Beyond Voluntourism: Designing Ethical, Accredited Service Programs for School Trips
Michael Lee
Jared Borkum
“Is voluntourism good or bad?” — that’s the conversation we don’t need to have. The one we do is simpler and harder: what did your students actually learn, how do you know, and why does that matter beyond the trip?
The Centre for Global Citizenship Studies runs an accredited service-learning programme used by schools worldwide. In this workshop, Michael and Jared open up the academic tools behind it — and show you how to apply the same principles to your own school trips, using what you already have.
Bring one of your real trips into the room. Together we will:
- Audit who actually shaped the trip — your school or the community
- Sort student activities into roles that are appropriate, observational, relational, or problematic
- Rewrite weak reflection prompts into ones that produce real evidence of learning
- Map one activity against learning outcomes and evidence — and see where the gaps are
Whether you run week-long builds, expeditions, CAS projects, or term-long partnerships, the framework applies. You’ll leave with a concrete audit of your own trip and one specific change you can make this year — no new platform or programme required.
Michael Lee and Jared Borkum, Centre for Global Citizenship Studies
About Michael
Michael Lee is the Founder and Director of the Centre for Global Citizenship Studies (CGCS), an education organisation that blends outdoor experiences, service learning, and accredited qualifications. He has over 20 years’ experience in international education, working across schools, universities, and providers in the UK, Africa, Asia, and Australia.
Michael’s work focuses on helping schools and trip providers move beyond “voluntourism” towards ethical, curriculum-aligned programming that builds real community partnerships and student agency. At CGCS he has designed Level 3 diplomas and university-credit short courses that wrap around existing trips, turning them into structured journeys of preparation, experience, and reflection.
He has led teams, built global partnerships, and supported hundreds of students to gain recognised credit from meaningful, well-designed field experiences.
About Jared
Jared Borkum is an experienced academic leader, course designer, and media professional with over 20 years of experience in higher education and digital learning. He is the Managing Director of the Centre for Global Citizenship Studies, where he serves as Course Designer and Head of Academics, leading the development of innovative programs that integrate global citizenship, interdisciplinary learning, and real-world application.
Jared is also a Lecturer at Greensboro College (USA) and Sichuan Film and TV University (China), bringing international perspective and cross-cultural insight to his teaching. Previously, he spent 16 years at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology in Cape Town, South Africa, where he founded the Film Production Department.
