Portsmouth students go on school trip to South America to help with community projectsÂ

During the visit students spent time in the Amazon Rainforest, hiked in the in the Andes mountains and completed their PADI Open Water diving qualification on the Pacific coast. 

Eighteen students and two members of staff took part in the expedition which began at the end of the summer term. 

A key focus of the expedition was to enable the students to spend time with the local people and support a number of community initiatives.

Whilst in the rainforest students helped to create a medicine garden for the village and helped to provide local people with water storage facilities.

Other projects on the journey included building a roof at a local school and helping to construct a road to improve access for local a Andean settlement.

Environmental conservation was also at the heart of the visit with the pupils involved in a Pacific beach clean and the plantation of a tree nursery.

The highlight of the trip for many of the students was a whale watching trip in which '˜pods of humpback whales and their calves surrounded the boat for several hours.'

Trip organiser and head of science, Kate Jones, said: '˜The students learnt what a fabulous diverse world we live in and that however far you travel people are more similar than they are different. It was a privilege to share this trip with such amazing, super-talented, wonderful young people.'