Exploring Peru with Hewitt’s Venturer Program

Hewitt’s Venturer Program offers opportunities for students in kindergarten through twelfth grade to engage in cultural exchanges, language immersion, community service, and global travel. Through The Venturer Program, Hewitt girls develop into independent thinkers who are capable of making meaningful contributions locally and globally. 

This summer, The Venturer Program took Hewitt students to Peru to explore the country’s diverse cultures, communities, and landscapes. Over the course of eight days, students learned about salt mining at Salineras de Maras, admired the artistry of San Pedro Apóstol de Andahuaylillas, explored the Incan agricultural site at Moray, and marveled at the engineering feats of Machu Picchu. 

At the Q'ewar Project, a social work initiative in the Andes Mountains, students immersed themselves in local life as they helped pack and transport bushels of corn, learned from artisans during a dollmaking workshop, and gathered under the stars for a homemade dinner and campfire.

While in Peru, students made meaningful connections to what they are learning at Hewitt. The trip reinforced that intellectual curiosity about the world around us is the foundation for all of the academic research Hewitt students engage with, and sometimes conduct, in their own classrooms. Building on their coursework around sustainability and food systems, they gained real-world experience with how climate and geography impact agriculture and a culture’s “staple foods.” And, in the spirit of true global citizenship, students made quick and joyful connections with local teenagers, an important reminder of the commonalities across countries, cultures, and societies. 

Thank you to our trip chaperones — Director of Sustainability Tim Clare and History Teacher Kelsey Hanf — for leading Hewitt students through this meaningful travel experience!