The Impact of International Travel: Teachers and Students Testify
Westinghouse Students’ Testimony
Thanks to the Spanish teacher at that time, our students were able to experience a experience that they still talk about today. Keyshawn, the valedictorian of his senior class, reflects on that experience, saying he remembers "living off the land and eating all of the healthy food.” He continues, "The food was fresh and healthier than what we eat at home." Vanque, another student on the trip, repeated the same statement in her interview, explaining how the food's freshness was something they had yet to come across back home. Vanque reflects on the native cuisine, saying, "The food was amazing. The juice was so fresh. They had a new fruit on top of the juice daily, so we knew what we were drinking. We also made chocolate with cacao beans. They fed us so good, and we ate three times daily with snacks in between." (15) It's important to note how important the interest in food is and why. In Pittsburgh, the Homewood neighborhood where the students live is identified as a food desert. According to the Food Empowerment Project, food deserts are geographic areas where residents' access to affordable, healthy food options (especially fresh fruits and vegetables) is restricted or nonexistent due to the absence of grocery stores within convenient traveling distance." (16) Furthermore, the United States Department of Agriculture defines food deserts as areas of poverty with 20% of the median household income not exceeding 80% of the median household income statewide in non-suburban communities. Looking at the impact of these situations, Medical News Today explains the consequences of such a reality. Katherine Marengo, LDN, explains, "Without access to healthful foods, people living in food deserts may be at higher risk of diet-related conditions, such as obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.” (17) By having the experience of eating healthy food that is naturally grown, students begin to ask questions on how they can help to bring life-line resources back into their communities. Keyshawn explains how much he and his classmates enjoyed the plane ride. For most students, it was their first time being on a plane. Victoria Parker of Purdue University says, "Over the past decade, study abroad has experienced gradual growth in Black student involvement. During the 2018-2019 academic year, Black students studied abroad at their highest rate of 6.4%. However, white students make up 68.7% of study-abroad students.” (18)
In a case study of a single university, the primary students who studied abroad were "White, affluent, middle-or upper-middle class female students, who study the humanities or social sciences [18].” However, “a significant proportion of the U.S. college population, including Blacks and lower socioeconomic status students, don't typically participate in study abroad programs [2, 16, 19–21]. For example, in 2004/5, among students at four-year institutions, while White students comprised 66% of the population, their representation in study abroad programs was 83% compared to a meager 3.5% Black student representation from a college population of 12.5%." (19)
Regarding societal norms and expectations, the Westinghouse students who went on the trip began to reflect on the differences in the village compared to what they had home. Both Westinghouse students said they noticed that the showers didn't have warm water. Vanque explains that the trip "took me out of my comfort zone because I was a spoiled brat at home. So the living situation was new to me. We slept on bunk beds with nets. It made me appreciate the United States, my family, and my home more because people have it worse than I do.” (20) Keyshawn further explains, "The natives were friendly and lived life like they had no worries, and it was hard to understand why when they had a few things we didn't back at home. It made you appreciate the things we have and realize we don't need them to live. We have it easy here in America.”
Both students felt the trip was worth it and were happy they'd gone. Vanque explains that the trip gave her new experiences that she'd never thought she'd have and changed her perspective on life. "I loved the entire trip. I recommend everyone to go on a mission trip—a life-changing experience. Keyshawn provided a supportive statement of his reflection, saying that he can no longer eat the bananas back at home and that the time he spent with his classmates is something he'll cherish forever.
Challenge Charter High
Former First Lady Michelle Obama explains that the benefits of studying abroad are almost endless. “First of all, it's going to make you much more marketable here in the United States because more and more companies realize that they need people with experiences around the world, who can speak different languages, who can transition easily into other cultures and people who bring to their jobs a sensibility and a sensitivity for other people." (21)
International travel of any kind can be expensive. Hence, it is important that an educator prepares to provide examples of how the benefits justify the cost of such an experience. In Heather Cunningham's "Building Intercultural Citizenship with Urban Youth: Lessons from International Service Learning,” she begins to speak about the importance of international travel as a means of service learning." Participation in global service learning allows students to engage with role models in effective community action, potentially promoting the positive attitude about commitment to the common good that students need for intercultural citizenship. (22) In her study, Cummingham worked with students in the International servic-learning program at Challenge Charter High School, located in Rivertown in the middle of the Atlantic Region of the United States. The high school is made up of 81% urban residents, 56% of the students are African American, 39% of the school is white, and 61% of all of their students receive free or reduced lunch. The program comprised 12th-grade students, nineteen total participants, sixteen of whom participated in the study. In the study, she asked two main questions: "Does the perspective gained through the service-learning experiences affect the students' view of the local community, especially regarding social issues?” Second "Do the students feel greater moral responsibility from social problems in Costa Rica, Latin America, and the world?” (23) Before the trip, the participants took a seven-week class, meeting once weekly to prepare for their trip to Costa Rica. Students participated in a dual elective social studies and Science course during these sessions. During this course, students studied Costa Rican culture, rainforest ecology, sustainable development practices, political topics, current events, Costa Rican history, and additional environmental topics (24).
After months of meticulous planning, the students took off for their twelve-day trip. They met with several Costa Rican officials during their journey and had an exchange day at a local high school. They worked on their service-learning project and visited a volcano. One of the culminating ventures was a five-day excursion into the Bosque Alto rainforest (25). Students participating in the study were required to keep daily journals throughout their twelve days. Upon their return, the educators compiled the evidence presented by the students and found some recurring themes. Amy explains: The people we met so far were kind and willing to talk about their history and troubles....although we were strangers to them. If it was a North American, yes, some people are willing to share their life stories, but only a few are eager to be asked many questions and answer them with a smile. (26).
Another student, Megan, explains the difference between gender roles compared to the United States. She states, “The only women working were the eleven of us [Americans]. The rest were men...Once we went to play...soccer, there were...four of us Challenge Charter kids playing that were female, and only one woman on the Tica [Costa Rican] side...Gender...plays a large part” (27).
Other students, such as Jacey and Rachelle, began to look at the Costa Rican citizens' social and economic situation in Costa Rica and compared that to the lives of the people back home. Both students had grown up in impoverished areas at home but noticed some differences and similarities to what they'd know poverty to look like back at home. Rachell explains, "Even though the people [in El Tigre] had nothing, they still were grateful and happy. Growing up with little and watching my mom struggle to keep a decent roof over my and my sister's heads and going without food, I know what the kids were going through...[But] instead of being sad or angered, they were happy.” (28)
Personally witnessing their experience, Rachel grapples with the idea of one's expectations of what makes a decent standard of living, how perspective plays a real part in what we think we deserve, what we get, and what type of life makes us happy, "Racial critical awareness emerges from recognizing inequalities within and between the countries, contextualizing her own experience with poverty in a wider frame." (29) When we compare this to Jacey's testimonial, we see similar ideas and feelings. For example, "Back home, I am at the lower end of the economic scale...However...I probably live like a queen compared to most of El Tigre... Everyone always says to be grateful for what you have. However, seeing for yourself is an entirely different experience." (30)
Jacey continues as she says, "When you are poor in America...you are miserable. It's like, "I'm poor, so how am I gonna make ends meet"....But down here they... go on living life with what they have rather than focusing on what they don't have.....when we talked to the people in El Tigre, it was like, "God will provide "...they are not going to worry themselves to death about what they don't have.” (31)
One of the open-ended ideas that every child faces through this experience is the concept of attitude, how their attitudes at home differ from what they are currently experiencing. Jacey concludes that the poverty in Costa Rica differs from that of the United States. It's viewed as a huge problem because the people living within it seem more content with their lives. Such a reality pushes students, parents, and educators to think about what they expect from their lives. The trip challenged students to think critically about their expectations: social media, parental standards, and peer pressure. For instance, according to Business Insider, the United States has the highest number of antidepressant users worldwide, followed by Iceland, Australia, Canada, Denmark, and Sweden. Each of these has origins in the Western world, and all have taken part in the colonization of other nations, which has helped them lead lives connected to egomaniacs that are better on the surface.
The Challenge Charter High School students concluded that even though the people of Costa Rica were poor according to American standards, they were, in fact, happier. Everything is relative. This lesson would not have been possible with merely a book or video. The students had to be immersed in the environment for the most authentic study. The memories from that experience will help to create an appreciation for what they have at home and how they can help others at home and throughout the globe.
William Penn High School
Mike Doody is a high school science teacher at William Penn High School in New Castle County. The school's demographics comprise 48% African American students, 22% Hispanic, and 24% Caucasian. Mr. Doody believes in the importance of exposure opportunities for his students. He has taken it upon himself to create meaningful international travel experiences for the students under his care. During a trip to Costa Rica, he and his students had a chance to bond outside the classroom and in nature.
They spent three days on the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica, in Playa Palo, a beach community. While there, Michael and his students worked at a mangrove nursery, where they learned to harvest mangrove seeds. Working in a swamp, they transplanted the roots from the nursery to a forest restoration site. As he reflects on that time, it's easy to see his pride in his students. He explains, "They were sweaty and thirsty and hungry, but they did it all with a smile. They were giving back to a community they knew nothing about just a week before.” Next, the trip continued to La Fortuna in the central volcanic islands. This particular stop encouraged more activity. Students could kayak, hike to a waterfall, and zip-line. Mr. Doody thinks this is an important component of any trip because students need to relax and have a good time.
Mr. Doody says that he believes "traveling changes who you are. It opens students' minds to new cultures, traditions, and foods and can inspire students to think differently about their own culture. It also challenges students to be problem solvers and critical thinkers. Group travel also forces students to interact with peers outside their normal friend group.” (31)
During their time with the local people, the students were completely immersed in the culture. Mr. Doody explains, "Students had a chance to work with several different groups of Costa Ricans. In Palo Seco, we worked with local mangrove experts and the hotel staff. In Arenal, we interacted with many tour guides, hotel staff, and restaurant workers." (33) By speaking with several different groups, Micheal's students could engage with others from various backgrounds, social groups, and perspectives. To have his students work with students their age, they visited a rural school and had the chance to converse one-on-one. Although some of his students were already fluent in Spanish, this helped create an authentic space for learning through dialogue, in addition to the conversations they had each day with their guide.
Michael feels the trip helped his students learn more about nature, Costa Rican culture, and themselves. In a nostalgic moment, he remembers "playing card games with students when they unexpectedly went out. I had to teach several students how to play the game while others already knew how. Seeing those students help others and not judge them for not knowing something was awesome. It was also great to show students they didn't need to be glued to their cell phones.” This testimony shows how separating oneself from what they've learned can benefit themselves and the relational energy shared by the entire group. Although trips like these are a significant investment in the teachers' time and energy, he says, "Taking the trip: being on 24/7 is mentally and physically exhausting. You have to be available to your students at all times. You are their parent for the trip, solving problems from losing a water bottle to having a stomach ache or an allergic reaction. It is not a vacation in any sense of the word - but it is still an incredible experience!” (34)
He believes that experiences like this are worth the effort as "I think it helps students see that they can change things, even if only on a small level. They broadened their food interests, trying new things that aren't readily available in Delaware. They forged bonds with peers they likely wouldn't have back home." (35)
So many professional developments start with how important it is for educators to care. Mike is one of those. Taking the time to book flights and get organized, and Mr. Doody seems happy when he reflects on his time with the students.
John Dickinson School
Holly Brky teaches at the John Dickson School in Wilmington, Delaware. The Dickson School has a 57.8 percent minority enrollment. In June 2023, she took her students (6th-10th graders) on a trip to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands. Ms. Bryk, a middle school Spanish teacher, believes that "international travel provides my students the opportunities to use what they have learned in the classroom and use it in the real world. The use of the language has a purpose outside of the classroom. Many of my students return to class the next fall not only more confident with their language skills and abilities but also more confident people. Many students who have traveled with me over the past 14 years have gone on to minor or major in Spanish." (36).
Similar to Mr. Doody, Ms. Bryk took her students on several excursions that placed them in natural settings they would have never experienced without effort and organization. On their trip, they visited wild Tortoises in Santa Cruz, a pink flamingo habitat, a tortoise breeding center, the Twin Craters, and a boat excursion to Tintoreras Lava Islet. Having middle school students, Ms. Bryk saw a need to keep her students active. Surveying that they snorkel, the more active part of the experience was at Loberia Beach, there she explains that they took long walks on San Cristobal Island, and hiked through the rainforest as they came upon Cotacachi Waterfall. (37) Although most of her students still needed to become fluent in Spanish, she believed they all benefited from being immersed in the culture. “International travel allows my students to use what they have learned in the classroom and use it in the real world. The use of the language has a purpose outside of the school." (38) By providing a real-world experience, Ms. Bryk believes that her students return to their schools more enthusiastic about learning the language because they've had the chance to apply what they've learned in real-world situations. She explains, "Many of my students return to class the next fall not only more confident with their language skills and abilities but also a more confident person. Many students who have traveled with me over the past 14 years have gone on to minor or major in Spanish." (39)
Ms. Bryk is committed to creating international experiences for her children because she sees the investment as worthwhile. This wasn't Ms. Bryk's first time taking her students to another country. She has been on over ten trips with students, and on her last trip, she even had a surprise: "I discovered that one of the adults on my trip was a student in my Spanish 1 class 30 years ago. I did not make the connection initially because of her married name but then made the connection through her sister, another adult traveling with us. It was wonderful to come full circle, to have a former student share the travel experience with us as an adult." (40) Teachers like Ms. Bryk sacrifice their summers to create opportunities for children that wouldn't be possible without her efforts. With the proper funding, these experiences are possible.
Comments: