Teachers Travel to Asia and South America

Mrs. Vendra standing on the Great Wall of China

“It was one of the most amazing and meaningful experiences of my life,” said Spanish teacher Ms. Violetta Surowiec who spent a month this summer in Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina, where she volunteered for L.I.F.E, an organization that works with children in the poorest neighborhoods of Buenos Aires.

L.I.F.E, Luchemos para una Infancia Feliz y con Esperanza, means, we fight for a happy childhood and with hope.

“We would organize outdoor activities and help them with school work,” said Ms. Surowiec.

According to L.I.F.E, 60 percent of the children in Argentina live in poverty.

L.I.F.E works with children to provide them with food, clothing, supplies, education, and social activities.

Ms. Surowiec wished to stay for longer, and she encouraged her students to make a difference in someone else’s life.

Besides the satisfaction of helping others, Ms. Surowiec noted that the food in Argentina was delicious.

“The greatest memorable moment was to hear one of the kids ask me when I would be coming back because she would be waiting,” said Ms. Surowiec.

Although it was winter in Argentina in July and August, Ms. Surowiec said she didn’t see penguins. She did see wild sea lions though. With or without the penguins, the trip was truly an enriching experience for her.

Similar to Ms. Suroweic, this summer, Ms. Lilliana Vendra had the opportunity to go to China with The Sino-US cultural Connection with Educators Support Society (SUCCESS). SUCCESS is a non-profit organization that seeks to promote multicultural understandings between Chinese and American educators.

During this trip, Ms. Vendra studied educational affairs at Shanghai Normal University. Classes she took in China included History of Chinese Math, Chinese Language in Math, and Primary and Secondary Education in Chinese. From these classes, Ms. Vendra also exchanged teaching methods and materials with other teachers.

Although it was a long 13 hour flight from New York to Beijing, Ms. Vendra said the trip was well worth it.

“Going to China was an eye opening experience to see how the other half of the world lives,” said Ms. Vendra.

Along with 24 other teachers and students, Ms. Vendra was able to experience both traditional and modern China. She saw the Beijing National Stadium, also known as Bird’s Nest, home of the 2008 summer Olympics, Watercube, China’s new national aquatics center, the Great Wall of China, built in 206 BC, and the Forbidden City, the Imperial Palace of the Ming Dynasty.

In addition, Ms. Vendra observed traditional Chinese culture, ate local food, and experienced the religion in The Shandong Province, where the notable scholar Confucious was born. Besides going to his home town, Ms. Vendra was also able to see traditional Buddhist and Taoist temples.

“I feel that teaching at a high school which focuses on international studies has opened doors for me both personally and professionally. China was one of the most profound experiences of my life,” said Ms. Vendra.

Many of our faculty travel abroad and Ms. Surowiec and Ms. Vendra devoted the months of their summer expanding the knowledge of the world.

Popularity: -1% [?]

Related posts:

1. Japan Brings Joy to Students