Skip to main content

Journey to School

Sadly, not everyone has access to school and education. This activity will demonstrate the challenges some people face just to attend school and receive an education.

Back to Activity Finder

Plan

  • What materials will you need for this adventure?
  • Why is it important to discuss access to school?  
  • How will you make your groups for this activity?  

Do

Everyone will map their journey to school, physically plotting the route to see the visual distance. Afterwards, examine a young girl that lives in Tanzania named Sylvia and her journey to school to compare your experiences to hers and see how experiences are different around the world. 

  • To begin, break into small groups and have each person find their own home, and their school, on the map. Plot a route to walk to school, measure the distances and estimate how long it would take you to walk. 
  • You could even make a map for your community while plotting. Include schools, houses, landmarks, etc. almost like a tour guide, or make it a 'coordinate' scavenger hunt with elements of the community/journey to school 

 As a group, read from the print outs, ‘Sylvia’s story.’ Describe what you read – you should think about the following: 

  • The ages of the young people. 
  • The distance and time they must travel to get to school. 
  • The dangers they face on the way. 

Review

  • Now that you’ve seen it on a map and compared it to our journeys, how do you feel about your own journey to school?  
  • Would you still want to go to school if your journey was long and dangerous too?  
  • Why do you think the children in the story make so much effort to go to school every day? 
  • How does Sylvia’s journey compare to yours?  
  • Remember to submit your activities on our Scouts for Sustainability Take Action Map

Materials

  • Print out of Sylvia’s story 
  • Local maps (or computer) 
  • Writing utensils 
  • Paper/poster board 
  • Internet connection  

Keep it Simple

  • Work as a group to plot a few participants’ distance from home to school. If technology is available, show the trailer for the film, ‘On the Way to School’.

Take it Further

  • Take is further by making a real change. Work together to create awareness of this issue by creating posters to bring to your schools.  
  • You can also check out https://sendmyfriend.org/about/ as a possible fundraising initiative. This organization helps get children all over the world in school.