World Wise Schools

As an educator/sister of an educator, I have an absurd number of friends who are teachers. This is a shameless Peace Corps plug for educators. Please consider going to WORLD WISE SCHOOLS and signing up for this incredible program. It is a great opportunity to put your students in touch with students in another part of the world. Plus, the Peace Corps has a number of other great resources for you at the site.

In the United States, we tend to think that the world already knows about us. To some degree that is true, but I am learning how incomplete that knowledge actually is. Here in Lesotho, I have said “I'm from the United States” or Haeso ke United States,” only to receive a look of utter confusion. If I say America, there is slightly less confusion, but there are many people here who do no have a clue what is the US versus Canada versus Mexico or Brazil. Considering that there are only a handful of countries with embassies in Lesotho (of which we are one) and that is even more surprising!

The other day, my new host mother popped in for something. She loved seeing the Lesotho flag on my wall. When she turned and saw the Peace Corps flag, she asked if that was my country's flag. I explained that it uses part of the American flag and then described what our flag actually looks like.

So, educators, please consider opening the minds of your own students and participating in World Wise Schools. We all know that our students need to know about the world beyond their own classroom and social networks. Consider too how valuable to opportunity to share life in the United States with students who have never seen it on television and genuinely want to know what life is like for people in America. I am particularly interested in plugging the correspondence program.

If this does not apply to you, because you are not an educator, please consider sharing it with the educators you know. If this does apply, then sign up! And let me know you did!

Kea leboha metsoalle!

Thanks friends!