World Challenge

The Misbourne is proud to have a long-standing relationship with World Challenge Expeditions, the High Wycombe based schools’ expedition company. For the past ten years, more than 150 Misbourne Challengers have taken part in expeditions to countries including Ghana (2009-2012), Swaziland (2013), Nepal (2014), Zambia (2015), Malaysia (2016), Tanzania (2018), Belize (2022) and Madagascar (2024). 

By taking part in these expeditions, students have developed impressive interpersonal skills such as leadership, teamwork, self-motivation, communication, confidence, consideration of others and have benefited from lasting lessons in responsibility and self-reliance.

A recent independent survey of the UK’s key employers voted World Challenge as the third most important activity undertaken at school in terms of creating desirable employees. The skills and knowledge our students gain by taking part in World Challenge expeditions are also highly valued by universities and other higher education establishments.

Students raise funds to pay for their own places on the team, at considerable expense.  They must research the destination and 'learn' the itinerary and, once in-country for the expedition, the students are encouraged to make decisions for themselves. The more the Challengers put into the preceding months of preparation, the more they will gain from the expedition itself.

The trips are very different from your 'average' holiday and, at times, seem far from being a holiday at all.  Being away from one's home and creature comforts is, for some, challenge enough, but the whole World Challenge process and the destinations to which students from The Misbourne have travelled, create their own individual challenges too.  From fundraising and travel preparation to teamwork in the field, ‘Challengers’ develop skills and gain new insights at every step of the expedition.

The big question each year is - Where shall we go next?

For more information about World Challenge click here

To see a video about World Challenge's work in Tanzania click here

To read about students' experiences of World Challenge click here