For Curious Minds: Africa Bound

So, in precisely 9 days, I will be setting off to the continent of elephants, giraffes and big cats. The continent of struggle, war, poverty, hunger and disease. The continent that I have spent my life learning, loving and dreaming about. AFRICA.

In January, I mindlessly applied for a world renowned Fulbright-Hays scholarship focused on education in South Africa and Lesotho. Mindlessly is the wrong word, as the application process was quite demanding, however I applied with little faith in the possibility of actually being accepted. After nearly six weeks of waiting (not so) patiently, I finally received an invitation to participate in the program. Obviously, my response was a big, fat YES!

Many of you may not know what a Fulbright scholarship is. Let me explain. The Fulbright program was created in 1946 by U.S. Senator J. William Fulbright. The purpose of the program was/is to encourage understanding of the world through the creation of international relationships between teachers, artists, scientists and scholars of the U.S. and other countries. Since its creation, only 300,000 people worldwide have been awarded a Fulbright award, many of whom have gone on to receive Nobel and Pulitzer awards. Being a Fulbright scholar is a great honor, and yeah, I'll say it, I'm damn proud of it.

I've been asked many questions about the trip, the program, etc. Here are some of the most commonly asked questions, and the answers to those questions...

Where will you be going? I'll be spending the majority of my time in South Africa and Lesotho, with a visit to the African Free State as well.

When and for how long? I leave June 25th and will be back August 1, so five and a half weeks.

Who was chosen and how was it decided? There were 12 U.S. teachers chosen....6 social studies teachers and 6 art teachers. We were chosen based on our applications, essays and potential to implement an African Studies course or unit at our schools.

What exactly will you be doing? The purpose of the trip is to create a curriculum that includes lessons, units and articles for publication on teaching African history and art here in the U.S. Therefore, much of our time will be spent researching, writing and creating this project for the U.S. Department of Education. We will also teach in 2 different schools, spend time in AIDS orphanages, visit museums and embassies, attend lectures and do all of the fun stuff like go on a safari, climb a mountain, visit Robben Island, go whale watching, etc.

How is it funded? Representatives of the University of Toledo (the sponsoring university) have spent the last two years writing grants for the funding of this particular program. The representatives were awarded $150,000 ($80,000 from the U.S. Department of Ed and $70,000 from the University itself), which was enough to cover the cost of the entire trip for 14 people (12 teachers, 2 professors/leaders). We had to put a small deposit down when we accepted the invitation, but other than that, the only money I need is personal spending money.

What have you been doing to prepare for your trip? My life has changed significantly since the day I accepted the invitation to participate.. My main focus for the past 4 months has been Africa. I have spent countless hours reading, writing and discussing articles and books. I have studied everything from the history to the politics to the art to the language of South Africa and Lesotho. I have spent countless more hours shopping for necessities for the trip. I always surprise people when I say this, but it will be winter in Africa while I'm there (the whole southern hemisphere thing throws people off). While it doesn't get quite as cold as it does here, you must remember that I will be in the southernmost part of Africa, furthest from the equator and at a very high elevation. Also, electricity will be scarce in some areas, leaving us with little heat and ability to dry our clothes after washing them. So, shopping for warm clothes that dry quickly has been a challenge, and has taken up quite a bit of my extra time (and extra money). I also have spent time making a list of and shopping for the "little things" I'll need on the trip....you know, Pepto, Motrin, sunscreen, things to clean my hair and body without taking a shower, etc. Fortunately, I have not had to get any shots (I hate needles!), because the region where I'll be is not a malarial area.

What will happen after the trip? My work with the program will continue after the trip is over. We will work on the project individually and virtually as a group until October, when we will submit the final curriculum to the U.S. Department of Education. I also plan to continue this work in my own classroom (assuming I get a job) and further it even more by presenting at various educational conferences. Who knows, this may turn into something I will continue for the rest of my life. I can easily see myself becoming very involved in the area, the schools and the materials and letting these things guide my future experiences.

I've been fortunate to have experienced as much of the world as I have, but this truly is an experience of a lifetime. I hope you will follow me on my journey, as I plan to post frequently (as much as possible with limited Internet access, anyway). If you have any other questions, feel free to ask. I hope you all have a wonderful summer and I'll be thinking of you from the other side of the world.

Peace, love and Africa ;-)