{"id":2119,"date":"2026-09-15T16:44:55","date_gmt":"2026-09-15T09:44:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hand2trunk.org\/home\/yamato\/?st-import=5ee4f45b4157749a5ef351a64265a83b"},"modified":"2026-09-17T19:01:14","modified_gmt":"2026-09-17T12:01:14","slug":"what-we-do","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/hand2trunk.org\/home\/what-we-do\/","title":{"rendered":"Our Story"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>\n#masthead{display:none}.entry-content{margin:0!important}.h2t{--forest:#173f35;--cream:#f7f4eb;color:#233b34;background:var(--cream);font-family:Arial,sans-serif;line-height:1.7}.h2t *{box-sizing:border-box}.h2t h1,.h2t h2,.h2t h3{color:inherit;line-height:1.12;letter-spacing:-.035em}.h2t h1{font-size:clamp(42px,5.3vw,76px);font-weight:600}.h2t h2{font-size:clamp(32px,3.5vw,49px);font-weight:500}.h2t h3{font-size:25px}.h2t p{margin:0 0 22px}.h2t a{color:inherit}.h2t .wrap{max-width:1180px;margin:auto;padding:78px 32px}.h2t .nav{padding:22px 32px;display:flex;align-items:center;justify-content:space-between;gap:25px;max-width:1244px;margin:auto}.h2t .brand{font-size:25px;font-weight:750;text-decoration:none;letter-spacing:-1px}.h2t .navlinks{display:flex;gap:24px;align-items:center;flex-wrap:wrap;font-size:14px}.h2t .navlinks a{text-decoration:none}.h2t .eyebrow{font-size:12px;letter-spacing:.17em;text-transform:uppercase;font-weight:700;margin-bottom:25px}.h2t .hero{display:grid;grid-template-columns:1fr 1fr;background:var(--forest);color:var(--cream);min-height:640px}.h2t .hero-copy{padding:80px max(32px,calc((100vw - 1180px)\/2));padding-right:50px;align-self:center}.h2t .hero p{font-size:18px;max-width:550px}.h2t .hero img{width:100%;height:100%;min-height:640px;object-fit:cover}.h2t .btn{display:inline-block;background:#e4b86d;color:#173f35!important;padding:15px 24px;text-decoration:none;font-size:13px;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:.06em;border-radius:3px}.h2t a:focus-visible{outline:3px solid #b86635;outline-offset:5px}.h2t .facts{display:flex;justify-content:space-between;gap:25px;border-bottom:1px solid #d8ddd4;padding:25px 32px;max-width:1180px;margin:auto;font-size:14px}.h2t .split{display:grid;grid-template-columns:1fr 1fr;gap:70px;align-items:center}.h2t .intro{font-size:20px}.h2t .grid{display:grid;grid-template-columns:repeat(3,1fr);gap:28px}.h2t .card{background:#fff;padding:28px}.h2t .card img{height:245px;width:calc(100% + 56px);max-width:none;object-fit:cover;margin:-28px -28px 28px}.h2t .card p{font-size:16px}.h2t .muted{background:#e9eee6}.h2t .dark{background:var(--forest);color:var(--cream)}.h2t .quote{font-family:Georgia,serif;font-size:clamp(26px,3vw,40px);line-height:1.4;max-width:880px;margin:0 auto 25px}.h2t .wideimg{width:100%;height:410px;object-fit:cover}.h2t details{padding:20px 0;border-bottom:1px solid #ccd4ca}.h2t summary{font-weight:700;cursor:pointer}.h2t details p{margin:15px 0 0}.h2t .foot{padding:32px;display:flex;justify-content:space-between;gap:20px;font-size:13px}.h2t .small{font-size:14px}.h2t .sectionhead{max-width:730px;margin-bottom:40px}@media(max-width:800px){.h2t .hero,.h2t .split,.h2t .grid{grid-template-columns:1fr}.h2t .hero-copy{padding:50px 26px}.h2t .hero img{height:380px;min-height:0}.h2t .wrap{padding:52px 24px}.h2t .nav{flex-wrap:wrap;padding:20px 24px}.h2t .navlinks{gap:14px}.h2t .facts{flex-wrap:wrap;padding:24px}.h2t .split{gap:30px}.h2t .foot{flex-wrap:wrap}.h2t .wideimg{height:300px}}\n<\/style><style>.h2t .hero-copy{padding:60px 44px}.h2t .hero h1{font-size:clamp(42px,4.6vw,66px)}.h2t .hero .eyebrow{font-size:12px}.h2t .navlinks{gap:18px;font-size:13px}.h2t .hero img{object-position:53% center}@media(max-width:800px){.h2t .hero-copy{padding:45px 24px}}<\/style><style>.h2t .navlinks a:not(.btn):hover{text-decoration:underline;text-underline-offset:5px}.h2t a[aria-current=\"page\"]{text-decoration:underline;text-underline-offset:5px}.h2t summary:focus-visible{outline:3px solid #b86635;outline-offset:4px}.h2t .hero img{object-position:center}.h2t .portrait{height:520px;object-fit:cover}.h2t .gallery-photo{width:100%;height:320px;object-fit:cover}.h2t figure{margin:0}.h2t figcaption{font-size:14px;margin-top:12px}@media(max-width:800px){.h2t .portrait{height:430px}.h2t .hero img{height:auto;max-height:560px;aspect-ratio:4\/5}.h2t .navlinks{gap:8px 16px}.h2t .navlinks a{padding:6px 0}.h2t .navlinks .btn{padding:12px 18px}.h2t .gallery-photo{height:auto;max-height:460px}.h2t .foot{padding:24px}}<\/style><style>#colophon,.entry-content>.seed-social{display:none}<\/style><div class=\"h2t\"><header class=\"nav\"><a class=\"brand\" href=\"https:\/\/hand2trunk.org\/home\/\">Hand2Trunk<span style=\"color:#b66b3d\">.<\/span><\/a><nav class=\"navlinks\" aria-label=\"Hand2Trunk navigation\"><a aria-current=\"page\" href=\"https:\/\/hand2trunk.org\/home\/what-we-do\/\">Our story<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/hand2trunk.org\/home\/who-we-are\/\">School trips<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/hand2trunk.org\/home\/our-partners\/\">Community &#038; conservation<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/hand2trunk.org\/home\/who-we-are\/#safety\">Safety &#038; planning<\/a><a class=\"btn\" href=\"https:\/\/hand2trunk.org\/home\/contact-us-2\/\">Plan a trip &#x2197;<\/a><\/nav><\/header><section class=\"dark\"><div class=\"wrap\"><p class=\"eyebrow\">Our story<\/p><h1>Mae Chaem is home.<\/h1><p class=\"intro\" style=\"max-width:760px\">Hand2Trunk brings students into the relationships, knowledge and everyday life of Northern Thailand through people who belong to this place.<\/p><\/div><\/section><section class=\"wrap split\"><div><p class=\"eyebrow\">Rooted in relationships<\/p><h2>Local people lead the learning.<\/h2><p>Hand2Trunk was created by Mae Chaem native Tidarat \u201cAnn\u201d Jitsook. Known as P\u2019Ann, she brings together local relationships and international experience to create immersive educational journeys.<\/p><p>Our beginnings are closely connected to elephants and mahout communities. Those relationships remain central, alongside a wider world of learning: forests and gibbons, coffee and livelihoods, schools, food, culture and village life.<\/p><p>What connects these experiences is a simple belief: come and learn with a community, not simply visit one.<\/p><\/div><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wideimg\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hand2trunk.org\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/h2t-community-workshop.jpg?ssl=1\" alt=\"Participants gathered with a local host during a community coffee workshop\" loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Our Story\"><\/section><section class=\"muted\"><div class=\"wrap\"><p class=\"eyebrow\">The people behind the journey<\/p><h2>Hosts. Partners. Educators.<\/h2><div class=\"grid\"><article class=\"card\"><h3>P\u2019Ann<\/h3><p class=\"eyebrow\">Founder &#038; programme leader<\/p><p>Tidarat Jitsook connects visiting groups with local partners and coordinates the experiences that bring a journey together. She brings together local partners, educational content, logistics and guide training to shape each journey.<\/p><\/article><article class=\"card\"><h3>P\u2019Dee<\/h3><p class=\"eyebrow\">Partner, mahout &#038; village guide<\/p><p>P\u2019Dee shares knowledge of elephants and conservation grounded in his community. He has twice given talks at the National University of Singapore about this work.<\/p><\/article><article class=\"card\"><h3>Our community partners<\/h3><p class=\"eyebrow\">Knowledge rooted in place<\/p><p>Guides, teachers, conservationists, craftspeople, farmers and community members bring their own expertise, stories and perspectives to students\u2019 learning.<\/p><\/article><\/div><\/div><\/section><section class=\"wrap\"><div class=\"sectionhead\"><p class=\"eyebrow\">What we value<\/p><h2>Learning that begins with listening.<\/h2><\/div><div class=\"grid\"><div><h3>Community<\/h3><p>Respect the priorities and knowledge of the people hosting us. Build experiences through relationships and shared participation.<\/p><\/div><div><h3>Curiosity<\/h3><p>Make room for questions, conversation and reflection. Connect what students encounter with the wider world.<\/p><\/div><div><h3>Connection<\/h3><p>Bring culture, conservation and livelihoods into the same conversation, and discover how they shape one another.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/section><section class=\"dark\"><div class=\"wrap\"><p class=\"eyebrow\">Educational experience<\/p><h2>Welcoming learners from across the world.<\/h2><p>Hand2Trunk has hosted international school groups from Japan and, through its partnership with GIVE since 2018, welcomed more than 400 participants. Most have joined through GIVE\u2019s U.S. university network, alongside participants from other countries and a wider range of ages.<\/p><a class=\"btn\" href=\"https:\/\/hand2trunk.org\/home\/contact-us-2\/\">TELL US ABOUT YOUR SCHOOL &#x2197;<\/a><\/div><\/section><footer class=\"foot\"><strong>Hand2Trunk \u00b7 Northern Thailand<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/hand2trunk.org\/home\/our-partners\/#gallery\">Gallery<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/hand2trunk.org\/home\/\">Back to home<\/a><\/footer><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Hand2Trunk.Our storySchool tripsCommunity &#038; conservationSafety &#038; planningPlan a trip &#x2197;Our storyMae Chaem is home.Hand2Trunk brings students into the relationships, knowledge and everyday life of Northern Thailand through people who belong to this place.Rooted in relationshipsLocal people lead the learning.Hand2Trunk was created by Mae Chaem native Tidarat \u201cAnn\u201d Jitsook. Known as P\u2019Ann, she brings together local &#8230; <\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more-container\"><a title=\"Our Story\" class=\"read-more button\" href=\"https:\/\/hand2trunk.org\/home\/what-we-do\/#more-2119\" aria-label=\"More on Our Story\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"no-sidebar","site-content-layout":"page-builder","ast-site-content-layout":"full-width-container","site-content-style":"unboxed","site-sidebar-style":"unboxed","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"disabled","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"disabled","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"generate_page_header":"","_zipai_imported":false,"_zipai_import_id":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-2119","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"spectra_blocks_featured_image_url":null,"spectra_blocks_author_info":{"display_name":"ann","avatar_url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/a4b9a8eb3a8ea16985ad210bb25dc949c6502a18fa80040dbcf04e5b803e48cc?s=96&d=mm&r=g","author_link":"https:\/\/hand2trunk.org\/home\/author\/ann\/","description":""},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/P9aTui-yb","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hand2trunk.org\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2119","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hand2trunk.org\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hand2trunk.org\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hand2trunk.org\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hand2trunk.org\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2119"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/hand2trunk.org\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2119\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5917,"href":"https:\/\/hand2trunk.org\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2119\/revisions\/5917"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hand2trunk.org\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2119"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}