International Trips for 2012
Big Trips are offered in the early summer to give students and families time to plan and arrange resources. We recognize these opportunities are expensive. We offer them with care believing they are remarkable opportunities. Students register for these courses by the end of September. Registration includes a check for one-third the cost of these courses. It is our assumption that most students will not have the opportunity for more than one such big trip.
Need-based financial aid is available by application. Students may check with Rob Orr, Director of Financial Aid, or Hope Stevens, Coordinator of Winterim, in September for forms and application dates. Additionally a rich and diverse list of courses which vary in cost from $20 to several hundred dollars will become available in the autumn. They will be posted on this website in November 2011. Students register for their choices for those courses before Thanksgiving. Parental and academic advisor approval are part of the process.
Dominican Republic, working with Orphanage Outreach
This is primarily a service-learning trip. Orphanage Outreach provides opportunities to orphaned, abandoned, and disadvantaged children. On this trip, students may be teaching English in a local grade school, tutoring orphanage children, or building needed facilities. Below is a breakdown of the programs that Orphanage Outreach supports with its volunteers.
Teach Corps - English Education: Learning English is a pathway to educational and career opportunities in The Dominican Republic. But in the rural areas where we will be, there are few teachers who speak English. One of the primary missions of Orphanage Outreach is that each graduating senior in these communities is conversational in English; students can and will make a tremendous impact teaching English. Knowing Spanish is not a necessity.
Teach Corps - Literacy Education: Students in their second and third year of Spanish with a solid foundation in Spanish can make an incredible impact teaching literacy. Orphanage Outreach volunteers contribute by helping to ensure that each grade school student is reading at or above grade level. Many of these children have never held a children's book. Children only attend school for half a day each day, so it's difficult for teachers to focus sufficient time on reading. Spanish-speaking students make a huge difference and are immersed in a situation where they will practice and improve what they have learned in the classroom.
Cultural Experiences/Recreation Time: We know that the learning experience is as important as the service experience. This is why throughout the week we will set up activities that will enable students to experience the culture of the Dominican Republic. We will visit the famous Haitian/Dominican market on the border, which has been featured on the Discovery Channel and in the New York Times. Friday lunch will be an authentic buffet of local foods at an excellent restaurant. The afternoon is reserved for leisure time, possibly at a local beach
Here are some reasons we chose Orphanage Outreach for this trip:
- Experienced: Over 10,000 volunteers have joined Orphanage Outreach in the Dominican Republic since 1994.
- Professional: Full-time American and Canadian staff live on site and will lead the program.
- Safety: Ssafety and health are the number one priority. The Dominican Republic is very friendly and safe. All bottled water is used in cooking; showers are chlorinated. Top-rated travelers medical insurance is included. Good clinics are located nearby .
- Housing/Food/Transportation/Logistics Support: Orphanage Outreach-run facilities include "summer camp" style accommodations. Good running water, toilets, and showers are provided, as are excellent meals prepared by trained cooks. Ground transportation is provided from the airport. Orphanage Outreach manages the logistics
Program Donation: The minimum program donation for teams and individuals is based on the length of their stay. The program donation is tax-deductible for US taxpayers and covers housing, all meals, ground transportation, and medical insurance. A good portion of the funds provides the basic necessities at the orphanages and other community programs.
Dates: March 15-24, 2012
Cost: $2,500
Eligibility: Open to students in all grades
Leaders: Maria McIvor and Kara Tambellini
History of Ancient Greece
It's time to see firsthand what you learned about in Humanities! Now is your chance to explore the Acropolis, eat souvlaki in Plaka, become enlightened in Delphi, practice your eyeball spearing in Olympia, and experience Meteora, a series of caves that are carved into the high cliffs of mainland Greece dating back to the 13th century. The service learning component of this trip will be outdoor work in the lemon tree forest on the peaceful Island of Poros. Other activities include going to Epidaurus, an amphitheater known for the best acoustics in the world, and visits to the famous battlegrounds of Thermopylae and Marathon. Students will stay in the youth hostel in Athens and will receive tours from local guides. Basic Greek vocabulary should be learned before travel!
Dates: March 14 (after school) through March 25, 2012
Cost: $2,800-$3000
Enrollment: 10-12 students
Leaders: Tanja Horvat and Adam Steele
South India: Religion and Culture
Katrina Perry and Vijendran Sathyaraj will lead a winterim trip to Chennai, Kodaikanal, and Madurai in the state of Tamil Nadu and also the former French colony (now a Union territory) of Pondicherry in South India. The focus of the trip is to experience some of India's religions and culture and also participate in service to children in an orphanage in Pondicherry.
The government museum in the city of Chennai contains exhibits from various parts of India including the civilization of the Indus Valley. Fort St. George, the first fortified structure in India built by the East India Company, also contains a museum with exhibits about Gov. Elihu Yale, benefactor of Yale University. The city of Madurai, visited by the ancient Greek ethnographer Megasthenes, and more recently by Michael Wood, and the great Meenakshi temple offer the experience of actually entering a classical civilization that continues to survive. The temple complex is an enormous and grand example of the Shaivaite tradition. Kodaikanal is a "hill-station" established in the 19th century 7200 feet above sea level as a vacation spot for British and American missionaries. It is surrounded by rainforest and is the perfect place to examine some of the effects of colonialism while enjoying the beauty of the mountains.
Enrollment: 12
Dates: March 15-26, 2012
Cost: $3300 (includes travel, housing, food, water, activities, about $100/person insurance). Students will also need to take care of getting their own passports, visa fees ($76), inoculations, and bringing cash for souvenirs, cold drinks, and snacks.
Leaders: Katrina Perry and VJ Sathyaraj Sathyaraj
Marine Ecology in Palau
Picture yourself gliding over crystal clear waters in a kayak through a chain of emerald islands. An aquatic Oz? Almost. Join Tom Handel and Lara Ingham, LS Librarian and former Palau Peace Corps Volunteer, for the Palau Winterim.
Palau, a chain of islands, is located in the remote western Pacific. Renowned for its incredibly diverse and rich waters and for its key geographic role in World War II, it offers limitless opportunities to engage with nature and history. As an island nation, the culture and economy is intricately tied to the seas around it. The land, often in short supply, is valued for its ability to provide food such as taro, tapioca, and fruits. The people of Palau are keenly aware of the tightrope walk between tradition and growth, conservation and production. The service and focus of our Winterim will be linked to the marine environment and current preservation efforts.
Possible Activities/Opportunities:
- Assist in placement of marine buoys marking ocean sanctuaries
- Seeding clams
- Traditional conservation forums
- Rock Island clean-ups
- Trip to main island of Babeldaob to see land conservation, farming practices and traditional taro patches
- Hike to Ngardmau waterfall
- Trip to Jellyfish Lake in the Rock Islands
We will be working with Palau International Coral Reef Center, Bureau of Marine Resources, Koror State Government, Bureau of Lands & Surveys, and other agencies active in the field. We will be based in the capital city of Koror which will allow for close proximity to transportation, agencies, medical services, and other services.
Throughout the course of the 2011-2012 school year, prior to our departure, we will meet for cultural training and water safety workshops. Additionally, we hope to find ways to effectively link the Winterim to the marine biology and biology curriculum.
Cost: $3300
Dates: March 15-27, 2012
Leaders: Lara Ingham, Tom Handel
Enrollment: 10-12
Dates: Winterim and part of spring vacation
