Students Speak: Building Bridges

Students Speak: Building Bridges

Chants of “Pass the John Lewis Voting Act” rang out as people shouted proudly and loudly. Step by step, I crossed the Selma Bridge holding a sign that read “Pass the John Lewis Voting Right Act” in my hands. I was in Selma, Alabama, on a Civil Rights Trail Trip with...
Students Speak: Slowing Down & Soaking Up Life

Students Speak: Slowing Down & Soaking Up Life

In the quiet of dawn, as soft light fell across the swaying coconut palms, I realized it was not just another destination, but an open invitation to see life through a different lens. What truly moved me wasn’t the postcard-perfect landscapes, but the sense of...
Students Speak: Confronting Trauma Through Travel

Students Speak: Confronting Trauma Through Travel

Written by Isabella Kearns, 16 years old, a junior from Selden, New York, for the World Is A Classroom student essay contest. My favorite trip was the Bundy Museum of History and Art in New York City. It was an experience that not only deepened my understanding of the...
Students Speak: Experiencing Heritage Firsthand

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...
Students Speak: The Value of ‘Far’

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...