In October 2014, students and adults from Santa Clarita Valley International Charter School (SCVi), other local schools, and representatives from the Santa Clarita Valley International Program (SCVIP) will visit some of India’s world-renowned historic sites in a “Best of the West and Best of the East” exchange trip.

While Santa Clarita’s emerging young leaders may have many opportunities to visit Europe and other parts of the world in their lives, this trip of a lifetime affords them a rare international experience hosted by a trusted, well known partner, Pinegrove School.  Located in northern India, Pinegrove School was recently ranked #10 in a country of 1.3 billion people.

The Incredible India Tour of 2014 will provide Santa Clarita Valley (SCV) students with a unique opportunity to explore India in this tour organized by SCVi and endorsed by SCVIP.  The trip is designed to foster a powerful worldview and help prepare tomorrow’s leaders for success in a global economy.  SCV students will spend time at Pinegrove School to engage in a rich educational, cultural, and philosophical exchange of ideas and experiences with India’s future leaders.

During the two-and-a-half week tour in 2014, educators and students from Santa Clarita will visit the Taj Mahal, Golden Temple, and Red Fort, travel into the foothills of the Himalayas to the old British summer capital city of Shimla, celebrate Diwali with host families, and spend some time on the two campuses which comprise Pinegrove School in the state of Himachal, three hours north of Delhi.  Host families will welcome members of the group for part of the tour.

The SCV connection to Pinegrove School resulted through the world travels of SCVIP founding member, Bob Geiman, who spent three months in 2003 consulting with a school in northern India.  In the process, Geiman became acquainted with Captain A. J. Singh¸ Headmaster of the prestigious Pinegrove School.

Pinegrove School, founded in 1991, has risen quickly in rankings published annually in “Education World,” India’s premier educational journal.  Pinegrove continues to be recognized for providing its students with world-class education and a wealth of international exposure.   Part of their global learning included visits to Santa Clarita in 2003, 2007, 2010 and 2012, where students stayed in 80 local homes, visited area schools and businesses, enjoyed the sights and sounds of Southern California, and developed lasting friendships throughout the valley.

Santa Claritans working on the 2014 tour include Amber Raskin, SCVi President and chair of SCVIP-India; Elena Galvez, SCVIP Board President and City of Santa Clarita staff; former Santa Clarita Mayor Carl Boyer; and other experienced world travelers.  For more information about SCVIP and the Incredible India Tour of 2014, and to join the tour, contact Amber Raskin at go.team@scvi-k12.org or Elena Galvez at egalvez@santa-clarita.com. Limited space is available.

For complete tour information, visit www.scvipsantaclarita.org and www.scvcharterschool.org/Student_Travel.