Beyond the Classroom: How Experiential Learning Abroad Transforms Treatment

What happens when teens leave behind comfort, technology, and familiar surroundings—and instead step into a world of service, connection, and humility?

In this episode of the Turning Winds Podcast, host Kevin Zundl sits down with therapist Kimberly Sparks to explore the profound impact of Turning Winds’ international service trips, with a special look at their latest journey to Belize.

They discuss how experiential learning—building water towers, working with local communities, and navigating cultural differences—helps teens transform the way they see themselves, shifting from a narrative of being “the problem” to becoming part of the solution.

Listen in as they explore:

• Why experiential learning accelerates emotional growth
• How international trips help teens build authentic self-esteem
• The role of connection and service in lasting transformation
• Why relational models—not sterile environments—create real, sustainable change

If you're considering treatment for your teen or are curious about how Turning Winds approaches lasting growth, this conversation sheds light on what makes the program—and its outcomes—so different.

To learn more about Turning Winds, visit turningwinds.com or call 800-845-1380.

Transcript

This is what it sounds like when you don't approach treatment as commodity and instead work towards something inspired. 

We oftentimes get a lot of kids who have had significant treatment before us, and I think what sets us apart that supports even our purpose in international trips is that relational model.

Welcome to the Turning Winds Podcast. My name is Kevin Zundl. Turning Winds as a full continuum of care for teens who would benefit from real support politically and academically. Today I sit down with therapist Kimberly Sparks to hear more about the upcoming international trip to Belize and its impact on treatment.

So I know you've been to or Turning Winds has been to Belize a number of times. Do you know how many times you've been there? It. I actually haven't been to Belize. I've been to other internationals, but I do know they did Belize last year, and so this might be the second or third time going into Belize.

Yeah, and it really is a cool special place. It's exotic, it's safe, that's full of experiences that you wouldn't have in the States and really put people in a new environment. Again, with all these service trips, it seems like a great way for anybody to go and in being of service, transform their, the impressions of themselves and redefining themselves as someone who is, someone being worked on, or someone that is perceived as the problem.

And then going out there and saying, actually, I'm an asset. I'm, I'm a solution. Um, are there reflections on. Trips or trip that you know you've done in the past that was like, that was meaningful to you or through the or Medtronic wind system? Well, the one, I went on Guatemala when I first started, for me it was meaningful because A, I've never really been out of the country quite like that.

So for me it was eye-opening. It was for me, I think the word that shows up the most is humility. I. To look at the cultural diversity, the, I think the socioeconomic challenges, the luxury in which we live, and yet they were such a rich culture in family, in the products that they created, which was amazing to go actually immerse ourselves into everything from how they make clothes, how they make and export roses or their flowers, their.

Coffee. So for me it was like exciting 'cause I've never had hands on like that. I think the second piece with all of the in-service international trips, that the kids also get that experience that they come from America. There's a lot of privilege and to disconnect from electronics, from things that they take for granted and go down there, even with language differences, how much humility they had.

How much care they had for at least when I was in Guatemala. The kids like there were language barriers, but I know this sounds cliche, love knows no boundaries. The kids just how much they gravitated towards each other. These little eight year olds, two are 16 year olds and just doing basic play and that connection and having a relationship, even when nobody understood the language.

Was amazing to watch. I still stay in contact with some of those kids and they still talk about that trip. The kids that have gone on the other internationals last year, whatnot, they're excited if they get another opportunity to go down there. So I think just the exposure that many of us may not get is amazing.

Um, and then for them to learn to navigate. The communication skills, the social skills, finding a sense of purpose of that inservice. We did a water tower burning fresh water to a school, but a little community with the school who really had never seen anybody outside their culture before. We were the first ones to really be in there and just not only the gratitude we had, but the gratitude they showed us in coming in and doing that service with them.

It. It gave a purpose. It gave such an amazing accomplishment and just humility. When I think of getting someone to change perspective a little bit, you almost have to take them outta their comfort zones, and I think this sort of highlights a way to do that, where if you're looking for diversity of sensory inputs that are going to your body, going and having everything around you change really.

Creates a lot of that environment that's brutal to, for change and hopefully long lasting, profound change. Is there bumping to that from a clinical perspective? Oh, absolutely. Well, we are in a clinical setting still with a lot of luxuries trying to teach them. I don't think there's anything better than experiential learning where you are providing a lot of psychoeducation, but being able to put them in an environment where they can actually experience.

That perspective taking, I think it's very transformative that you aren't gonna get in a traditional setting or a therapeutic office or in your natural culture that you're comfortable with. So it definitely is very eye-opening for them to experience. And again, I think there's nothing better than experiential hands-on learning is there.

So, let's go down that path just a little bit. What is it about experiential? Is there something about the brain works that makes experiential like a more direct neural pathway? I think when you can employ all parts of your senses from visual to hands-on to audio to like everything. Think you learn quicker.

Again, I'm not a brain surgeon or anything like that, but most of the kiddos that come in, they're overthinkers. They think everything. They live in fear, which is a lot of overthinking, and so getting them out where having fun and learning through fun, learning through hands-on, I think it just solidifies the message that we do.

And it's not like we just go and go, oh, we're gonna go have fun. We're also very therapeutic based, having. Meetings in the morning, this is the purpose. Let's be engaged. And so they're focused on what is the therapeutic value at least. So they have that in the back of their mind. And then they have this awesome experience all day.

And then at the end of the day, even verbally processing, what did they become aware of themselves, what was the most meaning? And so it, it does combine everything. With that experience. We can learn from a book all day long, but if we don't go hands on, you have to act on the learning or act on the knowledge before it's actually learned.

And so experiential I think allows for that. And what about, I think a lot of families would be curious where they, I think it's easy to connect the dots between sort of the experience and overall growth. I think anytime they're out there, anytime you are working. People, you are always working on a relationship, and I think there's a therapeutic value in finding connections with people and maybe even people who are culturally different than us.

So we do a lot of processing. We do a lot of talking about that several times throughout the day in group settings to help them also understand this is the value in what we're teaching. I think it helps build some sort of a purpose. It really can provide this turning point. Yeah, and I think what this really underscores too, especially, 'cause I think a lot of the parents and families who are listening to this are ones that are contemplating treatment.

And I think one of the things that would be of value to them to really understand is that maybe their perceptions of treatment aren't not the ways that actually work best sometimes. Yeah. It doesn't have to be. Cookie cutter or sterile or institutionalized that the, this approach, while it's more work, does yield better in different results.

And to look at this as just like one, one way, one spoke of the wheel in terms of grading the change that, uh, happens over the course of a year, where we, this is it. This is the tail end. Childhood for them before they go out in the world on their own. So what can we do in that limited amount of time to give that child the best possible chance?

And I think understanding this is a way of doing that. Yeah. I would say from my experience, from a turning wins perspective, our number one goal isn't so much about the kids and the parents. Being right about treatment and what they do in treatment because it's the end of the day and they have to leave treatment.

The treatment's always gonna end. We oftentimes get a lot of kids who have had significant treatment before us. And I think what sets us apart that supports even our purpose and international trips is that relational model relationships always matter. And so connecting, whether it's. Here with us, us going on an international trip and connecting with other people. 

I think that's what builds the success and being able while in treatment to practice some of this so that they can go home and generalize to, to the real life, so to speak, is always our focus. It's not. The, oh, the significance and the progress and the growth that they've made here with us. It's really the significant and the growth goes when they, or happens when they go home and can start practicing those skills.

And because we expose them not just from a clinical, uh, sterile environment, they get lots of exposure, whether it's international. Or just the day-to-day life skills that we're teaching them because they are disconnecting from, I think all of the pressures with social media and their cell phones and their computers and their TVs.

It's a lot of pressure and so for them to have something to compare it to when they leave, I think actually helps them create more of a balance that's healthier. I hope this inspires you to reach out. I know there is a path of change available. Take a second to pick up the phone. Call 800-845-1380 and also consider checking out the wealth of resources at turningwinds.com