(Learning sustainability beyond the classroom through direct engagement with a national park ranger at Khao Yai.)
Why ESG Learning Goes Beyond the Classroom
Sustainability is becoming an essential part of how businesses operate, governments manage resources and communities shape their future. Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) provides a framework for understanding how organizations approach environmental responsibility, social well-being and good governance.
But understanding ESG in theory is only the beginning. How do organizations put sustainability into practice? What challenges do they face, and how do different sectors contribute to sustainable development?
Thailand offers a valuable setting for exploring these questions. Through educational travel, students can connect academic knowledge with real-world experiences, engage with local perspectives and discover how sustainability works beyond the classroom.
(SWU students explore sustainable business practices through a field learning session at Dairy Home.)
Field Trip with Impact: SWU Sustainability Learning Journey
As part of our Field Trip with Impact educational travel program, SiamRise Travel organized a two-day Social Enterprise and Sustainable Development learning journey for 82 second-year students and 6 faculty members and staff from Srinakharinwirot University (SWU) on 13–14 June 2024.
Traveling through Nakhon Ratchasima and Saraburi, the program connected students with three different sectors, private business, public institutions and local communities to explore how sustainability principles are applied in practice.
The journey was designed to strengthen students' understanding of social enterprise, introduce real-world sustainability practices and encourage collaborative learning through field experiences.
(Local transportation traveling through the scenic natural landscape of Khao Yai National Park during an educational field trip.)
Three Sectors, Three Perspectives on Sustainability
Each destination offered a different perspective on sustainable development, demonstrating how different sectors can contribute to a more sustainable future.
1. Private Sector: Dairy Home, Business with Purpose
Learning Focus: Social Enterprise, Organic Agriculture and Responsible Business
(Learning directly from Dairy Home founder Prutti Kerdchuchin about responsible business and organic agriculture.)
At Dairy Home, a Thai social enterprise in Nakhon Ratchasima, students explored how businesses can create economic value while contributing to social and environmental well-being.
Students also had the opportunity to learn directly from Khun Prutti Kerdchuchin, Founder of Dairy Home, who shared his entrepreneurial journey and insights into building a business that creates both economic value and positive social and environmental impact.
Through its organic dairy farming model, Dairy Home promotes responsible agricultural practices, supports farmers transitioning toward organic production and encourages healthier consumption.
This case offered practical insights into how sustainability can become part of a company's core business model, connecting responsible production, supply chain relationships and long-term business development.
2. Public Sector: Khao Yai National Park, Protecting Natural Heritage
Learning Focus: Biodiversity, Environmental Conservation and Natural Resource Management.
(A ranger-led nature trail offers students firsthand insights into biodiversity and forest conservation.)
At Khao Yai National Park, Thailand's first national park and part of a UNESCO World Heritage forest complex, students explored the role of public institutions in protecting biodiversity and managing natural resources. The park provided a real-world learning environment for understanding ecosystem conservation, habitat management and the challenges of balancing tourism with environmental protection.
The experience highlighted how environmental sustainability requires long-term planning, responsible resource management and cooperation among different stakeholders.
3. Community Sector: Ban Phu Khae, Empowering Local Communities
Learning Focus: Community Enterprise, Local Economy and Responsible Tourism
(Experiencing local community life and transportation during the educational journey in Saraburi.)
At Ban Phu Khae Community and Hua Plee Market in Saraburi, students discovered how local people create economic opportunities through community products, traditional knowledge and local resources.
The community market brings together local producers offering agricultural products, traditional foods and herbal goods while encouraging environmentally responsible practices, including natural packaging materials.
This example illustrated how community enterprises can support local livelihoods, preserve cultural knowledge and encourage community participation in sustainable development.
(Local food preparation highlights community participation and livelihood opportunities within sustainable tourism.)
Connecting ESG Across Different Sectors
The three learning destinations demonstrated how ESG principles can be applied across different sectors. From an environmental perspective, students explored:
- Organic agriculture at Dairy Home,
- Biodiversity conservation at Khao Yai National Park
- The use of natural packaging at Hua Plee Market
The social dimension highlighted farmer well-being, the public benefits of conservation and opportunities for local communities to generate income. Meanwhile, governance encouraged students to consider how businesses, public institutions and community organizations approach decision-making, responsibilities and long-term sustainability.
Together, these experiences offered a broader understanding of ESG and reinforced an important lesson: meaningful sustainability requires collaboration across different sectors, each contributing in its own way toward a more sustainable future.
(Students take part in a community tree-planting activity, connecting sustainability learning with hands-on participation.)
Educational Travel as Experiential Learning
Educational travel is more than visiting interesting places. It creates opportunities for students to connect academic knowledge with the people, organizations and challenges shaping the real world.
Through this learning journey, students had opportunities to observe different sustainability approaches, explore organizational models and reflect on how social and environmental responsibilities influence everyday decisions.
By connecting three sectors through one learning theme, the program demonstrated how a carefully designed educational itinerary can turn classroom concepts into meaningful field-based learning opportunities.
Because the most powerful lessons are not only taught. They are experienced.
(A learning session with a national park representative connects academic objectives with practical conservation knowledge.)
Co-Designing Educational Travel with SiamRise Travel
At SiamRise Travel, we believe meaningful educational journeys begin with clear learning objectives. Through our Field Trip with Impact approach, we collaborate with universities, academic institutions and educational travel partners to develop customized learning experiences aligned with academic interests and educational goals.
From identifying relevant learning sites to coordinating local engagement, we connect students with businesses, social enterprises, environmental organizations and communities across Thailand.
The SWU sustainability journey demonstrates how different sectors can be brought together to explore one shared learning theme.
Whether the focus is ESG, sustainable business, social innovation, environmental conservation or community development, our programs are designed to encourage students to explore real-world challenges and discover new perspectives.
We don't just organize study visits. We connect academic learning with real-world experiences that inspire understanding and positive change.
(The SiamRise Travel team connects educational institutions with meaningful field learning experiences across Thailand.)
Co-Create Your ESG Learning Journey in Thailand
Are you planning a faculty-led sustainability study tour, an international business program or an experiential learning journey in Southeast Asia? SiamRise Travel works with universities, business schools and educational travel agencies to design customized educational travel programs and ESG study tours in Thailand.
From short field trips to multi-day academic journeys, we can help connect your learning objectives with relevant organizations, local communities and meaningful field experiences.
Let's co-create your next Field Trip with Impact in Thailand.
Explore our Educational Travel Programs or contact SiamRise Travel to start designing your learning journey.