sustainable hygiene products, empowering women and girls to manage their periods with dignity. Students will help create and distribute these kits to a village in Northern Thailand. We will also work with Rescue Kitchen, where students will cook and deliver traditional Thai meals to underprivileged communities within the Chaing Mai area. Finally, Students will support Pang Hai Village’s Northern Green Roads Project by helping to create sustainable, eco-friendly roads using local materials, contributing to improving infrastructure and the overall development of the northern Thailand community.
In addition to these service opportunities, students will have many opportunities to visit Thai markets, tour Buddhist temples and experience the majestic landscapes of Thailand.
For more information, please contact [email protected].
Ridley students have the unique opportunity to participate in Round Square Service Trips, available in December and July. These trips are designed to foster global citizenship, empathy and leadership by engaging students in meaningful community service projects around the world. Through these immersive experiences, students work hand-in-hand with local communities to create positive change and develop essential life skills.
Students aged 16 and over, attending a Round Square school, are eligible to apply for these transformative service trips.
Applications for Round Square Service Trips are handled directly by Round Square. Interested students should contact Dr. Tracy Crowe-Morey for more information about the available opportunities and to receive a parent login for the Round Square portal.
Visit the Round Square Service Projects page to learn more.
Ridley students have the exciting opportunity to attend the annual Round Square International Conference, which will be held in Dubai in 2025! This rich and immersive annual conference takes place in September or October and brings together students from Round Square schools worldwide to engage in thought-provoking discussions, inspiring guest speaker sessions and hands-on activities that challenge their perspectives and broaden their horizons.
Additionally, there are many other international conference opportunities available. To learn about all these opportunities, students should contact Dr. Tracy Crowe-Morey.
Students in Grades 10 and 11 who are 16 years old at the time of the conference are eligible to apply for this enriching experience.
To learn more about the Round Square International Conference and how to apply, please visit the Round Square Conferences page.
