My decision to travel outside of the United States as a twenty-year old quickly became a time to observe what education looked like throughout the world. On every trip or study abroad experience I did my best to experience education in the country being visited. And upon my return from every trip I realized just how much the experience broadened my horizons (pardon the cliche) and helped me develop many content-rich lesson plans that intrigued my students.

In Israel I remember the elementary children singing songs at the front of a well-used chalkboard. In Uruguay, the white smocks with oversized bows at the neck identified the public school kids on a crowded bus or walking out of a McDonald's. In Guatemala, the students looked doubly out of place learning in the shade of an exotic tree while sitting in antique desk-chairs. And in rural Canada seeing kids walk home for lunch and then return to school when the fire station bell rang just about blew my mind.

These and other memories, along with photographs were shown to my students in order to connect them as best I could with the lives of school children throughout the world. And it's these experiences that connected me with Jesse Weisz of Global Exploration for Educators Organization (GEEO). The goal of this organization makes me giddy for professional development!

Global Exploration for Educators Organization (GEEO) is a non-profit organization that runs summer professional development travel programs designed for teachers.

GEEO is offering 13 different travel programs for the summer of 2011: India/Nepal, China, Vietnam, Egypt, Turkey/Syria/Jordan/Egypt, Ethiopia, South Africa/Mozambique/Zimbabwe/Botswana, Morocco, Argentina/Uruguay/Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Costa Rica and Guatemala/Belize/Mexico. Registration deadline is June 1st, 2011, however some of the programs will be full before then.

Educators have the option to earn graduate school credit (3 credits through Indiana University) and professional development credit while seeing the world. The trips are 8 to 23 days in length and are designed and discounted to be interesting and affordable for teachers. GEEO also advises teachers on how to find funding to subsidize the cost of the trips. GEEO provides teachers educational materials and the structure to help them bring their experiences into the classroom. The trips are open to all nationalities of K-12 and University educators and administrators, as well as retired educators. Educators are also permitted to bring along a non-educator guest.

Detailed information about each trip, including itineraries, costs, travel dates, and more can be found at www.geeo.org . GEEO can also be reached 7 days a week, toll free at 1-877-600-0105 between 9AM-9PM EST. To sign-up for GEEO's listserv, please send an email to listserv@geeo.org with the subject line "subscribe." To follow them on facebook click here and then click the "like" button.

If you're looking for something different in professional development; something that will improve you in and out of the classroom; something that will prove to be an unforgettable summer experience look GEEO's travel programs.

Originally posted by Jill at AAE.

email to friend

Print

comment

Permalink

Comments (0)