Global Ambassadors for Children is focused on four major initiatives to enhance the travelers’ experience. One of these initiatives is to partner with colleges and universities to add an immersive experience not found in any classroom setting. Ball State University is a prime example of GAFC’s ability to provide students studying to be teachers the opportunity to practice their skills in developing countries. This added dimension to the classroom experience is essential for “teachers-to-be” to understand their true purpose and potential. It is an immersive experience that students should not go without.
Read a short blog below from a group of Ball State students studying to be teachers:
“We spent the day at Mtendere observing different aspects of the house mothers and staff members’ lives. The English 311 students were given the opportunity to observe how the caretakers learn in the classroom environment. The house mothers were learning about prepositions, which is about a 6th grade level in the United States. After class had ended, Brittney Troutner and Carrie Harvey were able to speak with the village’s lead teacher, Victor, about his teaching experience. He had taught 22 years in a government school and 9 years in a private school. We are impressed by his knowledge and passion for teaching. We have found that in any educational setting it is important to have strong relationships with colleagues because they could be a vital resource in your classroom. We will continue to reach out to Victor and the other teachers to meet the needs of this village. The students in English 311 will implement an after school Language Arts program created by Ruth Moll, our dependable graduate student that brings so much life to the group. This program was uniquely crafted to meet the Malawian educational standards and specific needs of the village based on Victor’s feedback given to last year’s BSU group. It is imperative to understand the community needs in order to conduct a successful classroom in which all children the opportunity to learn.”
Global Ambassadors for Children also teamed up with Butler University to help build a school for the children. The impact they made was incredible. Here is a snippet from an article in the Butler News:
Jennifer Pignolet, the new president of the Butler Global Ambassadors for Children chapter, said going to Uganda “completely changed the way I look at my life, particularly in the area of education.”
“Until I saw the children, I didn’t believe it was possible for kids to want to come to school on Saturday,” she said. “That’s just how strong their thirst for knowledge is.”
