This fall I received a phone call from a company that helps teachers plan national and international trips for their students. I always have said that while I am teaching I would like to take at least ONE group of students abroad and give them an experience that they may not be given otherwise. That being said, I thought about dates, the timeline of my own life, I talked to my administration and now here I am writing this blog.
This summer I will be taking a group of EIGHT students from the street of Shelby Drive all the way to Costa Rica. Teaching Spanish in a low income community is sometimes (actually a lot of times) difficult to get your students invested in the language because most of them will argue that they will never use it. Knowing the way our world and the systems within that world work, it is sometimes (actually a lot of times) difficult for me as an educator to counter that argument.
"Oh you'll use it in college." "You'll get a better paying job." "You can flirt with a girl from Peru." My go-to superficial rationale for learning Spanish was starting to get old because a) I didn't really believe it and b) The kids definitely didn't believe it. I really just wanted my kids to get invested in learning, critically thinking and the idea of being comfortable with being uncomfortable.
I decided that I needed to make the importance of learning Spanish more tangible for my kids and that's where this summer trip comes in. On this trip, my kids will not only be flying on a plane for the first time, they will also be leaving the only world they have ever known for the first time. They will become comfortable with the uncomfortable while actually getting to use the Spanish they have learned over the course of the two years with me in a REAL WORLD CONTEXT!
I am really excited to take these kids which I care so much about to a place that will allow them to grow as individuals and scholars. Our trip has the perfect mix of educational and cultural experiences. One day we will be viewing the hot volcanoes while another day will be spent in a local village and school site. You can see our itinerary to the right. The balance of educational and cultural experiences will allow us to practice our Spanish a majority of the time. My kids and I have made a goal that we will speak in Spanish (even when we're not around native speakers) 80% of the time!
With all that said, this trip is a fair amount of money. Each student is required to pay $2,300 which includes airfare, hotels, food, and adventures. On top of that each student will have to pay for his/ her own passport since it will be their first time out of the United States. For those of you that know me and have seen me planning for the trip, you know that the eight students and I have been working our behinds off trying to fund raise a large portion of the money needed. We have come a long way, but we have an even longer way to go yet. I teach at a Title 1 school and for a vast majority of my students, it is extremely difficult for their families to pay a large sum like this one. I, however, do not believe that money should ever prohibit a student from following their dreams or partaking in a prosperous experience. Their education MATTERS.
During this holiday season, think about donating your money to our scholarship fund for these eight awesome students. The money you donate will allow the students to apply for scholarships that will be put toward the cost of their trip. Students will write an essay and a 200-500 dollar scholarship will be rewarded to the students that demonstrate a love for learning and passion for education. We believe that it is important to show our students the value of hard work and effort through this scholarship campaign.If you have a penny or two to spare, please think of the Fairley High School Spanish club. I hope you can love on these students just as much as I do :) The link to donate is listed below:
https://www.crowdrise.com/fhs-to-costa-rica/fundraiser/kristenalesch
Thanks for your support,
Eight Grateful Students and their Ambitious Teacher
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