“Clearly delivered what it was set up to do. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”
J. Caito, National Cathedral School, Washington DC
“Textbooks and travel guides can only go so far in conveying the sights, smells, sound and ideas of another culture. There are some things that just cannot be explained or shown, but need to be experienced and felt. There were also many great opportunities with professionals [in this Travel Seminar] that we would not have access to as individuals. We talk about sparking our students’ interest in a subject. This is the mega-spark to invigorate our teaching...I am extremely grateful for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I would not have been able to get the kind of information I gathered, to explore all the places we visited in such a limited amount of time, to experience a home-stay, and to compile such a distinguished list of contacts.....on such a limited budget except for this Travel Seminar.”
D. Fong, F.A. Day Middle School, Massachusetts
“A “wow” for me was the contrast between Vietnam and Thailand: the strong emotions I felt at the Mekong, the Cu Chi Tunnels, the Hoa Lo Prison in Hanoi...and at the ‘Death Railroad’ and the cemetery of almost 7,000 allies who perished working on the railroad during WWII. I plan to introduce my students to the cultures of Vietnam and Thailand...and introduce a cultural element to our county and area ESL programs...to help teachers understand the customs and cultural backgrounds of these students. I can’t thank you enough for this ‘life-altering’ experience. It has me ‘pumped’ to find ways to use what I have seen and learned…to share it with others. THANK YOU!!!”
N. Varian, Magnolia Elementary School, Ohio
“Prior to this, I never took much interest in world events, governments, economy, or any of the social studies topics...After this [trip], I am inspired. Now, in addition to the Science Channel, I will also be checking out the History Channel...After this [trip], ideas that I will be exploring in my science classroom are water treatment methods, Agent Orange, and mining and gem deposits…The personal enrichment made this an adventure of a lifetime for me.”
J. Chapman, Lahainaluna High School, Hawaii
“Thank you for the wonderful opportunity to see Vietnam and Thailand. The group experience proved to be an exciting and challenging one. I thoroughly enjoyed learning so much from so many knowledgeable people. I appreciated meeting and spending time with the unique and very special people that the East-West Center prearranged for our group. It was an unforgettable experience! It was an experience that I will continue to think about and share with family, friends and colleagues.
M. Bernstein, O.H. Perry Elementary School, Massachusetts
“I was wowed by the incredible knowledge base of all the lecturers that were selected for this institute… It was one of the best experiences in my professional life. I also was very pleased when I arrived and learned that the Asian teachers had been invited to attend. Their contributions were priceless.”
J. Kang, Burney Harris Lyons Middle School, Athens, Georgia
“Out of all the conferences I have attended, this was the best. It taught content but it also gave us ways to use this knowledge in the classroom. The interactions among the participants and the presenters added to the powerful impact.”
S. Range, Olympic High School, Charlotte, North Carolina.
“This [institute] is an increasingly vital part of the world we know so little about. Be prepared to meet interesting people, be fed well, learn a lot and come home with excellent teaching materials.”
M. Butts, Nausest Regional High School, Wellfleet, Massachusetts
“I was especially moved by the stories of Vietnamese and Cambodian refugees. I will definitely include these into my curriculum. Also, the interactions with the Thai, Indonesian and Chinese teachers were invaluable!”
R. Castel, Maine West High School, Des Plaines, Illinois
“One of the biggest "wows" was [learning about] how refugees were being treated. Another was how much prejudice and stereotyping we subject other people to. I was amazed at how advanced their countries are. I was "vowed" by the parallels between our religions, histories, and cultures. I also was amazed at how much we use our "western glasses" to see the world; we miss so much."
B. Linkston, Olympic High School, Charlotte, North Carolina
“When I arrived in Bandung, all my friends asked assorted matters about [the Institute]. They are so curious to know about American schools, about teaching and learning processes and other [matters] related to schools. We (Indonesian teachers) are starved for information about American schools… the reality is that the other nations, especially America, are also very interested to know and learn about the culture, history and the other things of Asia, especially Indonesia. This [is what I] bring back [from] all my experience in Hawaii [for] the children and the students of Bandung, Indonesia.”
T.K. Djuardiman, SMA Negeri 21, Bandung, Indonesia
"This workshop has been an incredible experience. It has met and exceeded my expectations... I found the firsthand accounts of survivors and the hands-on experiences from the fieldtrips to be my most valuable resources...There were many perspectives, opinions and events that happened during and as a result of the attack on Pearl Harbor that I would never have been exposed to if I had not experienced this workshop...I really learned from our middle school breakout group, especially when we combined our ideas together to create a unit that will actually be incorporated in my curriculum...I definitely plan to expand my unit on Pearl Harbor and World War II, and I will be using two units that my group put together."
K. Cappa, Florida School for the Deaf and Blind Middle School, Florida
"The workshop was very appropriately diverse. Many provocative ideas were advanced that I had not considered before... The workshop speakers were brilliant and were an indispensable part of the workshop, but the most powerful and poignant words came from the Pearl Harbor veterans ...Also invaluable were the many discussions with my fellow teachers....I will definitely incorporate documents, photos, etc., when I teach about Pearl Harbor, and be able to provide my students with a more sophisticated view of what happened on December 7, 1941."
J. Mansfield, Montgomery County High School, Kentucky
"As a veteran of 15 years of teaching, I have been fortunate to attend many programs. This one is the best. The program offered many insights and opportunities to answer questions about the attack on Pearl Harbor... The range and diversity of the topics was great...The speakers, the site experiences and the readings were outstanding...I learned so many aspects I never knew before. I now fully understand the attack and have such a feel for the men, women and children who died...The photos I took at the fieldtrips will be used in a powerpoint presentation to help my students feel like they were there...The resources and primary source documents will be used in my classroom. The visual images I captured from the program will allow me to make the history experience come alive."
S. Miller, Middleborough High School, Massachusetts
"The workshop went far above and beyond my expectations. I came into the workshop with little knowledge of Pearl Harbor and Hawaii beyond what the textbooks and popular media had provided me with. I have been exposed to a multitude of perspectives and resources that I was completely unaware of....I believe the variety of speakers and sites were most useful. Having the opportunity to encounter Pearl Harbor survivors, Japanese scholars, Hawaiians, and educators from around the country gave me an enriched educational experience. Being at the actual historic sites gave me a sense of place and time...My school district has recently changed our U.S. History curriculum from a traditional survey course to a full year, concentrating on 20th century. I will have the opportunity to take back what I've leaned and teach a week or two on "The Gathering Storm" and "The Storm Breaks." The workshop has given me the resources and ideas to expand what I would previously have covered in a day's work to a multiple-day activity."
K. Rippe, Lincoln East High School, Nebraska
This workshop exceeded my expectations! By far this has been one of the best content-related professional development experiences during my career. The hands-on visits, actually seeing and being at the places of study, and the personal perspectives were unbeatable! All the experiences together have changed my understanding of the attack of Pearl Harbor. I have learned so much! Especially the value of reflective listening, oral histories and multiple perspectives (I'll definitely incorporate these in class), the complexity of it all, and the need for reconciliation...The passionate discussions were exciting in themselves, a great opportunity for reflection, a time to generate ideas and brainstorm classroom application ideas, as well as to network and make connections. Thank you so much for all your dedication and commitment in organizing and conducting this outstanding workshop in an amazing location!
C. Wyglendowski, Voordhees High School, New Jersey