Student team building at the British School of Boston

Student team building at the British School of Boston The British School of Boston is committed to maintaining strong bonds between students, parents and staff, and aim to offer opportunities throughout the year to ensure that students learn in an international community which feels like home.

In September, International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma students in Years 12 and 13 at the school took three days away from the classroom to travel around the Massachusetts’ Berkshires mountain range. Students stayed in cabins, participated in team-building activities and community service, and had the opportunity to visit a number of colleges and universities in the area, including Williams College, UMass-Amherst, and Clark University.

Students said the trip helped them get to know themselves better, as it challenged them to go beyond their comfort zone and try new things, including a daring high-ropes obstacle course. But for many, the highlight of the trip was the opportunity to learn more about each other. 

“With the nature of our courses, there’s not that much time to get to know people in school,” one Year 12 student said. “But we’re spending the next two years together, and this trip really helped us get to know people we might not have spent time with otherwise. We realised that we’re all in this together.”

For students who spend much of their time working through the rigorous IB Diploma Programme, the opportunity to form this deeper connection with their peers was appreciated. Students said that they believe these connections will be important as they progress in their studies and need additional support from peers.

“I’m the kind of person that when I have a big task ahead of me, I tend to be a little reclusive, and work on it by myself,” said one Year 12 student. “But this trip showed me that it’s better to not just be by yourself – it’s better to have good people around you. And there are so many good people here.”