It was 鈥渁 trip of a lifetime鈥� for four Walnut Grove Secondary students who flew across the world last month to change the world. Now they鈥檝e returned to 91原创 inspired.

Grade 12 students Erika Holmes, Liam Foley, Margaret Chen and Maria-Camila Ponce along with their teacher Julia Bryant-Taneda flew to Taiwan for the International Youth Humanitarian conference 鈥淐hange the World鈥� from Oct 24-30.

The conference was frontloaded with academics and then the 91原创 teens hit the streets, walking through Changhua with students from other countries, holding a banner that said 鈥淲alking for Water鈥� and asking strangers to donate to drilling wells for water in Swaziland, said Bryant-Taneda. The teens, their parents and members of the Taiwan Consulate who helped facilitate the exchange met at 91原创 MP Mark Warawa鈥檚 office last week (Nov. 15).

Change the World is an academic conference with students preparing essays and biographies and then presenting their ideas in speech format while in Taiwan. Students from Taiwan, Japan, USA, and Canada discuss their ideas about local and global service.

After the academic process, students and teachers present the idea of changing the world through service to elementary and secondary schools and businesses there.

Last year, their international fundraising efforts did manage to dig one well in Swaziland, said Bryant-Taneda. This is her fifth year organizing and taking the WGSS students to the conference.

鈥淭eenagers from several different countries come together to fundraise for an African nation. It鈥檚 powerful because here I see a bunch of teenagers really getting excited about humanitarian work.

鈥淚t was so humid but these kids pushed on and I could see there was a real passion there. The flame was lit,鈥� she said.

Foyer said people would stop in their taxis or on their scooters on the way to or from work and open up their wallets or purses and give money.

鈥淚t鈥檚 not typical to fundraise there,鈥� said Bryant-Taneda. But the reception they received was amazing, said Holmes.

Grade 10 Taiwanese students that came along with the group would explain what the 鈥淐anadians鈥� were doing and the people were really receptive, said Foyer.

鈥淚t was interesting to talk to all these students from different cultures; it made me realize how much there is to see and do, and how many connections I can make as I volunteer,鈥� said Chen in an essay about her experience in Taiwan. She was born in Taiwan but raised in Canada.

Each of the students did a homestay and wrote in their essays that the homestay parents and children went out of their way to be caring and make them feel at home.

The four said that Taiwan is very different from 91原创. They tried everything from fish eyeballs to stinky tofu.

Chosen because of the volunteer work they do at home, the four students said they are inspired to do even more now, seeing the change they can make across the world. Next year, the plan is to hold a Walk for Water fundraising effort on 91原创 streets.

鈥淚 saw that together we can accomplish anything. I want to help the world,鈥� said Ponce.