Page 22 - UD Magazine Vol. 31 No. 1

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Because Quality Education Depends on It Scottish teachers don’t coddle. Instead, they
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speak to children like adults: (“Yer bums oot the windae”—aka, “You’re talking nonsense”—is a common refrain in the urban lowlands.). During her time observing an Edinburgh school, this is one of many things that took Jenna Lisa, EHD93, aback. “The experience helped me see beyond my bubble,” she says. “Education doesn’t have
to be cookie cutter.” Today, UD offers a variety of international student-teaching opportunities— from Greece to Grand Cayman.
Because History Needs a Witness
The students could see military tanks outside their window. Their faculty director, Audrey Helfman,
felt fear. But—in the midst of Arab Spring—she also recognized an important learning opportunity. Isolated within an Egyptian hotel, she contextualized the anti-government protests and helped students process this impactful moment—one of many times Blue Hens have watched history unfold in real
time. Prior to World War II, they saw Nazis march in Berlin. And they’ve borne witness to natural disasters (Australian wildfires in 2019); anti-war marches (like the kind that erupted in Madrid at the launch of Operation Desert Storm in 1991); even major sporting events (Olympic games, World Cup finals). Why does any of this matter? Study abroad veterans maintain that bearing witness connects us with the full range of the human condition:
the desperation that spurs a political uprising, the sense of community that develops after an earthquake, the national pride that radiates from a soccer pitch after a goal. “It’s a reminder that we’re not alone in the world,” Helfman says. “No matter where we are from, we are all striving for 9the same things. We are all human.”
This experience gives you confidence to make your way in the world.
PHOTO SUBMITTED BY DELANEY PRICE, BE20 | GREECE