Empowering Students to Lead
Eric Songer embraces music education beyond the typical ensembles. Through his work leading the band at Chaska Middle School West in Minnesota, he has created all kinds of ensembles for students to join and lead, including pop groups, rock/garage bands, mariachi...
Students Speak: Experiencing Heritage Firsthand
In Terke, India, the village my grandpa grew up in, life hit the slow-motion button. Cattle leisurely roam the fields, and cow patties decorate the unpaved dirt roads. Hearing my nana’s stories about his upbringing here, I never truly believed I’d get the chance to...
The Power of Cultural Exchange
Craig Howat is a hotel, restaurant and tourism teacher at the Satellite Center in Luling, Louisiana, just outside of New Orleans. Howat has been teaching for more than 25 years, giving his students a hands-on experience by traveling to hotels, restaurants, performing...
Students Speak: The Value of ‘Far’
Written by Teryn Hytten, 17, a junior in Hinesburg, Vermont, for the World Is A Classroom essay contest. How far do you want to be from the program house? Five minutes? Ten? We were gearing up to start our nine-day homestays in San Juan La Laguna, Guatemala, and I was...
Learning and Life with the Navajo Nation
If you were asked to name three facts about the Navajo Nation, would you have solid answers? If you don’t know what you would say, or have little knowledge of the Navajo people, you’re certainly not alone. The American education system doesn’t do a great job of...
The Glass Cactus
When I was 11, my family took a trip to the western United States for the first time. I was completely uninterested in the breathtaking beauty of my surroundings and was more focused on getting to as many gift shops and American Girl Doll stores as possible. I...
