Designed by Student Reach International, Reach Lesotho is a leadership and academic program that will initially teach a dozen students how to carry out effective humanitarian/development projects at home and in the developing world.

At the end of the year-long program, participants — initially Grades 10 and 11 students from Centennial C.V.I., Guelph C.V.I. and John F. Ross C.V.I. in Guelph — will travel to Lesotho to conduct development work in the tiny African nation.

“We’ve created a program that is actually much more dynamic than simply travelling overseas and experiencing a different culture,” said Abid Virani, director of Student Reach International.