Thinking Beyond Borders
Encourages Students to Gain New Perspective
April 3, 2009
A new study abroad program
is challenging students to embrace life with a whole
new perspective.
Designed for students taking
a Gap Year between high school and college, Thinking
Beyond Borders is a 35-week program that gives students
the opportunity to explore the distinct social, economic
and political realities of four developing nations.
Upon their return to the United
States, students share their experiences with leading
politicians and representatives from corporations
including the World Bank and International Monetary
Fund (IMF) in New York City and Washington, D.C. They
spend their final month touring high schools nationwide
to discuss the myriad issues involving international
development.
"While we've seen a lot of programs lead practical
initiatives to improve a region, we wanted to do something
that went to the root of what causes these problems,"
said Executive Director Christopher Stakich of Fairfield.
"We wanted to develop a curriculum that could
give students a greater understanding of how these
issues occur with the hopes of developing long-term
solutions."
The program's Director of Curriculum,
Robin Pendoley, holds a Bachelors in International
Development Studies from UCLA and a Masters in Education
from Harvard. Like Stakich, Pendoley has a passion
for education and international development.
Guiding questions leading the curriculum include asking
students how they define themselves as Americans,
their conception of power and their ideas on how global
policies affect them. "Some students have parents
who are executives at large corporations, which can
create a very personal reflection when reading about
the negative impact much of Corporate America has
had abroad," Stakich said. "But the point
is we need everyone to work together to make a difference."
This, he said, is why students meet with organizations
like the World Bank.
Last year's inaugural group of
16 students returned last month from their journey
through Costa Rica, Ecuador, China, Vietnam, Thailand
and South Africa.
Among these students was Darien
resident Alexandra Duncan, 18. "The experience
went beyond anything I could ever have anticipated,"
Duncan said. A top student at Darien High School,
Duncan has long had a passion for international service.
During her junior year of high school she saw Invisible
Children, a 2003 documentary about the plight of child
soldiers in war-torn northern Uganda.
The filmmakers went on to establish
Invisible Children, Inc., a nonprofit organization
dedicated to assisting the children whose tragic lives
they had captured on film. Duncan helped begin a chapter
of Invisible Children, Inc. at Darien High School.
Thinking Beyond Borders, she said, was a way of gaining
more valuable life experience before beginning college
at Tufts. "I found out about [Thinking Beyond
Borders] attending a Gap Year Fair," Duncan said.
"I knew from the time I was in eighth grade I
wanted to spend time traveling and learning more about
the world before going to college."
"There is a growing trend
gaining more and more academic support that a Gap
Year allows students to really get a chance to know
themselves better and find out what they really want
to do with their lives," Stakich said. Thinking
Beyond Borders only accepts students who have already
been accepted to college. Additionally, program applicants
should be "very mature and independent with fully
supportive families," Stakich said. "The
biggest challenge is probably to be away from family
for so long."
Each student lived with a host
family in each country. After a ten-day training in
Costa Rica last September, students embarked on their
first five-week unit in Ecuador. The focus of the
curriculum was clean water and development. In rural
areas of Ecuador with limited sanitation, clean water
can be scarce. Despite the challenges, Duncan said
she was impressed by the strong sense of community
she found in the village. "I felt closest to
my Ecuadorian host family," she said. "They
were very warm, friendly and inviting." Duncan
also speaks Spanish, which she said allowed her to
communicate easily with her host family.
At the conclusion of each country's unit, students
enjoyed an "enrichment week" exploring a
cultural highlight of the area. Following the Ecuador
unit, students hiked the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu
in Peru. "I would definitely say my experience
hiking Machu Picchu was one of the biggest highlights
of the trip," Duncan said. "I would love
to go back to Ecuador, too."
In China, the students explored public education and
economic growth. Duncan found China's vast cultural
differences from the United States "fascinating."
In America, she said, "we have a very individualistic
approach to life. American education emphasizes discussion.
In China [discussion] is virtually nonexistent."
Duncan said she enjoyed the China curriculum the most.
"I particularly enjoyed reading Pedagogy of the
Oppressed," she said. The text, by Paulo Freire,
examines notions of justice and equality within the
education systems of oppressive nations. It is considered
a leading book among educators in developing countries.
In Vietnam, students learned
about the challenges of waste management in a rapidly
developing country. In Thailand, the group studied
sustainable agriculture. "It was interesting
to learn about the idea of working together as a community
to produce crops everyone could share," Duncan
said. Thailand's sense of community, she continued,
was strong. "One woman in the village was recently
left by her husband," Duncan said. "She
had young children and no money. So the village held
a meeting to determine how to help support her during
such a difficult time."
South Africa was perhaps the
most heartbreaking stop on the journey, Duncan said.
The students explored public health and the AIDS epidemic.
"I remember seeing these young girls at the [health
clinic] with AIDS who, even at their young age, knew
they were [sick]," Duncan said.
In each country, students prepared
five-to-seven minute multimedia presentations capturing
their experiences. After their meetings in New York
and Washington, D.C., Duncan said, the students would
work in groups to create 45-minute formal presentations
to present to high school students.
"I would definitely recommend
this program to anyone who cares about making a difference,"
Duncan said. "You learn you can make a difference
everyday just by how you think, how you live."
The biggest challenge during
the months abroad, Duncan said, was missing family.
"While you quickly become close with the other
students, you definitely miss home," she said.
Duncan said periodic "Skype Nights," allowing
students to interact through live video with their
loved ones, helped. Parents also created a special
Thinking Beyond Borders Facebook page for their children
to post pictures and blog about their experiences.
"The Internet connection is fairly consistent
throughout much of the trip," Duncan said. "Obviously
it's not always every day. It was more like every
week or so."
The 2009 program will bring students
to India to study sustainable agriculture in lieu
of Vietnam and Thailand. "We want to vary the
countries as much as possible," Stakich said.
This year, the program can accept up to 32 students.
"We have already received several applications,"
Stakich said. Applications are structurally similar
to college ones, evaluating students' community service,
program interest and academic record. Enrollment is
on a rolling basis.
The cost of the program is $39,000.
Need-based financial aid is available.
"We are hoping to acquire
more corporate sponsorship to provide the financial
aid necessary to allow more students to participate,"
Stakich said. "We truly believe in this program's
spirit of social entrepreneurship, learning the "whys"
to understand how these problems began so we can enact
proactive, positive change."
To learn more about the program,
including how to apply or donate, visit http://www.thinkingbeyondborders.org
Thinking
Beyond Borders
