JOIN AN INSPECTION VISIT TO MOROCCO (PDF)
Why go on a school trip to Morocco?
Morocco is a country of enormous geographical contrasts. From its Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts, plains sweep inland to the foot of the forested Middle Atlas Mountains. Beyond, rise the High Atlas mountains with peaks over 4000 metres, before the long, dry, stony descent to the great emptiness of the Sahara. It is a country which embraces rich agricultural land, the oasis valleys in the south with their millions of palm trees, and barren mountains and desert. The bustling thrill of city souks and staggering landscapes inspire ‘Awe and Wonder.’
Such has been the diversity of cultural influences on Morocco over many centuries that visitors from Europe, the Middle East and Africa south of the Sahara all find familiar reminders of home. They also discover an extraordinarily exotic country where the trappings of the twentieth century have not yet obscured its medieval framework. Morocco is frequently described as the place where Europe meets Africa, but the 20 km separating the northern tip from Spain across the Strait of Gibraltar could be 2000km!
Discover has worked in Southern Morocco and the High Atlas Mountains since 1978. In 1989 we started the process which led to the development of our base, Kasbah du Toubkal, in the High Atlas Mountains, for which we have subsequently been rewarded for our work in sustainable development and eco-tourism in Morocco. Our local contacts, resources and specialised knowledge enable us to organise a range of tours which deliver the academic, experiential, cultural and recreational objectives that you have for your group.
Over the years our reputation for offering exceptional school travel experiences has grown and the majority of our work is with schools, colleges and universities, organising study tours both in Morocco and at our field studies base, the Eagle’s Nest, in the South of France.
Worksop College geography department visit Imlil Easter 2019 for fieldwork and also to discover the educational challenges faced by locals living in rural Morocco. Read about the trip on their website: www.wsnl.co.uk/geogmorocco
I have been leading school trips to Morocco for the past 14 years and have loved every single one of them. Not only have they been superbly organised and safe, but they have often been life changing experiences for our pupils. We travel under the auspices of a Geography field trip and needless to say we see and learn geography at every opportunity, be it the formation of desert landscape features; orogenic processes and agricultural techniques in the High Atlas; or urban land use patterns in the cities. However, in addition to these more classically recognised hard education benefits, the additional soft benefits are more often those that change the lives of our pupils. Witnessing a totally different culture is so important for the education of pupils today; being immersed in a different way of life is paramount to the understanding of others and the integration of people groups worldwide. I strongly believe that these trips to Morocco have given our pupils a greater understanding of the world they live in and a greater potential for making a positive difference to their lives, and others, in the future.”
Robert Sanderson, The King’s School, Canterbury
Watch video of students from King’s in Morocco, on Vimeo
“Our trips to Morocco with our DP1 students are constantly one of the high points of the two year course. The nine days spent in Morocco with excellent leaders that are focused on the educational experience of the students, enriches the whole course with knowledge, understanding, examples and case studies. For us, a key advantage of the trip is to place students in situations where they are encouraged to engage with people from different cultures and backgrounds which helps to develop their sense of international mindedness. The students ultimately develop as geographers!”
Richard Allaway and Ellena Mart, International School of Geneva - Campus des Nations
- Read about Peter Symonds College’s geography trip to Morocco
- Read “Morocco. Economic development and climate change”. A case study written by Stephanie Buckland when she visited Morocco with Discover Ltd. Published by Hodder Education in their Wideworld Magazine (see www.hoddereducation.co.uk/wideworld).
