Stepping Outside the Comfort Zone: The Sri Lanka Project
In this episode of 'Kids Gone Global' from the International School of Hamburg, host Sarah Reich interviews five students—Noelle, Tammy, Annabel, Ben, and Gasper—about their transformative journey to Sri Lanka. Crossing cultural boundaries, these teenagers participated in a student-run program assisting local Sri Lankan communities in schools and sustainable projects.
They share their initial expectations, experiences of cultural immersion, emotional challenges, and the impactful service activities they engaged in. The students reflect on personal growth in empathy, teamwork, and leadership abilities while emphasizing the importance of sustainability and giving back. This episode provides an enlightening look into their meaningful travels and offers advice for future participants and their parents.
Creators and Guests
Host
Sarah Reich
Sarah Reich, your host, serves as the Director of Community Relations at the International School of Hamburg. With a career in European government relations and public affairs, Sarah has worked within EU institutions, the consular corps, and leading international companies. Her academic and professional interests have always centred on governance and citizenship, making the mission of the International School of Hamburg—to prepare students as tomorrow’s global citizens—a perfect fit. In 2022, upon joining the International School of Hamburg, Sarah launched the Kids Gone Global podcast. This initiative aims to provide a platform for sharing the insights of experts and students in the dynamic field of international education. Through the podcast, she engages parents and the broader community in discussions about modern educational approaches and how international schools are addressing contemporary challenges in learning and growing up in a global environment.
Guest
Sri Lanka Trip 2025 Students
Noelle, Tammy, Annabelle and Ben (Grade 11), and Gaspar (Grade 9), are five high school students from Germany, France, and Spain who connected at the International School of Hamburg. Some play sports, others take on student council or the Duke of Edinburgh Award, but they all share a genuine desire to explore, reach out, and make a difference. Together, they joined the Sri Lanka Project, which meant months of planning, fundraising, learning about local schools’ challenges, situational awareness, and training in first aid. Balancing schoolwork and everyday life, they also bonded through group activities before they arrived in Sri Lanka. Once there, they brought curiosity, warmth, and a readiness to support the local communities -whether playing games with kindergartners, bridging language gaps with laughter, or painting classrooms together. Their journey formed a deeper connection among them, revealing how service can be more than just travel. Now that they’re back, each oversees one project inspired by what they learned, seeing how small steps can ripple into real change. In this podcast, they share the moments that nudged them out of their comfort zones, the friendships that grew, and the sense of responsibility they carry forward.
