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2

I hereby grant permission for World Learning to publish my Capstone on its websites and in

any of its digital/electronic collections, and to reproduce and transmit my CAPSTONE

ELECTRONICALLY. I understand that World Learning’s websites and digital collections

are publicly available via the Internet. I agree that World Learning is NOT responsible for

any unauthorized use of my Capstone by any third party who might access it on the Internet

or otherwise.

Student name: Moutarou Diallo Date: May 20, 2013



3

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Abstract 4

Introduction 5

Program Context (Background) 7

Program Rationale 10

Theoretical Foundation 11

Literature Review – Experiential Education Pedagogy 11

Comparative Education 13

Cross-Cultural Communication & Understanding 14

Intercultural Competence 15

Experiential Learning 16

Goals & Objectives 17

Needs Assessment 18

Program Description 27

Curriculum 28

Pre-departure orientation 32

Lectures - Intercultural competence training 33

Language lessons - School visits 34

Journaling time – Cultural activities 35

Informative discussions – Brainstorming time – Re-entry 36

Staffing Plan 37

Marketing Plan 37

Admission & Recruitment Plan 39

Logistics - Transportation 40

Ground transportation – Accommodation – Visits 41

Technology – Food 42

Health & Safety Plan 42

Crisis Management Plan 45

Crisis Management Levels 46

Budget & Budget Notes 47

Coordinators – Accommodations 48

Schools visits - Food – Airfare – Ground Transportation – Lectures 49

Evaluation Plan 50

Conclusion & Implications 51

References 53

Appendices 62

Appendix A: Program coordinator description 62

Appendix B: Program Schedule 62

Appendix C: Pre-departure & Orientation 70

Appendix D: In-country coordinator position 71

Appendix E: Important health & safety contact information 72

Appendix F: Budget 72

Appendix G: Needs Assessment 75

Appendix H: LEAT Timeline 82

Appendix I: Evaluation of the program 82



4

Abstract

Every year the United States welcomes immigrants from across diverse continents.

They are children and teens who enroll as students within American public schools. Many

arrive with limited English language skills, and little to no prior education. Given language

limitations, not all students can attend English medium schools; therefore international

public schools were created to help immigrant children transition into the education system.

Brooklyn International High School (BIHS) is one of the international schools established

to successfully educate and prepare English language learners. Teachers’ pedagogies reflect

the many challenges, both cultural and academic, of the students. However, most teachers

are facing challenges to find a way of connecting with students of different languages and

cultures within classrooms. To assist teachers to help their students, teachers will partake in

an experience abroad program designed to have the opportunity to live a unique experience

abroad for two weeks. Teachers will go to the countries of origin of their students beginning

with the Dominican Republic. This Learning Experience Abroad for Teachers (LEAT)

program is designed to fill the intercultural gap between the students and the teachers with

intercultural competence awareness and understanding of the diverse education systems.

The LEAT program will allow the participants to develop a greater multicultural

competence and a stronger knowledge of experiential pedagogy that will assist teachers in

designing their curriculum. It will also give the participants an opportunity to experience the

students’ native countries, the chance to participate in activities led by lecturers, and

experience cross-cultural activities. The projected outcomes include: the ability to

communicate in multicultural environments, to develop skills in experiential learning and



5

pedagogy, and the ability to integrate their outcomes in their curriculum design effectively

in the classroom at BIHS.

Introduction

One asset of the United States is its ability to welcome refugees and immigrant

populations. “America welcomes newcomers while insisting that they learn and embrace its

civic culture and political institutions, thereby forming one nation from many people—e

pluribus unum, (Spalding & Matthew, 2011, p.12). Thus the United States has a wide

population of newcomers often migrating from Non-English speaking countries. Their

children face challenges in English based curriculums found in traditional public schools

due to language barriers. To better accommodate families transitioning to the American

culture, the New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE) in collaboration with the

Internationals Network for Public Schools, has opened schools in sites close to these

communities to enable immigrant children to receive an education and the opportunity to

fulfill their American Dream. The first school established to target English language

learners was established in 1985 in Queens, New York. “Our history of academic success

began in 1985 with the founding of our first high school on the campus of LaGuardia

Community College, a collaborative effort between the NYCDOE and the City University

of New York. In response to the many educational challenges faced by English language

learners within district schools, The International High School at LaGuardia was designed

specifically to provide quality education for these students” (Internationals Network ,

2013). Academic institutions aim to improve the performance of non-English speaking



6

students and enhance the long-mastery of reading, communication, and writing skills.

Therefore, teachers who work with immigrant students are trying to address immigrant

students’ performance because usually such teachers are the ones who reasonably

understand immigrant students because most have studied abroad and have therefore had a

glimpse of the needs of these immigrants. However, there is a gap between those teachers

and their students. “It is well documented that the gap is widening between White, middle

class females who are becoming teachers and the historically underserved, low-income,

immigrant, English as a new language and other minority students they may teach”

(Ladson-Billings, 2001 p. 323). The opportunity teachers will have to go abroad will

expose them to intercultural sensitivity by working closely with teachers from other

countries and experiencing different cultures.

For the most part, when one mentions the two words “study abroad” he or she tends

to think about students traveling from their native land to a foreign country. The majority of

universities have a study abroad office aimed to help students through the process of

choosing a program, location, and curriculum focus. At the undergraduate level, institutions

believe studying abroad is an invaluable learning opportunity that students are highly

encouraged to take advantage of the intercultural experience. Biron (1998) conducted a case

study of one postsecondary teacher’s participation in an interdisciplinary study abroad

program and illustrated how the experience transformed her teaching to be more consistent

with the Standards for Foreign Language Learning (National Standards, 1999, 2006).

However, the educators that are highly involved in supporting students through their unique

abroad experience are often forgotten. They, too, should have a program set in place to

better equip educators for the sole purpose of satisfying the constant needs of their students.



7

The University of Texas at Austin understands the need and provides a teacher travel

abroad opportunity. Through their program called Hemispheres, the International Outreach

Consortium, they are connecting to the larger world, transforming old ideas into new, and

providing innovative approaches to world studies. “Hemispheres actively promotes

opportunities for K-12 educators to travel abroad to build their own background knowledge

and gain invaluable experience overseas” (Hemisphere, 2013). It is from this momentum

that the Learning Experience Abroad for Teachers (LEAT) program will provide an

experience unlike any other in helping Brooklyn International High School (BIHS) teachers

learn and understand their students; it will help teachers gain a better understanding of

students’ personal and cultural experience.

Program Context (Background)

BIHS’s mission is to help English language learners to develop their language,

intellectual, cultural, and collaborative abilities so that the students may become active

participants in today’s independent world. Founded in 1994, The BIHS has a graduation

rate just below 90%, and the same rate for college acceptance. Graduates attend a broad

range of 2 and 4 year schools, many with the assistance of prestigious national scholarships.

In 2012, Brooklyn was recognized by Schools Chancellor Dennis M. Walcott and City

Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn as one of 24 “Respect for All” schools, a major

initiative in the NYCDOE’s effort to combat bullying and harassment based on ethnicity,

color, national origin, race, religion, citizenship or immigration status, gender, gender

identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, weight, disability, and other characteristics

(The Internationals Network for Public Schools, 2013).

http://schools.nyc.gov/Offices/mediarelations/NewsandSpeeches/2011-2012/rfaweekrelease21012



8

BIHS is an international public high school, under the supervision of the NYCDOE

that welcomes immigrant students from more than thirty nations worldwide. Many

immigrant youth arrive to the United States with limited English language skills, and little

to no prior education. BIHS believes these young people deserve educational support that

value their native languages and culture while challenging them to achieve a higher level of

education. To be successful in executing its mission, BIHS recruits exceptional teachers

with international experience and foreign language skills. Some of the teachers are recruited

because of their international backgrounds or their bilingual abilities. While being recruited

because of his or her native language can provide the teacher certain advantages at BIHS, it

can also be a source of their limitations. BIHS has a faculty of 22 teachers and only one

teacher is international from Canada. Another substitute teacher is Yemeni-American; she

came to the United States when she was eight. A BIHS classroom never consists of students

who come from the same nation or same native language group. The school might recruit a

teacher of a certain native language to teach a particular class because the majority of the

students are of the same language group. Clearly, having language abilities that students

speak provides the teacher an advantage. The teachers’ native language allows him or her to

relate to a large percentage of the student body. However, even in this advantageous

environment, the teacher still has students from other native language groups. While these

other native language groups are in the minority of the class, the teacher is challenged to

find a way of connecting with students of different languages and cultures. Those

challenges are some of the reasons why it is difficult to be a teacher, particularly in the

context of multilinguism.



9

BIHS provides professional development training such as “Management of a

Student-Centered English Language Learners Classroom”, Student with Interrupted Formal

Education (SIFE) Discussion group”, for their international high school teachers to help

them handle the difficulties that come with a diverse and multicultural student body. These

professional development trainings teach international school teachers how to manage

diverse classrooms or understand the students. BIHS provides continued support to their

existing teachers by providing training events that include professional, leadership and

curriculum development. From these events BIHS teachers are best prepared to help their

diverse student body develop their linguistic, intellectual, cultural, and collaborative

abilities. BIHS provides its teachers these development tools so that students can be fully

prepared to become active participants in today’s interdependent world. BIHS teachers also

strive to help every student reach his or her potential by encouraging academic growth,

personal growth, and tolerance.

The LEAT program will start July 2014 and will offer BIHS teachers a program

where they will obtain a firsthand understanding of their immigrant students’ native world.

“The amount of time and the intensity of the cross-cultural training are significant variables

in producing desirable outcomes” (Baker, 1977, p.31). Teachers will visit and experience

the countries of their students firsthand and such experience will be invaluable for teachers.

In obtaining firsthand experience and knowledge of an immigrant student’s native country,

a teacher will better understand how to speak to their students, how to manage their

students, how to teach material, and how to explain concepts. The teacher would have

inside knowledge and understanding that would facilitate a level of respect and comfortable



10

communication between teachers and student that is often absent in classrooms today due to

cultural ignorance.

Program Rationale

The LEAT program at BIHS is a newly formed intercultural education exchange and

social enterprise. The goal of this program is to initiate alliance work and support the

mission of internationalizing the curriculum in secondary level education. This venture will

support the needs of BIHS teachers by sending them abroad for two weeks to their students’

native countries. For the pilot program, BIHS teachers will visit the Dominican Republic

(DR). While in the DR, they will immerse themselves in Latin culture and attempt to

understand the complications of Latin education systems (language, diversity, culture and

identity) by visiting schools and attending trainings created to help educators address the

complexities of diversity that challenge them in everyday classroom situations. Adding the

LEAT program to BIHS’s professional development repertoire will increase the teacher

development program industry for international educators industry that continues to

promote intercultural themes.

Mission Statement

The LEAT program aims to provide a unique opportunity for the BIHS teachers by

exposing teachers to intercultural experiences and trainings in a specific country that many

of their incoming students originate from, each summer for two weeks. The program take

place in the first two weeks of July. BIHS teachers will live with host families, visit

schools, attend lectures on the education system of the country, interact with other

educators, and attend cultural events. They will also be able to observe local teachers in



11

action. The hope is that these intercultural experiences will help BIHS teachers learn new

ways to manage a classroom by observing different teaching styles, communicating

approaches, and addressing behavior problems. Also teachers will have time to process and

discuss all the new learning they will have through ongoing open group discussions.

Theoretical Foundations

Literature Review

The theoretical framework behind designing the LEAT program revolves around

experiential education pedagogy, comparative education, intercultural competence, cross-

cultural understanding and communication, and experiential learning.

Experiential Education Pedagogy

In the late nineteenth century, the theory of experiential education was developed

for the first time. Since then it has been expressed in a variety of areas such as service

learning, cooperative education, internships, outdoor education, organizational

development, and training programs. John Dewey (1938) captured the essence of

Experiential Education by arguing that events are present and operative anyway; what

concerns us is their meaning. Dewey mentioned that experience happens; it is unavoidable.

Dewey advocated that education be based upon the quality of experience. For an experience

to be educational, Dewey believed that certain parameters had to be met, the most important

of which is that the experience has continuity and interaction. Dewey talks about

interaction, which touches the idea of LEAT which BIHS teachers will experience in

interacting with teachers from schools that will be visited in the DR for the sole purpose of



12

learning from them. Deans Thomas (1999) in “Paulo Freire's Critical Pedagogy on John

Dewey's Pragmatism” compares the educational and philosophical theories of John Dewey

and Paulo Freire, articulating how each deals with two key relationships: action to reflection

and individual to society. Their theories of experiential learning largely overlap, but they

depart on the larger ideological purposes of education, with Freire more inviting of critical

reflection on race, class, and power. Freire believed education to be a political act that could

not be divorced from pedagogy and his definition is as a main tenet of critical pedagogy.

Teachers and students must be made aware of the "politics" that surround education. The

way students are taught and what they are taught serves a political agenda. Teachers,

themselves, have political notions they bring into the classroom (Kincheloe, 2008). Freire

believed that education makes sense because women and men learn that through learning

they can make and remake themselves, because women and men are able to take

responsibility for themselves as beings capable of knowing — of knowing that they know

and knowing that they don't" (Freire, 2004, p. 15).

For the actual pedagogy, Freire is best known for his attack on what he called the

"banking" idea of education, in which the student was viewed as an empty account to be

filled by the teacher. He notes that it transforms students into receiving objects. It attempts

to control thinking and action, leads men and women to adjust to the world, and inhibits

their creative power" (Freire, 1970, p. 77).

In addition, thinkers like John Dewey were strongly critical of the transmission of

mere facts as the goal of education. Dewey (1897) often described education as a

mechanism for social change, explaining that education is a regulation of the process of

coming to share in the social consciousness; and that the adjustment of individual activity



13

on the basis of this social consciousness is the only sure method of social reconstruction (p.

16). Clark, R. W., Threeton, M. D., & Ewing, J. C. (2010) stated that if the idea of

experiential learning instructional pedagogy is to provide an authentic context in which

students can benefit from it, educators should expand their knowledge of implementing

experiential learning into their programs. The LEAT program is putting teachers of BIHS in

that context of experiential learning so that it is instructional for them with pedagogy.

Walters, L. M., Garii, B., & Walters, T. (2009) stated that as the US student population

becomes increasingly diverse, teacher education programs need to enable prospective

teachers to meet the varied needs and expectations of students and families, while

simultaneously creating viable classroom communities. Learning opportunities, such as

travel and teaching abroad and the perceptions of 'otherness' this creates, lead to new

perspectives regarding human differences.

While these researches explore many points that the LEAT program seeks to

accomplish in its goal, there are limitations insofar as these studies do not directly address

international schools that welcome immigrants and refugees. Breunig, M. (2005) states that,

there is a lack of congruence between the pedagogical theories that are espoused and the

actual classroom practices that are employed.

Comparative Education

Comparative education is a fully established academic field of study that examines

education in one country (or group of countries) by using data and insights drawn from the

practices and situation in another country, or countries. Programs and courses in

comparative education are offered in many universities throughout the world, and relevant

studies are regularly published in scholarly journals such as Comparative Education,



14

International Review of Education. R. Murray Thomas (1998) reminds us that in its most

inclusive sense, comparative education refers to inspecting two or more educational entities

or events to discover how and why they are alike and different. Thomas points out that

comparative education is generally defined in practice in a more restricted sense. That is, it

refers to the “study of educational likenesses and differences between regions of the world

or between two or more nations….” Stewart Fraser and William Brickman (1968) would

agree with Thomas in their own definition of the field: “Comparative Education is…the

analysis of educational systems and problems in two or more national environments with

socio-political, economic, cultural, ideological, and other contexts.” The studies proposed

here relate truly to the LEAT program because BIHS participants will have the opportunity

to learn the DR education system from the participants there as well as each other’s culture.

Cross-cultural Communication and Understanding

Cross cultural understanding simply refers to the basic ability of people within

business to recognize, interpret and correctly react to people, incidences or situations that

are open to misunderstanding due to cultural differences. The fundamental intention of

cross-cultural training is to equip the learner(s) with the appropriate skills to attain cross-

cultural understanding.

When teachers recognize how a particular cultural perspective influences their own

views about child development and schooling, they can more easily see parents as sources

of knowledge about a different perspective. A stance that reflects the teacher’s respect for

the funds of knowledge that reside in children’s communities is critical to cross-cultural

understanding (Dauber & Epstein 1993; Moll & Greenberg 1991). “Mastery in cross-

cultural communication and understanding in our global village is currently, and will be



15

even more so in the future, a sine qua non in college teaching” (Zoreda, M. L. 1997). Max

Weber's (1920) in his study when comparing cultures proposed that there is a simple

proposition which is often forgotten but should be at the head of every study dealing with

rationalism: it is possible to rationalize life … in very different ways” (p. 8).

Intercultural Competence

In the research studies of “Intercultural competence and training outcomes of

students with experiences abroad” of Behrnd, V., & Porzelt, S. (2011), published in the

International Journal of Intercultural Relations, this is what they said about intercultural

competence:

Study abroad programs become increasingly popular. Often discussed is their effect

on intercultural competence. The present two studies compare the intercultural

competence of students with and without experiences abroad. In the first study

cognitive, affective and cognitive intercultural competence were measured based on

a first model of intercultural competence. In a second study, problem solving, social,

individual, and strategic intercultural competence were measured based on a

different model of intercultural competence. At first glance, no significant influence

of being abroad could be found in the applied MANCOVA for both studies.

However, having been abroad increased intercultural competence in interaction with

the duration of the stay. In Study 1, an effect was found for cognitive intercultural

competence. Additionally, students who stayed a certain number of months showed

higher scores in affective intercultural competence. In Study 2, an effect of being

abroad in interaction with the lengths of the stay was found for problem solving,

individual, and social intercultural competence. Students with at least half a



16

yearlong stays showed a higher score in strategic intercultural competence.

Furthermore, students with experiences abroad benefited more from subsequent

intercultural training in Study 2”. Once the foundations of cross cultural

understanding have been laid, the learner(s), either through continued training or

experiences within the workplace, gradually attains a more acute appreciation of

cultural differences. The different types of appreciation are cross-cultural

knowledge, cross-cultural awareness, cross-cultural sensitivity and cross cultural

competence. Although all the terms may appear similar in meaning, subtle

differences exist between them (p.12).

They touched crucial points such as interaction with local communities, cultural

awareness and differences that the LEAT will cover in its program in the DR. The program

hopes also that participants will gradually attain a more acute appreciation of cultural

differences.

Experiential Learning

Several theorists have drawn on Dewey's theories about the interplay between

experience and learning. The first context of experiential learning, as Smith (2001)

described, it is the sort of learning undertaken by students who are given a chance to

acquire and apply knowledge, skills and feelings in an immediate and relevant setting (p. 1).

LEAT is giving that chance to the teachers of BIHS to have a firsthand cultural experience

so that they can apply the knowledge and skills to their curriculum. Kolb's (1974; 1984)

work on the learning cycle is among the most often cited in relation to experiential learning.

Kolb theorized that learning is a continuous cycle of experience, observation, and

reflection; with each cycle, the student modifies his or her understanding and then tests the



17

new insight with another cycle of experience and observation. Components of the learning

cycle, in turn, correspond to prefer learning styles. As Jarvis (1987) argued, however,

experience is not necessarily followed by reflection or learning. Thus one of the

fundamental challenges in experiential learning is to establish an environment in which the

learning cycle can unfold in its fullest possible depth and scope.

To further explore the evolution of experiential learning, a review of John Dewey‘s

work in the field is appropriate. Dewey (1938) theorized that the basic element required for

learning was experience. By allowing host families, attending cultural events, visiting

schools, having interaction with local teachers, and attending lectures LEAT relates to the

theory of Dewey, which is learning by experience. However, Dewey also believed that

reflection was a key component in making an experience worthwhile; thus, Dewey believed

that experience and reflection were both required for an experience to lead to true learning

for future application. Participants in the LEAT program expressed the needs to have self-

reflection, which they will have in the program.

Goals & Objectives

Program Goal: The program is designed to fill the gap between the students

and the teachers with intercultural competence and understanding the

educational system of students’ countries,

Program Objectives

The program will offer an opportunity to:

Develop experiential education pedagogy and intercultural competency.

Experience the students’ native countries.



18

Give teachers the chance to participate in activities led by lecturers.

Experience cross-cultural activities for local populations & BIHS teachers.

Participants Goal: Participants will develop a greater multicultural competence

and a stronger knowledge of experiential pedagogy that will assist them in

designing their curriculum.

Participants Objectives

By the end of the two week-short term program participants will be able to:

Develop a theoretical framework for communicating in multicultural

environments.

Develop skills in learning around the key theories of intercultural

communication and experiential learning.

Gain an appreciation of experiential pedagogy.

Be able to integrate what they learned abroad, in their curriculum and be able

to use it in class at BIHS.

Needs Assessment

Before the idea of designing a program for teachers to go to the countries where

their students originate from, the need was already expressed by the majority of BIHS

teachers to have something concrete, which would enable them of having a survey of the

cultures and educational systems of their students’ native countries, which can assist them

in curriculum design. A concrete experience will be beneficial even though many of the



19

teachers have traveled abroad. One of the History teachers went to China with the program

teach abroad. One of the ELL teachers went to Japan by her own just to experience being

abroad and she taught English there. One of the Sciences teachers just came from the DR; it

is her first time outside the United States. The Assistant Principal studied abroad in

Madagascar. The Assistant Principal of the school I interviewed talked about her experience

in Africa with a study abroad program, “I studied abroad in Madagascar when I was in

College” (personal communication, February 22, 2013). She enjoyed her experience in that

country because she enjoyed learning other cultures and languages. Her time abroad helped

her discover another aspect of herself, which is her love for travel. She made a good point

because traveling offers a wonderful opportunity to know the diversity with which the

world is filled with, the culture and tradition of various nations as well as the different

lifestyles and habits of people at the same time. David Shaddick (2001) supported that

traveling to new cultures and interacting with strangers teaches one as much about oneself

as it does about other people. That time abroad in Madagascar awakened the Assistant

Principal’s desire to expand upon her the intercultural experience or connection and wanted

to learn more. She felt that going abroad provided here a self-reflection. As Martin Luther

King, Jr. (1963) once said, “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in

moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and

controversy (p.34).” Self-reflection while you’re overseas is a key for personal growth,”

(Doman Melissa, 2013). The Assistant Principal mentioned that she grew up in the United

States and she has seen only one sort of society, she said. She did not grow up with

exposure to different cultures in her surrounding even though she had friends from other

cultures. Her friends were from different countries but living in the United States since they



20

were little and she thinks they are very “Americanized” that is why she has not had much

exposure to different cultures. She believes going abroad will help you to be fully immersed

into another culture, which allows you to develop confidence and how to navigate in a

foreign culture and language. Hughes Sherick (2003) supports by saying that teachers must

come to understand the real lived experience of the families and children they teach. He

argues that teachers need support, motivation, and experiences related to cultures other than

their own to engage in effective cross-cultural teaching. Similarly to the Assistant Principal,

I found the same desire of intercultural learning from the dance teacher who went to

Senegal through SIT study abroad because she was interested in studying West African

philosophers like Leopold Senghor but ended-up learning dance. The English as a Second

Language (ESL) teacher went to Japan to teach English for two years because she wanted to

experience teaching to non-English speakers, moreover to move to a different environment,

different culture.

Furthermore, in the interview and focus group process, many thoughts were raised

about why teachers chose to teach at an International High School. The Assistant Principal

said that she was very frustrated working at a traditional city high school and the fact that

she wanted to help students but there was little follow-up. She was amazed by the culture

when she visited BIHS, as well as how the students work together so well. She felt

comfortable when she visited BIHS for the first time and thought the support of both

academics and socio-emotional services she found there fit her ideology. The enjoyment of

working with students from different background was unanimous for both teachers from the

focus group and the Assistant Principal.



21

All the teachers and the Assistant Principal who were interviewed agreed that they

have or had challenges understanding students. For example the language and social issues

that prevent students from hearing each other is one of them. One of the challenges that

teachers are facing is that, “Because the students have such various backgrounds, their

education backgrounds are so different and teachers want to challenge every student,”

(personal communication, February 22, 2013). It is hard for the teacher, because being the

only person in the classroom and the only one designing a curriculum for the students.

Teachers have a sole responsibility for designing the curriculum even though they have to

have the Principal look at it and approve it. Teachers also have to face the fact that

sometimes students are self-conscious about what others think of them so that it inhibits

their participation in class.

The Assistant Principal in her interview also mentioned communication because she

thinks that it is a challenge for the teachers with the language barriers sometimes, even

though they are trying to overcome them by pairing up students with native language

support to help those who don’t understand have a translator. Xiaofan, Liao (2001) argued

that it is shown that effective intercultural communication could be attained in classrooms if

teachers understand the process and develop an intercultural communicative perspective

toward it. It’s in the same impetus of communication that teachers in focus groups, I

conducted, discussed about many challenges they are facing when teaching in their different

classes. The dance teacher stated the miscommunication that they often meet.

I think what is challenging is there are miscommunications because we have

different meanings even we are all fluent in English, we come from different cultural

backgrounds. Something might be the norm for one person and might be offensive for



22

another so the terrain is right there for a misunderstanding. What is rewarding is that same

diversity cultures and understandings because we are able to approach things from a variety

of ideas and I read something that the most effective groups are the most diverse so if that’s

true then our groups are going to be five million times effective, because they are so

diverse, they approach things from a lot of different points and they also bring a lot of

different knowledge to the table. I end up learning a lot about the world from my students

(personal communication, February 22, 2013).

The need of understanding the different meanings are key to help teach a class with

students of different backgrounds. Mostly all the teachers agreed with the dance teacher

about miscommunication and they also think that they are also learning from their students

that helps them understand a bit about their cultures. The ESL teacher went further and said

that it is not only their culture but also their education background and the sort of schooling

they are used to is something they are trying to navigate and adjust that the system here:

Just add to that there is not only their culture but also their education cultural

backgrounds so the kind of schooling they are used to, really different from what we

are studying here and from what other students are used to. Just being able to see,

observe, navigate those different backgrounds, and bring them to the education

setting here is very rewarding” (personal communication, February 22, 2013).

By looking at various stakeholders at BIHS it is clear that the LEAT program will be

beneficial. BIHS has identified the need of how to prepare its teachers to more effectively

work with its immigrant’s students and with culturally diverse students as well as

establishing the best environment for all the stakeholders within the school. The school will



23

benefit a lot from the fact its teachers can travel to the countries of origin of its students.

There is also the need to provide opportunities to the students and teachers at BIHS,

especially the teachers in order to best support the school with ongoing professional

development. BIHS acknowledges that there is a need for better educational model for

immigrant students because if the curriculum at the school is designed for their success in

high school and there are more resources for helping them apply to college and be

successful.

To assess the needs, the LEAT program considers all the stakeholders of the school

including BIHS staff, teachers, students and the parents.

BIHS Staff

The staff members play an important role within the school. They are made up of

former teachers in the same school, or elsewhere, they are often bilingual and / or are

former students from the school or other schools like BIHS. In this direction, having a staff

member as the coordinator of LEAT is beneficial to the school and for all those involved in

the school as well as students. The staff members have many daily interactions with the

students, so this will help them understand better the culture, customs, and educational

system of their students. Sometimes students confide in staff members. Teachers

collaborate extensively as well with the staff in order to do well in assisting the students. In

the final analysis, it helps to have a staff in the group travel to the DR. An email, including

the description of the position will be sent to all BIHS staff members. The ideal applicant

has knowledge about the country of destination, the DR in this case, and speaks the local

language, Spanish. Once candidates are identified, the coordinator will be selected based on



24

the ability the person has in terms of Language, First responder training, management, and

leading a group (See Appendix A for program coordinator description).

Teachers

The teachers that I interviewed express the needs to have the students value the

courses they are teaching them because it can help them explore their own experiences and

ideas about the world. “In history, I try to teach them themes and how people change, how

they progress so I try to bring subjects that are related to their countries and incorporate

historical events that will make them take pride of their own nationalities”, (personal

communication, February, 22, 2013). Also some challenges teachers expressed they are

facing making themselves understood by the students, are choosing a language that will

help them be understood by all the students. They are referring to spoken and written

language. Some students do not believe they can understand the teachers, so they need to

communicate in a way that expresses their confidence that they can understand.

Yeah, just to put more of a specific content, I agree to what they say but in

Math the one big that challenges them is the fact that sometimes there is not

always a hands on tangible way to explain Math to them. We are dealing

with a lot of conceptual things, the vocabulary and the conceptual aspects of

mathematics is another language itself so I feel like the cultural parts of the

different languages complicate that a time when there is not a direct thing

you can say this is this and that is that” (personal communication, February

22, 2013).



25

LEAT and BIHS will work together to satisfy the teachers’ needs to have a

curriculum that is appropriate for the students. Some students act out sometimes because the

work is not appropriate for them. “Just add to that there is not only their culture but also

their education cultural backgrounds so the kind of schooling they are used to, really

different from what we are studying here and from what other students are used to”

(personal communication, February 22, 2013). There are books about education systems of

other countries, but they may or may not be reflective of individual students’ experiences in

the education system. Kids from the village will have different experiences than kids from

the city, even if there is a national education program. “Students develop educational and

occupational plans that build upon their backgrounds of experiences” (Odell, 1988, p. 29).

The program in the DR is very relevant because it is helpful to understand the education

system of the DR in order to understand what assumptions teachers might be making about

what school should look like. If students feel understood and valued then they are more

likely to listen, in my class observations experience. If they know that you are interested in

their experiences then that helps them feel understood and valued. “We don’t know a lot

about the countries of our students” (personal communication, February 22, 2013. Not

many of the teachers studied abroad, from the five teachers interviewed, only two studied

abroad even though all of teachers indicated that study abroad is necessary and useful for

understanding the English Language Learners (ELL) ---if you are in language and culture

class with other Americans all the time and aren’t interacting with people from the country,

there are limits to what you will understand about where you are. To have a valuable time

abroad, it is important how you spend the time there. If you are sightseeing as a tourist that

is less helpful than living with families and seeing what their daily life is like. “I think it



26

would be extremely helpful especially if we were able to visit some schools. If that was part

of the program, to be able to shadow teachers where we can see how the educational system

works and classrooms work, how students, and teachers are doing” (personal

communication, February 22, 2013).

Students

One of the teachers at BIHS is a former student. “I am the product of the Brooklyn

International High School” (personal communication, February 22, 2013). She came back

to the school as a substitute teacher to teach History. She knows better than anybody else

what the students’ needs are. “I came back to give back as well because I am familiar with

the modal and I also love the population” (personal communication, February 22, 2013).

The student need to relate to the teachers as the substitute teachers mentioned in the focus

group; “It’s like it’s my home, I can relate to the students” (personal communication,

February 22, 2013). The students want to see the teachers as their models, so it is important

to have teachers that understand them, understand where they come from, who they are, and

what kind of education system they are used to.

Parents

The parents are playing an important role in their children’s academic success, so

that’s why it is important to find ways to engage them in their children’s education.

Strengthening parents’ involvement in their children’s education will help also the teachers,

for example when they give students homework. Traveling to the countries where the

students are from is valuing the parents as well and it is motivations to support them help

their children’s educational development. It is another way to empower families to better



27

support, their children’s education. It is expected way to develop relationships with families

for a better communication between parents and school staff, and to monitor students’

progress.

Program Description

LEAT’s program is a two week-short-term learning abroad program for the teachers

of BIHS. Forum on Education Abroad defines “Short-term” as any education abroad

program that is eight weeks or shorter. Short-term education abroad programs are

exponentially growing according to The Forum on Education Abroad in their forum

Standards of Good Practice for Short-Term Education Abroad (2009). The forum mentions

also that the Standards for Short-Term Programs are meant to provide a means to assess and

improve the programs to which they refer. In this regard, users should view them as a tool

to help evaluate the quality of their programs. It is in this regard that LEAT relates its

program to the Good Practice for Short-Term Education Abroad. The forum states that

short-term programs greatly expand study abroad participation by attracting students from

groups that are less likely to study abroad for a semester or full-year, whether for financial,

academic or personal reasons. It applies to BIHS teachers since they only have time for a

short-term program. For the pilot program only four teachers will go with the program

coordinator. The program will take place every summer, and teachers will visit a country,

where the students originate from, for two weeks. One reason that the DR was chosen as the

pilot program is the country is close to the United States, therefore air travel time will be

minimal and the program’s cost will be manageable. In addition, 10 % of BIHS’s student

body is made up of Spanish speakers coming mostly from the DR. There will be an in-

country coordinator to prepare the program in the DR, including hiring lecturers, reserving



28

for school visits, and preparing the terrain, and in recruiting host families. Participants will

stay with host families and the in-country coordinator will ensure the quality and the

training of the home stay families. Participants will also visit high schools and attend Math,

Science, Language, and History/Geography classes to understand what is being taught in

local schools. Santiago Christian School in Santiago and Colegio Adventista in Puerto

Plata, a fully accredited school in Santiago is the host school. In their visits they will go to

classrooms with only local Dominican teachers. However they will have the opportunity to

interact with American teachers to hear their experiences and ask them share what they

have learned from their time in the DR. Colegio Adventista is the oldest, and respected

Catholic school in the country. It mostly has Spanish speaking students, however many

foreigners also attend this school. Visiting schools with students from the United States and

interacting with them can help participants understand the country's education system, the

environment where the students lived, and understand better the culture. The LEAT

program will fill the gap between the students and the teachers at BIHS. The first week

participants will stay in Santiago and in Puerto Plata the second visiting classrooms,

attending lectures, participating in cultural events and interacting with their host families

and local people. There will be one day drop off where participants will be sent to any

educational instructional site in the city of Santiago to provoke awareness of being in a

foreign place by your own for the first time (See Appendix B for Program schedule).

Curriculum

LEAT will target BIHS teachers to be the inaugural participants in its program.

LEAT and BIHS have collaborated to plan a study abroad curriculum that gives participants



29

a multidimensional international experience in the DR to create opportunities to deepen

their understanding of the DR society and education system through home-stays, lectures,

language partners, cultural interactions, and school visits. NAFSA’s Guide to Successful

Short-Term Programs Abroad, Sarah E. Spencer & Kathy Tuma (2002) said that immersion

requires time, as language learning takes time, though intensive language instruction has

long ago proven its worth. Immersion in another culture (e.g., home stays) can and should

be a very intense experience. When a student studies abroad his or her education grows

exponentially faster than if he or she stays home. The student lives and learns in his or her

host culture; every interaction is an opportunity to learn, and to share his or her culture with

others. His or her experience will translate into tangible benefits throughout his or her life.

The NAFSA's Statement of Professional Competencies for International Educators (2009)

shows that study abroad will foster knowledge of the educational system of countries as

well as their social, political, economic, and cultural environments. As the program

develops, it will include many more of the countries that students at BIHS are from.

The philosophy behind such program is to situate participants in a learning

experience so that BIHS teachers can fill the previously identified gap between intercultural

competency and pedagogy. Thus the LEAT program will allow elements of both adults and

transformational learning into its agenda to achieve multiple achieve long-term outcomes

that align with the mission of the institution. Transformative learning (Mezirow, 1991,

1995, 1996; Cranton, 1994, 1996) is the process of effecting change in a frame of reference.

Adults have acquired a coherent body of experience—associations, concepts, values,

feelings, and conditioned responses—frames of reference that define their life world. The

U.S. Department of Labor’s SCANS report (1991) identifies acquiring and using



30

information, identifying and organizing resources, working with others, interpreting

information, and understanding complex interrelationships as essential competencies and

skills.

In terms of adult learning theory, Knowles, M. (1996, pp. 253-264) identified six

ways of application of Adult Learning Theory:

Adults have a need to know why they should learn something.

Adults have a deep need to be self-directing.

Adults have a greater volume and different quality of experience than youth.

Adults become ready to learn when they experience in their life situations a

need to know or be able to do in order to perform more effectively and

satisfyingly.

Adults enter into a learning experience with a task-centered (or problem-

centered or life-centered) orientation to learning.

Adults are motivated to learn by both extrinsic and intrinsic motivators.

The LEAT and BIHS are responding to the needs of the stakeholders by answering

the demand of cultural and pedagogical understanding of teachers to fill the gap between

them and their students. This component is one of Knowles’ learning theories such as adults

becoming ready to learn when they experience in their life situations a need to know or be

able to do in order to perform more effectively and satisfyingly. The LEAT program will

give participants a clear picture of cultural learning because of the idea that learning about

each other's cultures is beneficial for both teachers and local communities who are hosting

the participants. Gollnick & Chinn (1986) stated that teachers' attitudes and perceptions

about students from diverse cultures play a major role in their expectations of students. The

program will help participants understand more clearly the term globalization, which can be

defined as an elimination of barriers to trade, communication, and cultural exchange. For

Robertson (1992), the rise of global or planetary consciousness, meaning that individual

phenomenology will take as their reference point the entire world rather than local or



31

national communities, is part of a very conceptual definition of globalization. If it is true

that globalization is one of the key concepts of the twenty-first century, it is also true that it

is one of the most hotly debated and contested. Globalization is reshaping how we have

traditionally gone about studying the social world and human culture and a field of

globalization studies is now emerging across the disciplines (Appelbaum & Robinson,

2005).

Teachers will have the chance to hear different perspectives from other teachers

abroad. It is the ideal opportunity to address two kinds of educational systems; at the same

time the participants will be able to create a comparative education, with a view to discuss

not only these similarities, but also the differences. The program will enable participants to

implement the experiential education theory, the theory of learning by doing (hands-on).

Part of being an effective educator involves understanding how adults learn best (Lieb,

1991). Adult learners have prior experiences to draw from, and that can help a lot to

contribute to all participants learning experience. The LEAT program will offer that

environment through dialogue to allow teachers and local people to exchange ideas so that

learning can happen. LEAT curriculum will offer opportunities for reflection and discussion

through language partners, group processing. That way it will be easy for learners to better

understand the local education system. Teachers will process their learning through lectures

and visits so that they can raise questions to help answer uncertainties. Adults are internally

motivated and self-directed so free times are included in the curriculum. Thus giving them

free time to reflect acknowledges that adults are used to take care of themselves and their

basic needs.



32

Furthermore, it will allow individual exploration to increase adult learners’

internal growth. “Adult learners resist learning when they feel others are imposing

information, ideas or actions on them” (Fidishun, 2000, p. 4). Knowing that only open

discussions will be given and also direct exposure to reality so that personal learning will be

possible. It means that adults bring life experiences and knowledge to learning experiences,

so opportunity will be giving to use their existing foundation of knowledge and experiences

gained from life experience, and apply it to their new learning experiences. Adults become

ready to learn when "they experience a need to learn it in order to cope more satisfyingly

with real-life tasks or problems" (Knowles, 1980 p. 44, as cited in Fidishun, 2000). After

being exposed to hands on schools and activities, and opportunities for discussion with

teachers and communities in the DR, and free time, participants will be able to strengthen

their own curriculum once back to their home classrooms. Back home, the will share with

other stakeholders within the school. The students will benefit from what teachers will put

in their curriculum but a professional development will be organized so that teachers can

share with BIHS staff and administration.

Pre-departure orientation

Before departing for the DR, participants will engage in a two-day-pre-departure and

pre-curriculum orientation at BIHS to prepare them and have an overview of what they will

be doing in the country. They will also address the goals and objectives of the program; and

as well as a survival Spanish for those who do not speak the language at all. During the

orientation, someone from the DR living in the US who is proficient in English will come

give a two-hour introduction of the country’s culture and education system. He or She also

will introduce the Caribbean countries just to give participants an overview of the



33

similarities and differences that exist in the DR and other countries around (See Appendix C

for pre-departure orientation).

Lectures

Lectures will be held in the ministry of education. Participants will be able to attend

a lecture about the school system in the DR such as the public & private school, the grade

levels, educational policy, programs available, students support, safety & activities, testing

system, parent’s involvement, relationship between teachers and students, and students’

behavior. It will allow participants to get a sense of the education system and teachers will

be given time to ask questions that they think are relevant to their challenge in teaching

students from the DR in particular and the Caribbean in general. Four lectures in total at

high schools with interactive discussions will be held in Santiago and in Puerto Plata. The

lectures in the high schools will talk about students’ behavior, trainings available for

teachers, how teachers are trained, classroom management, and students support.

Intercultural competence training

Intercultural (or cross-cultural) competency is now the term being used to describe

the ability to work across cultures through an instilled understanding of cultures on a

general level in terms of communication and working styles. This ability occurs in tandem

with behavioral and attitudinal changes. Cultural competency training seeks to provide

participants with an insight into how cultures differ. Once this foundation has been set a

facilitator then explores manifestations of culture in a number of settings, whether work or

personal. Through greater self-awareness participants are encouraged to develop personal

strategies that can be implemented when working across cultures. Through discussions



34

participants will be able to deal effectively and appropriately with diversity, whether ethnic,

racial, religious, or cultural and education systems.

Language lessons

Language is the human capacity for acquiring and using complex systems of

communication, and a language is any specific example of such a system. Language

learning is an important aspect of the program because it will put participants in the same

situation as their students. The Spanish teacher of the schools in Santiago and Puerto Plata

will give participants lessons. They will have survival Spanish at the pre-departure

orientation so that they will arrive in the DR able to use greetings and important useful

expressions.

School visits

To strengthen participants in intercultural communication skills, the program offers

interactive activities throughout the stay with teachers from the DR, students at the schools

they will visit, homestay families, and other local communities. The hope is that through the

program in the DR, BIHS teachers will gain a better understanding of the country culture,

values, and education system. The expectation is that participants will increase their cultural

competency and understand better the way the DR and/or Caribbean students behave. The

first week all the learning will take place in Santiago, visiting schools, cultural activities,

attending interactive lectures. The second week participants will travel to Puerto Plata to do

kind of the same activities that they will be doing in Santiago.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communication



35

Journaling time

Free time will be given in between two cities to take a break and explore by their

own and also process by journaling what they will be learning so that once back home they

can use it to create a professional development for the whole school staff and teachers.

From that, each teacher will incorporate what he or she gains into his or her curriculum.

Cultural activities

Free activities that they will be doing outside of school visits are: Church Events

Evangelical Christian “Cultos”, Spiritual Saint Invocation/Offering Ceremonies often called

“Palos”, Township Celebrations of Patron Saints of Townships and Municipalities. Across

from the Monumento is the Gran Teatro del Cibao, which presents performances by artists

of national and international standing. It is composed of two main halls: La Restauración

and the Julio Alberto Hernández hall. The Catedral Santiago Apóstol was constructed from

1868 to 1895; its towers demonstrate a mixture of the Gothic and Neoclassical styles.

Inside, among other interesting features, the beautiful altar carved from mahogany stands

out. The Mercado Modelo on the Calle del Sol is another site they can visit. This is a

commercial center composed of artisan shops and handmade items native to the region.

More local color, though of a slightly different type, can be found just down the road at the

Centro de la Cultura de Santiago, on the corner of Calle Benito Monción. This is the place

for cultural events and activities related to the fine arts. There are usually showings of

paintings, sculpture, plays, ballet, concerts, and jazz, among others. They will have the

chance to discover Merengue music in Puerto Plata which was born in the DR.



36

Informative discussions

When attending the lectures from the Ministry of education, Schools in Santiago and

Puerto Plata, discussions will be open to talk about similarities and differences between the

US and DR systems in order to allow American teachers or the DR teachers to take what

are important from that to take back home. Small groups of two with one American and one

Dominican will be together discussing about their issues and how to create solutions. After

an hour of informative discussion on education topics like student behavior, and classroom

management, each duo will report to the large group to show their responses and the

solutions they may have for any topic discussed. It is expected that they bring similarities

and differences on the table in terms of culture, values, learning styles, teaching styles, and

resources. That way cultural knowledge and competency will be increased.

Brainstorming time

In order to make sure that the increase is achieved, BIHS teachers will have a time

to brainstorm and share all the learning within the group. Therefore, every morning before

moving to the next step of activities of each day, participants debrief as a group to talk

about experiences learned and to talk about lows and highs of the day before in terms of

issues with participants individually and confidentially.

Re-entry

When the participants will come back to the NYC, a re-entry session will take place

one day in the month of July to meet and talk about their experience and share with other

teachers. They will meet at a Dominican restaurant in NYC for lunch in order to remember

the country and the wonderful time in the DR.



37

Staffing Plan

The LEAT program will need a coordinator who will be in charge of organizing and

taking care of all the program needs to ensure everything will be in place. A search will be

conducted at the school and see who has previous experience and who is dedicated to

promote the LEAT program. In this case, he / she will have more time to take care of

everything throughout the timeline. He / she will also be responsible for recruiting people

adequate for the purposes of the program. He/she will take care as well of recruiting the in-

country coordinator in the DR When the LEAT coordinator is chosen, she/he will begin

recruiting the in-country coordinator in early October. The in-country coordinator will be

recruited based on his/her specific skills He / She will be the in-country support and will be

in charge of recruiting the lecturers in collaboration with the US coordinator (See Appendix

D for in-country coordinator).

Program Marketing

The LEAT marketing plan targets all BIHS teachers because the program wants to

have all disciplines represented in the trip. BIHS has four math teachers, four ESL teachers,

four sciences teachers, one dance teacher, one gym teacher and one art teacher, moreover

there are other teachers in all discipline who work as staff members and are subjects to

substitute teachers in case someone is absent. The marketing plan is designed to target all

teachers and will include only four teachers for the final selection because those four

teachers will be the pilot participants for the first year but will be opened to more for the

following year; this diversity will make it a highly desirable program for teacher

participation in BIHS. While the BIHS is the LEAT pilot program, the design itself is

suitable to be replicated in other international public high schools in New York City and



38

throughout the country. LEAT targets teachers that are working with international high

schools and or immigrants population. LEAT’s niche is found in its ability to provide

intercultural competency training within the field of teacher education, identity, language

diversity, and various cultural upbringings. The marketing plan will involve the LEAT

program, BIHS, and the International Network for Public Schools. The marketing will

begin at the first day of October until the end of November.

For the LEAT marketing tools, BIHS will update its website and put an

announcement that will explain the program and provides resources for the teachers. A

meeting follow-up once a month will take place to talk about the program and get new

information to update about the country visit. BIHS teachers will use their weekly meeting

to discuss the curriculum and the program. A newsletter will be sent to teachers as a

reminder to think about the program calendar and promote the country visit. Certain internet

tools will be important to use such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter to advertize the program

and inspire teachers get to exchange ideas and get ready.

The marketing is targeting only BIHS teachers first; however, later on it can be

expand to other international schools in NYC by getting published on International Network

for Public Schools’ website to promote the program for future applicability in other schools.

Also make it possible to have information sessions at international public high schools, and

to have symposium to bring all international high school teachers together.



39

Admission & Recruitment

The program is intended for teachers of BIHS, it is not like the traditional study

abroad programs where participants must pay to attend. Since the LEAT program shall be

reserved only to the teachers with the sole aim of enabling them to improve their pedagogy

and expand understand of their students’ countries and cultures, the admission is open to

whoever wishes to participate from BIHS and from other international schools in the future.

Nevertheless, the recruitment will be based on teachers who express a need and especially

who have never left the United States and participates in any program abroad. The priority

is therefore given to teachers who have never participated in a study abroad program and

especially who frequently utilize their colleagues, who have had an experience abroad, to

better understand their students or classroom management. There will be flexibility in the

recruitment to allow at least one teacher who speaks Spanish to be part of the pilot group to

the DR. The goal is to have every teacher be able to go to as many programs as possible. In

order for everyone to have the same opportunities, teachers who participate in the DR

program will let others go to the next program, and so on. Ideally, the rotation will be so

that each teacher visits at least one country in the Caribbean world and South America, a

country in Asia (China, Bangladesh, India, Yemen, a country in West Africa, and a country

of Eastern Europe as well as a country of former Eastern bloc (Uzbekistan, Ukraine, Russia,

Tajikistan, etc.)

Teachers who are interested must send a letter of interest/intention to the LEAT

coordinator. The letter should be one page-long and include what the teacher hopes to get

out of the program. The US LEAT coordinator will deliver recruitment information by

email about the admission requirements at the beginning of October so that all the teachers



40

can be aware of the program and prepare them accordingly. It is desirable but not required

to have a teacher who speaks Spanish and who has never been abroad on the program. Early

December all the participants will give their confirmation to be part of the journey to the

DR. That way we can start the process of informing and procedures. BIHS teacher will be

made aware of this opportunity by the listserv of BIHS group email available via the

administration. The recruitment process will be put on the weekly announcements of BIHS

html page. The same announcement will be sent to the New York City Department of

Education and the Internationals Network for Public Schools to encourage future programs

and to extend the opportunity to external participants at other international middle and high

schools in New York and other locations in the United States.

Logistics

All participants must obtain a passport four months prior to the date of departure.

All participants are required to coordinate with the entire group about booking their own

round trip tickets so that a group ticket can be booked at the same time to obtain a discount.

If there are some participants who wish to stay at the DR longer than the LEAT program, it

will be the participants’ responsibility to book their own ticket but the departure day should

be the same for everybody.

Transportation

Participants in LEAT of BIHS travel together to the DR and leave from LaGuardia

Airport (LGA) and arrive at Santo Domingo Airport (SDQ) with one stop at Miami with

American Airline and the ticket costs around $600 for a round trip.



41

Ground Transportation

All participants will take the subway and bus MTA transportation to get to LGA.

For Airport Pick up and Drop off upon arrival in Santo Domingo Airport participants will

be picked up in a rental bus, which will also be utilized for their return to the airport. For

getting around bus service will be rented called 'gua-guas' (pronounced "Gwa-Gwas": small

battered vans or trucks that serve as a collective taxi running fixed routes that are very

cheap).

Accommodations in Santiago and Puerto Plata

For the first night participants will stay in double occupancy hotel rooms in

Santiago. The next day, they will go to live with host families for the rest of the stay in

Santiago. When they travel to Puerto Plata they will stay in a hotel as well and join their

host families there the next day. Participants have the choice to say with whom they want to

share room at the hotels but each participant will have a different host family.

Visits

There will be four schools visits (two visits in Santiago and two in Puerto Plata).

They will also visit the department of education in Santiago to attend a lecture on the DR

education system. There will be a drop off where the gua-gua bus will take participants to

different places but they are supposed to be back to the school by themselves. There will

also be some cultural events they will attend, so the gua-gua will be used as well to go there

around Santiago and Puerto Plata. When visiting the schools the program will provide

meals for BIHS teachers and teachers from the schools visited.



42

Technology

A laptop and an Ipad will be provided by BIHS in concordance with the NYCDOE,

to use only and for the participants to connect sometimes with their families. Everyday

someone will take the laptop at her/his host family for personal use and blog entry to

provide data for the program for future trips. Each participant will be given a cell phone and

minutes to be in touch at anytime.

Food

When the teachers are staying in hotels, they will eat at restaurants. They will have

lunch by themselves when they will do the drop off in Santiago. In order to spend time with

their host families, participants will eat dinner and breakfast with their families to foster a

full immersion.

Health and Safety Plan

The LEAT team is aware of addressing all eventualities; therefore the team

recognizes the importance of setting policies and procedures to safeguard the safety and

security of the participants involving in their time abroad.

The program will try providing a stable and secure environment for BIHS

participants and will try to meet the needs of the teachers. That is why LEAT is committed

and dedicated to consider the participants and staff as its first priorities in terms of health

and safety. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), (2011) recommends

that before visiting the DR, one may need to get vaccinations and medications for vaccine-

preventable diseases and other diseases one might be at risk for at ones destination. This is a



43

website where the recommended immunization for adult and additional we resources on

travel medicine, clinics and inoculations (See Appendix E for Important Health and Safety

contacts, websites and phones).

The US coordinator will make sure that each participant visits his / her doctor or

health-care provider to determine what the person will need, depending on factors such as

his / her health and immunization history according the areas of the country that the

program will be visiting, and planned activities. All participants will see a health-care

provider at least 6 weeks before the trip to allow time for vaccines to take effect and t start

taking medicine to prevent malaria and other medications, if needed.

In the pre-departure orientation an Emergency Contact list of LEAT, BIHS, and

Schools of Santiago and Puerto Plata staff will be provided. The LEAT staff and on-site

coordinator will work closely with the U.S. Department of State Travel Warnings, Travel

Alerts and country-relevant information at all times. Participants will become acquainted

with the LEAT Health and Safety handbook that the two coordinators (the US and in-

country coordinators) will provide. The handbook consists of local communities’ maps,

public sites, and emergency numbers and addresses in both Spanish and English and will

serve as guidelines and protocol procedures for participants to follow in case of emergency

and staff LEAT, both in New York and the DR; will be on duty 24/7 to respond to any

emergency call. In that momentum, the LEAT program will be become member of

International SOS, a company that provides medical and emergency assistance advising,

travel insurance, doctor and hospitals referrals, and emergency evacuation if necessary.

Participants can visit the International SOS website and access to the Alarm Center where

they can call to have more information.



44

The LEAT program will have a coordinator who will lead and facilitate the group in

their learning abroad. She/he will be First Aid and CPR certified so that the person is the

crucial influence on safety and quality. Additionally, the in-country coordinator will have

knowledge about the country health and safety information. She/he will provide an

effective, high quality supervision that will be essential for the safety of learners and for the

quality of the learning environment.

Insurance is an important aspect of managing learning experiences abroad. All

participants should have their own health insurance as well as have SOS for the program,

considering they are adults they need to be responsible for themselves as well. Each

participant who is going with the program should purchase insurance a month prior to

departure so that our in-country person can arrange the matching insurance to hospitals. In

any case three English-speaking hospitals have already been located in Santo Domingo,

which is Clinica Corazones Unidos, Union Medical Norte in Santiago and Centro Medico

Bournigal in Puerto Plata. During our pre-departure training discuss will be opened and

information will be given to everybody about the country health system as well as the safety

situations and to prevent any unnecessary illness, accidents or injuries. A list of health

services and providers as well as medical and emergency forms will be sent to all

participants. Add to that all participants’ medical information documents are required.

LEAT program will be become member of International SOS, a company that

provides medical and emergency assistance advising, travel insurance, doctor and hospitals

referrals, and emergency evacuation if necessary. To assist, advice, and pay attention to the

participants throughout the duration of the program, the two coordinators (in-country person

and the BIHS leader) will provide ongoing health care, and safety. Ongoing information



45

will be provided as well about legal, environmental, political, cultural, and religious

conditions in the host country. This information includes an explanation of any local risks

that have been identified, tips for enhancing personal safety, and the distribution of local

emergency contact information to each participant including phone numbers and addresses

to local hospitals and police stations. In addition, all staff and participants will have access

to a cellular phone, a first aid kit, and health documents. (See Appendix E for important

health and safety contacts).

Crisis Management Plan

“Crisis management is the art of making decisions to head off or mitigate the effects

of such an event, often while the event itself is unfolding. This often means making

decisions about your institution’s future while you are under stress and while you lack key

pieces of information”, (Security Strategies For Today’s Dangerous World).

“NAFSA: Association of International Educators is trying to promote the exchange

of students and scholars to and from the United States. The association sets and upholds

standards of good practice and provides professional education and training that strengthen

institutional programs and services related to international educational exchange. NAFSA

provides a forum for discussion of awareness and support for international education in

higher education in government and in the community, (International Standard Book,

1985). NAFSA advises study abroad programs led by universities, third-party providers and

other institutions, etc., in how best to minimize country risk and damages to their programs

derived from negative externalities ranging from “Health-related topics, such as depression,

anorexia and bulimia, terminal illness, pregnancy, rape, and abortion, Social issues



46

including relationship / domestic violence, alcohol, as well as drug abuse, political turmoil

and terrorism, Missing persons, car accidents, accidental death from any cause, Natural

disasters, International financial crises, Suicide, murder, and criminal activity”, (Burak &

Hoffa, 2001, p. 35).

NAFSA assists in setting up a crisis management plan, with the experiences and

expertise of many professionals they have gathered in the field of international educational

exchange, both those who work with international students studying on U.S. campuses and

those who work with U.S. students studying in other countries. Consequently, in accordance

with the guidelines developed by NAFSA team has adapted a crisis management plan,

which will be implemented by the coordinators in order to properly prepare for and respond

to any crisis likely to occur. The plan will also outline an overview of events, which may

occur in the DR and adequately address them. Participants and the general interests of risk

management program will be optimized.

Crisis Management Levels

LEAT has identified its own program-specific crisis management procedures and a

description of the overall integrated crisis management program:

Crisis Level 1: Level A is made up of crisis circumstances that can be processed by the

staff who are first responder or other support staff who are in the immediate vicinity from

the place of crisis. Such cases include mostly of slight injuries and mild disease and can be

addressed in the Handbook of Health and Safety and treated on site. In general there is no

need of any external medical assistance.

Crisis Level 2: The Level 2 consists of a lost passport or problems with travel visas. While

the procedures in case of crisis for this level are outlined in the handbook of health and



47

safety, the staff of the LEAT program has the knowledge, expertise, information and how to

contact the U.S. Embassy in the RD for assistance if required.

Crisis Level 3: Level 3 includes case of emergency, which in collaboration the staff of

LEAT requires using additional resources and people beyond the regular program and staff

personnel. It also covers individuals and organizations such as consulates, embassies,

lawyers, and/or legal counsel and the police.

Crisis Level 4: Level 4 types of cases are classified as “uncontrolled circumstances” due to

a natural disaster, social unrest in the country or death. A Level 4 crisis may warrant an

early leave/withdrawal from the program. In the event of an early or emergency program

leave, an evacuation plan has been developed by the LEAT program, which would include

either relocating to a safer place or possibly leaving the country. In either case, program

staff and participants will be advised and oriented to the evacuation plan in a most timely

fashion In summary, the LEAT staff will have the participants’ emergency contact

information available at all times and will be able to make arrangements to support program

participants at the highest level of any of the crisis Levels - from dealing with a minor

illness to an eventual early program withdrawal or evacuation. The International SOS offers

the necessary resources in emergency situations.

Budget and Budget Notes

The total budget is $14,450 including the airfare. Teachers will pay for their round

trip tickets to the DR and the average cost of a ticket is $ 600. To assist the teachers, a

fundraising event will be organized. It will reach former BIHS students who are employed

now and potential donors in NYC. The BIHS grant writer will write grant proposals for

support from many partnerships that are already helping international schools in NYC such



48

as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, Stuart

Foundation. NYCDOE can also participate in the funding as well as other external sources.

The Internationals Network for Public Schools has a good list of partners that can help. The

LEAT coordinator ticket will come from the money gathered from fundraising events,

donors and other funding. There will be 6 people traveling to the DR.

An expert of the DR will be hired to give a presentation about the DR education

system, culture, health & safety within the country. His/her pay will come from the budget

from the money gathered. For the two-day-orientation, lunch and snack will be provided.

Documents will be printed for the participants (See Appendix F for budget).

Coordinators

The US coordinator will be working from the beginning of the school year to

returning home from the DR. She/he will be working through this timeline and will get paid

accordingly. The in-country coordinator will be working as much as the US coordinator to

prepare the program there. Their salaries will be coming from the budget from the money

gathered. The in-country coordinator will stay with the group at the hotels, and everywhere

the group travels. He / she will stay for the whole time at the hotel in Puerto Plata while

helping the group.

Accommodation

Participants will stay their first night in Santiago lodging in a hotel as well as their

first night at Puerto Plata. It’s the only nights they will have staying at a hotel. The rest of

their stay will be with host families to be able to get more exposure with Dominican

customs and manners.



49

School visits

A cook will be hired to provide lunch for all the school visits, both in Santiago and

Puerto Plata, for the US participants and their counterparts at the schools they are spending

their time attending lectures and doing activities.

Food

All US participants will eat at their host families for breakfast and dinner. Their time

spent at hotels, they will either eat at the hotels or go to a different restaurant. A cook will

provide food everyday they will spend at the schools visiting. The schools will be their

meeting points so lunch will be served there.

Airfare

Participants will pay their own tickets but in case that the program gets funded

entirely, participants will be reimbursed their airfare tickets.

Ground transportation

To and from the airport, the in-country coordinator to drive the participants will

provide a minivan rental. The same minivan company will be used to travel from Santiago

to Puerto Plata and from Puerto Plata to Santiago. While doing visits, in Santiago and

Puerto Plata, local bus transportation (Gua-Gua) will be used to travel around the city; it is

cheaper than the minivan.

Lecturers

All the participants will attend lectures at the school and the Department or Ministry

of Education and the lecturers will get a stipend for their work.



50

Evaluation Plan

LEAT will provide a two week-program that develops learning experience for

teachers of BIHS to fill the gap between the students and the teachers in terms of

intercultural competence and understanding the education system of students’ countries.

After the first half of the program, a mid-point evaluation will be conducted in the DR and a

final evaluation after the completion of the program back in New York. The final

evaluation will address the whole overview of the levels of satisfaction and challenges. A

professional development day will be held so that the returnees can share with other BIHS

stakeholders. A survey will be sent to all the participants to evaluate the overall program

objectives and outcomes (See Appendix I for survey program evaluation). The evaluation

will address questions related to whether participants have developed:

Experiential education pedagogy & intercultural competence

Stronger knowledge of experiential pedagogy

Theoretical framework for communicating in multicultural environments.

Skills in learning around the key theories of intercultural communication and

experiential

Appreciation of experiential pedagogy

Integration of what they learned abroad in their curriculum and be able to use it in

class at BIHS

They will also evaluate their:

Host families

Personal development

Cultural learning



51

Educational learning abroad

Conclusion & Implications

Since the early 1600s when the first Europeans began settling New Amsterdam,

there has been a continual arrival of immigrants from all continents seeking a new life and

opportunity on these shores. Today, as a society, the NYCDOE recognizes that quality

public education opens the door to vast opportunities, and teachers place great value on

educational attainment. The number of limited English proficient school-age children in the

United States has increased dramatically over the last 20 years. According to 2011 data

from National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition, from 1998 to 2009 the

general population of students increased by 7.2 percent, to 49.5 million, while the

population of ELLs students enrolled in public schools increased by 51%, to 5.5 million.

Now, ELLs make up 11% of this country’s student population. Immigrants arrive into states

across the nation as well as to historic gateways such as New York. Thus, it is increasing

the international public schools in the country and particularly NYC. BIHS is part of the

international high schools in NYC that provides quality education for ELLs, and support for

the teachers.

The mission of The BIHS is to help students develop their language, intellectual,

cultural, and collaborative abilities so that they may become active participants in today’s

interdependent world. The school strives to help every student reach his or her potential by

fostering academic and personal growth, as well as tolerance. It is within this perspective to

assist students in their academic success as the LEAT program reinforces teachers as they

come vision to connect their work to BIHS’s mission. Through this short-term study abroad

http://www.ncela.gwu.edu/files/uploads/9/growingLEP_0809.pdf



52

program, LEAT will be able to further strengthen the enormous effort, which BIHS is

initiating, through professional development, which aims to equip teachers to fulfill their

mission. The LEAT program not only will provide a unique opportunity to BIHS teachers

to go to the home countries of their students, but also will provide unprecedented chance for

students to better communicate with their teachers. If these children of immigrants, these

refugees succeed academically, it could mean that they will succeed professionally. LEAT

will provide clarity and understanding as teachers will have an insight of where the student

is coming from. This new found empathy is to the advantage of the students. They will

form bonds with the teachers which will also allow them to succeed in all ways;

emotionally, academically and professionally. The success of the pilot program will help to

repeat the program for the following year and also to make the NYCDOE and the

Internationals Network for Public Schools involved replicating the LEAT program to other

international schools.



53

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Appendices

Appendix A: Program coordinator description

Dear BIHS staff,

I am writing this email on the behalf of Learning Experience Abroad for Teachers program

to let you know that, in July 2014, it is going to be the first year of the program to go to a

country where the students are from. The chosen country for the pilot program is the

Dominican Republic (DR). Teachers will have the chance to visit this beautiful country and

will have the opportunity to learn by staying in host families, visit schools, attend lectures

and cultural events in Santiago and Puerto Plata. However, to be able to go there, the

program needs a coordinator here to prepare and manage the whole process until the

program is over. The selected coordinator will start working on the program planning and

make sure everything is ready.

The program is looking for candidates among the staff to apply for the program coordinator

position. The person should be knowledgeable of the DR and speak Spanish. The position

requires the person has First responder training certification, management skills, and

leading groups.

Appendix B: Program schedule

First Week – July 1st to July 7

th



63

Day 1

7:30

8:00

9:00

9:30

10:50

11:15

12:00

1:00

2:30

3:30

5:30

6:00

Breakfast / Go over the program outline for the week

Home stay Orientation

Handout distribution

Santiago Christian School visit

Meet with teachers

Classroom visit (ESL)

Lecture

LUNCH at the school – Language lesson

Classroom visit (History)

Interaction between local teachers and BIHS teachers

Meet up with Host families

Go to Host families for the first night

Day 2

7:00

8:30

8:40

9:30

10:30

10:40

11:30

12:30

3:30

3:40

4:40

5:15

Breakfast with families

Meet up at the school

High and Lows

2nd

Lecture and followed by discussion on pedagogy

COFFEE BREAK & SNACK

Classroom visit (Math)

Processing, Discussion, exchange

Drop Off; Lunch by their own

Back to the school

Debriefing on the Drop Off

Data Entry/Journaling

Free time/Back Home



64

Day 3

8:30

9:30

10:30

11:00

11:15

11:50

12:50

1:15

2:30

3:50

4:30

5:30

Highs & Lows

Classroom visit (Sciences)

Discussion

COFFEE BREAK & SNACK

Buddy partners (DR and BIHS teachers) to exchange ideas on education

system

Lecture

Discussion


Classroom management discussion

Data entry by a BIHS participant on the laptop

Evaluation of the day and lesson learned

Free time / Home stay

Day 4

8:30

8:40

9:00

10:00

10:30

11:00

11:30

12:20

1:00

2:30

3:00

4:00


Trip to the Ministry of Education

Attend lecture

Q & A

Tour of the site

Back to the school

Debriefing

Meet up with partners and discuss about Lecture in the Ministry

LUNCH – Language Lesson

Lows & Highs

Data entry and evaluation of the day

Free time with host families



65

Day 5

8:30

8:40

9:00

9:30

12:00

12:30

1:30

2:40

3:40

4:30


Debrief about experience with host families

Gua-Gua bus to Downtown Santiago

Attend cultural events

Return to the school

Debriefing the event

LUNCH – Language lesson

Talk about the trip to Puerto Plata

Data Entry and Evaluation of the day

Free time to pack for Puerto Plata

Day 6

7:50

8:00

8:30

10:00

10:20

11:00

12:30

2:00

3:30

4:30

5:30

7:30

9:00


Loading

Leave for Puerto Plata

Arrive at the Hotel in Puerto Plata

Room dispatching

Program overview for the time in Puerto Plata

LUNCH at the hotel or restaurant near by

Free time/Nap time

Meet up with a member of their host families

Mid-term evaluation of the program & lessons learned

Free time

Dinner

Good night



66

Day 7

7:00

7:30

8:30

9:00

10:00

11:00

11:20

12:00

1:00

2:30

3:30

4:00

4:30

5:00

Wake up time

Breakfast at the hotel

Leave to visit Colegio Adventista in Puerto Plata

Meeting with teachers at the school

Classroom visit (ESL class)

COFFEE BREAK

Interaction and group work (buddy partners)

Presentation of the group work


Classroom visit (Sciences)

Interaction with the students

LEAT meeting for debriefing and Data entry about the day

Host family pick up

Participants stay with host families

Week 2 : July 8th

to July 15th



67

Day 8

7:30

8:30

8:40

9:00

10:00

10:30

10:40

12:30

2:00

4:00

4:20

5:00

5:30

Breakfast with host family


Highs and Lows about first night with families

Lecture on student behavior

Interaction with buddy teacher partners

BREAK

Meet the students for an Q&A


City tour (LEAT and Local teachers)

Back to the school

Data entry and debriefing on the day

Free time for journaling

Back to host families

Day 9

8:30

8:40

9:00

10:00

10:50

11:00

12:00

12:40

2:00

4:00

5:00

5:30


Highs and Lows

Lecture on DR Education System

Activities for Teachers teaching styles

BREAK

Share Lessons learned from activities

Open discussion on education differences and similarities


Attend cultural activities in the city

Back to the school to debrief

Data entry and evaluation of the day

Back to host families



68

Day 10

8:30

8:40

9:00

10:00

10:15

11:20

12:30

2:00

4:00

4:40

5:00


Highs and Lows

Classroom visit (Spanish)

BREAK

Lecture on Student Needs in DR

Open discussion on Student Needs


Attend Cultural events

Back to the school for Data Entry and Evaluation of the day

Good bye ceremony

Back to host families to pack to go back to Santiago the next day

Day 11

8:00

9:00

9:20

10:00

11:30

12:00

2:00

2:30

3:30

Last Breakfast with host families in Puerto Plata


Loading time

Leave Puerto Plata

Arrival at the Santiago Christian School

Lunch by their own

Back to the school

Debrief about the time spent in Puerto Plata

Return to host families – Free time



69

Day 12

9:00

9:20

10:00

12:00

12:30

2:00

4:00

5:00


Highs and Lows

Invite one family member to go with at a cultural event in Santiago

Back to the school


Group discussion with family members and teachers about Education

and students in DR

Data Entry about Lessons learned and Evaluation of the day

Return home-stays

Day 13 FREE TIME with HOST FAMILIES (Learning time)

Day 14

8:30

8:40

9:00

10:30

11:30

11:40

12:30

2:00

3:00

4:00

4:30

5:00


Highs and Lows

Debriefing on the day at home

Attend the last class (Art)

BREAK

Discussion with the DR and American students


Group processing (LEAT participants and their Counterparts)

Group Presentations

LEAT group debriefing

Data entry about the day and Evaluation of the day

Back to host families and packing



70

Day 15

9:00

9:10

9:20

11:00

4:25PM


Loading languages to the bus

Farewell Cocktail and speeches of Thanks

Leave for Santo Domingo Airport

Depart for Miami, FL

Appendix C: Pre-departure orientation schedule

Time Contents

Day 1

9:00 – 10:00

10:00 – 10:10

10:10 – 12:00

12:00 – 1:30

1:30 – 2:30

Program overview

Coffee break

Health & Safety

Lunch break

Education System of D.R.

Day 2

9:00 – 10:30

10:30 – 10:40

10:40 – 12:00

12:00 – 1:30

1:30 – 2:30

2:30

D.R. Cultural Tips

Coffee Break

Fears & Expectations

Lunch break

Lessons learned expectation & incorporation to the curriculum

Wrap up and ready to fly to DR.



71

Appendix D: In-country Coordinator position

Par time Job Announcement: LEAT In-country coordinator

Summary:

The In-Coordinator, Learning Experience Abroad for Teachers (LEAT) of BIHS is the

principle contact for all LEAT participants. The In-Coordinator is responsible for contact:

initial inquiries, program process and follow-up, host families confirmation, in-country

support, and in-country coordinator cooperation. The In-country coordinator is the main

resource in Dominican Republic. Other responsibilities may be assigned as the program is

developed.

Responsibilities:

· Organize the program in Dominican Republic

· Translate from English to Spanish and Spanish to English

· Provide Security & Health information about the country

· Hire lecturers

· Find cheat hotels for the group

· Find cultural events for the group

· Be available for Skype meeting as much as needed

· Guide the group

· Be with the group for the whole stay of the program

· Recruit host-families

· In charge of the money and paying people for their services

· In charge of van rentals

Qualifications

We are looking for a native from D.R.

· Bachelor Degree required but Masters Degree in Education, Administration,

Language preferred.

· Must have extremely strong interpersonal skills, be a team player and a self-starter

who is able to exercise sound judgment to handle a variety issues.

· Experience Abroad – Time studying, teaching, or living abroad is strongly preferred.

· Bilingual (Spanish & English).

· Must have the ability to communicate fluently, concisely, and creatively using the

English language, both verbally and in writing as well as Spanish

· Knowledge of the country.

· Experience in guiding/leading students.

· Must have the ability to plan for and manage multiple tasks and priorities

simultaneously.

· Ability to communicate with various audiences – Must be able to exude empathy

and control over the phone and in email.

· Strong administrative and organizational skills including high-level attention to

detail required.



72

Interested candidates please email a cover letter and resume to

[email protected]. Please put “In-Coordinator, LEAT in D.R.” in the subject

line. We will contact those candidates we would like to meet with to further discuss this

exciting opportunity. Due to high volume we are unable to respond personally to each

candidate. No phone calls please.

Appendix E: Important Health and Safety contacts (websites and phones)

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):

http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules/downloads/adult/adult-schedule-easy-read-

bw.pdf.

Iinternational travel at (202) 512-1800. http://www.cdc.gov/travel/

The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene: http://www.astmh.org/

The World Health Organization: http//www.who.org/

The International Society of Travel Medicine: http//www.istm.org/

Holistic Medicine Website: http//www.holisticmed.com/www/homeopathy.html.

The International SOS website can be found at www.internationalsos.com, the

program will try to provide LEAT membership ID number and the participants will

have access to all that International SOS has to offer. They can also call

International SOS at their Philadelphia Alarm Center +215-942-8226; or within the

U.S., call toll-free: 800-523-6586.

http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules/downloads/adult/adult-schedule-easy-read-

bw.pdf.

Additional Web Resources on Travel Medicine, Clinics and Inoculations

The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene: This site houses an

extremely comprehensive listing of travel clinics in each state and in other countries,

as well as a Q and A section and other useful resources. http://www.astmh.org/

The Centers for Disease Control: This site has information categorized by country

and disease. They updated information on recent disease outbreaks. You can also

call the CDC for a free booklet on international travel at (202) 512-1800.

http://www.cdc.gov/travel/

The World Health Organization: This site contains updated information on disease

outbreaks, and vaccination requirements for every country. http//www.who.org/

The International Society of Travel Medicine: This site also has a great listing of

travel clinics and other useful information. http//www.istm.org/

Holistic Medicine Website: This page has links to recent articles on recent

homeopathic research studies and publications, practitioner databases, organization

lists and other directories. http//www.holisticmed.com/www/homeopathy.html.

Appendix F: Program budget

http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules/downloads/adult/adult-schedule-easy-read-bw.pdf



http://www.astmh.org/

http://www.internationalsos.com/



http://www.astmh.org/




73

Learning

Experience

Abroad for

Teachers (LEAT)

of BIHS Direct Costs Indirect Costs Assumptions

Expenses Cost Units Cost Units Quantity Total TOTAL

Participa

nts from

USA 4

Participa

nts from

DR 8

Flight from $600

per

person 5 $3,000 $3,000

Staffpers

on 2

Hotel at

Santiago $100

double

room 3 $300 $300

Hotel at Puerto

Plata $90

double

room 3 $270 $270

Hotel for the

in-country

coordinator in

Puerto Plata $60 single 1 $60 $60

Homestay $450

per

person 5 $2,250 $2,250

Nights

with

homestay 15

minivan rentals

from & to

Airport $100 1 2 $200 $200

Nights at

hotels 2

minivan rental

from Santiago to

Puerto Plata -

From Puerto

Plata to

Santiago $100 1 2 $200 $200

Gua-Gua Bus

rental $50 1 15 $750 $750

Meals while

staying in

hotels $40 6 $240 $240

Material

Expenses

$1,00

0 $1,000 $1,000



74

Lunch while

visiting schools

in Santiago &

Puerto Plata $180 per day 6 $1,080 $1,080

Lunch in

Santiago and

Puerto Plata $150

per

person 6 $900 $900

Pre-departure

trainer $125 2 $250 $250

Lecturers $150 5 $750 $750

In-country

program contract

staff $2,000

Novembe

r to

July 1 $2,000 $2,000

US LEAT staff

contract $2,000

Novembe

r to

July 1 $2,000 $2,000

Benefits $4,605

$1,89

0

$11,95

0

Subtotal $11,950

Miscellaneous $2,500

Grand Total $14,450

Appendix G: Needs Assessment

1. Before I was Assistant Principal, I taught 11th grade advanced biology for 6 years.

2. How long have you been teaching at BIHS?

I taught for 6 years before being A.P.

3. Why did u choose to teach at an I.H.S?

I worked for two years in a traditional city high school and I was very frustrated working

there. I felt like I wanted to help the students and there were students that were doing well

in my class but the classes were changed couple times a year and the students were in all

different classes and there is a very little follow-up. It was very easy to lose the students in

the system. I was always feeling frustrated and being in a large school with a very little

follow-up and not much community.



75

Then when I heard about this job opening at Brooklyn International High School (BIHS), I

visited and I saw how amazing the culture is, how the students work together so well, how

comfortable I feel, how so much support both for academics and socio-emotional;

counseling, medical services, and artistic programs. Here I just immediately felt at home

because this seemed like a program I wanted to be, a part of was a lined of my interest and

it seemed to be doing what I was envisioned a school should do. Also, because I was in

Peace Corps, I enjoyed working with students from different background.

4. How many students do you have in your class?

5. What is rewarding in teaching your subject to ELL?

What I always loved about teaching sciences is that I felt like in NYC, there are so many

opportunities for students to not only to learn in their classrooms but to immediately have

an outside application for it, so I loved bringing them scientists for all different labs, for

taking students to visit, scientists doing research in labs, just for them to get to see the

immediate real world connections with what we learn in class. Also just sparking their

interest in sciences, their curiosity and the ultimate reward is when you have students

coming back to you for the future and saying they were inspired from what they learned and

they are pursuing their undergraduate or graduate work in sciences because of that. It’s a

very specific feeling.

6. How many languages & cultures do you have in your class?

7. What is rewarding and challenging about teaching students from different backgrounds?

One of the things that is challenging is a lot of our teachers’ faces that because of the

students have such various backgrounds, their education backgrounds are so different and

you want to challenge every student, and sometimes the teacher is only one person in the

classroom and designing a curriculum. That’s going to challenge each student where they

are and their levels and backgrounds are so different. You don’t want to get something that

is too challenging for students who are new to English and are struggling or there are SIFE

students who are learning the basics of being at school. Being able to design a curriculum is

also challenging to the highest level students who may be have already taken physics or

advanced chemistry in their home countries. That’s a real struggle that all of our teachers

face, to bridge all those levels.

It’s rewarding when it works, you can just step back as a teacher and watch the students

working together in groups and are teaching each other and navigating the curriculum. You

can see the students engaged in learning and enjoying the learning process. That’s when

you know it is working.

8. What advantages do you see in teaching in multicultural classrooms?

9. What challenges do you face in terms of making yourself understood by the students?

I have struggled communicating. The nice part is that we so many languages. There are

very few of our students who don’t have any native language pairs. Even if a student

doesn’t understand what the teaching is saying there is a person of his/her language who is

here to translate. But first, I try different ways to explain using different words, some

pictures or objects. If the student still doesn’t understand, then they can always use their

native language partners to translate. In terms of communicating, we, all, are flexible. Our

teachers are trying many different ways to explain concepts. Teaching sciences is mostly

through observations. It’s a little different; the students can learn using their own senses.

They don’t have to do all these explaining.

10. What classroom management issues do you face in general?



76

Sometimes classroom management issues are around cultural differences, students adjusting

the culture. Certain things don’t work because of cultural reasons. For example, certain

students come from schools where they were only with girls or only with boys and now

they have to work together collaboratively with students not only with other genders but

also with other cultures and religions; sometimes that’s difficult to manage but that’s

usually early on the school year. Sometimes it takes falls and takes longer. I know in certain

cultures where women are generally in leadership roles, there are some of the boys that can

be difficult for them to have female teachers that are telling them what to do. Those are the

things that are in grain for those students from those cultures it is hard to work through that

but we do slowly trying to open them up through the way things are in the United States.

11. What kind of behaviors do you notice in your classrooms?

12. Can you tell which aspect(s) do you understand the most from your students?

Because of I lived in Senegal for two years I would say I understand that culture. I think I

understand West African culture, religion and traditions more than the other cultures in the

school. Although we share so much within the school, we have cultural events, international

feast for thanksgiving and all the culture clubs are always sharing every year within a party

where they share their culture and you can learn a lot about the different cultures from the

students but I have a greater understanding of West African culture, languages and religions

because I lived there.

a) Cultural practices?

b) Traditions?

c) Identity?

d) Communication?

13. Do you understand the education system of the countries of origin of your students?

I am familiar with the education system in Senegal and I think from that it’s very similar

with a lot of African countries. Actually I think there are similarities in a lot of the world. If

it is a rural school with limitation in resources, the difficulty of getting teachers out to rural

areas to work then I can understand. When I meet some students and they first arrive

coming from rural areas, I can begin to individualize what it might have been for them to be

in school where teachers had gone to strike often for a long period of time or just like a lack

of resources where they still using chalk, I can sympathize with the difficulties they had in

school and how they have to catch up o be in this country where everything moves so fast

and now English is their second language, add on top of that the cultural differences, so

many complications. Some of our teachers have done researches around education systems

of other countries and they shared that with the faculty. I know couple years ago, a teacher

who is not here anymore and also Ben together they did some research on the Yemeni

school structure and they shared that with the faculty. That’s useful when teachers do their

own research and share back them with everybody.

14. Do you think it is important that teachers know about the education system of the

students’ countries?

I do think that it is important for our teachers to understand the education system of the

students’ countries because there are so many differences even within a country because

some of the kids go to private schools in their countries and it is very different to going to a

rural public school. I think it is hard to even generalize within a country. In our school, I

think the bigger problem is the people who make policies for schools in NYC level, even

the State or the federal department of education, I don’t know they understand the



77

differences in our immigrant students educational backgrounds because all of our students

have to meet the same requirements as if they were born and raised in this country and they

might have been here only one or two years, now it is the catch up with everyone else who

were born and raise here. They started to understand in some ways but there are SIFE

students (Students with Interrupted Formal Education), they are started to recognize they

but I think it is difficult for a lot of policy makers to understand the real challenges the

students face after having come from a rural environment and adapting to this country and

culture and then passing the same tests that American students have to pass to graduate

from high school. We need higher standards for our students but we have to be realistic for

our student’s capability of doing for a short period of time.

15. Do you think understanding the education system of your students’ home countries

would be important in helping you better manage your class?

16. Did you study abroad? If yes, what inspired you to do so?

I studied abroad in Madagascar when I was in College. I was Biology major in College and

I was very interested in conservation in ecology and Madagascar is known for being very

exceptional with bio-diversity, the terrain. I was initially gone for the scientific aspect of the

country and then it’s only when I got there I realized how much I enjoyed learning other

cultures and languages. I started discovering that aspect of myself from traveling and when

I came back I knew I wanted to travel more, I knew I wanted to spend more time studying

abroad, and that’s when I went to the peace corps.

17. What was most valuable about your time abroad?

a) Academics

b) Cultural learning

c) Self-reflection X

d) Country-specific information

I think mostly it was Self-reflection; because discovering a whole other part of yourself, a

whole other depth of yourself. Growing up in America I have seen only one sort of society.

I did not grow up with much of different societies around me. I have friends from other

cultures but they are very Americanized so I haven’t had a much exposure to different

cultures. To be fully immerse in that and being able to develop a confidence and how to

navigate in another culture and language, you learn so much about yourself, about what you

are capable of and the world opens up. That division between outsiders and you and for me

that helps me wanting to work with international populations

18. Do you think going to your students’ countries for 15 days will help you understand

their cultures, their educational system, and their behavior?

Yeah, I think... I went to Turkey in an exchange program and I was able to see, even though

it was short, how the school there works. It can help see the education system of other

countries; the public school, the private school, middle, and high school and also low

income public school looks like, trying to show all the facets in a short period of time.

_______________________________________________________________________

FOCUS GROUP: 5 teachers. Math teacher, Science teacher, Dance teacher, ESL teacher,

World History participated.

1. What subject are you teaching?

1st Participant: Dance teacher

2nd participant: Science teacher



78

3rd participant: ESL teacher

4th participant: History teacher (Substitute teacher)

5th participant: Math teacher

2. For how long have you been teaching at BIHS?

1st Participant: I have been teaching since September 2012.

2nd participant: I have been teaching for 5 years

3rd participant: I have been teaching since 3 months

4th participant: This is my seventh year

5th participant: I have been teaching since September 2012

3. Why did you choose to teach at an International Public High School?

1st participant: I was interested in their learning modal but it was project based learning and

they work to acknowledge the cultures of the students and bring that into a curriculum.

2nd participant: Growing up my grandfather was an immigrant here and he always talked

about how he struggled to learn English and to get himself started in the United States so

that’s something really important to me. I wanted to pass on helping others to learn English

and become part of the United States and transition themselves.

3rd participant: I was an immigrant student myself, so I really wanted to work with a

population where i can

4th participant: I am the product of the Brooklyn International High School. I came back to

give back as well because I am familiar with the modal and I also love the population. I can

relate to them. It’s like it’s my home, I can relate to the students as compare to other

schools, I did not feel that connections.

5th participant: I did not think I wanted to. I had no interest actually in teaching

international students. I had a pretty negative experience in student teaching with the

English Language Learning population. I found out that an international had a job fair and

came on an interview more to just get some interview experience and check it out. I knew

that I wanted to work at an urban environment but it wasn’t until I came here and I saw the

kids and felt the energy of the school, the dynamics that everything worked together that I

really figured out that could be a good fit for me.

4. How many students do you have in your class?

5. What is rewarding in teaching your subject to English Language Learners?

1st Participate: I love it because I think that dance is a non-verbal way of communicating

and I think we communicate a lot through our bodies and through that, i see that the

students have a natural opportunity to practice English. The end up speaking quite a bit in

my class just because they are working with one another in creating their dances. I also like

the fact that some of the students who don’t have as much English but who might be very

strong in one type of dance.

2nd Participant: In science class, you don’t necessary need to understand English to

understand Science. It is a lot of critical thinking; it is also a lot of understanding of how the

things in the world work. I really enjoy learning about the kids’ different interests, what

they are passionate about studying and you can see the look on their faces when they

discover something new for the first time, it’s so priceless.

3rd Participant: In my class I think the kids who are developing a lot of social English now,

living in the States, they really use that English they have.

4th Participant: In history, I try to teach them themes and how people change, how they

progress so I try to bring subjects that are related to their countries and incorporate



79

historical events that will make them take pride of their own nationalities. What is

rewarding is opening them to new information that they have not learned about in their own

home countries and they will be amazed, For example we talked about Christopher

Columbus and many of them assumed that the Europeans who traveled and I showed them

a video how the Chinese also traveled before, a lot of them were surprised and they were

very happy and I tried to teach them that within the Chinese new year.

5th Participant: I think what’s rewarding is being able to teach them something they may or

may not have done before in different ways and getting them done the ... in different ways

and different methods but that doesn’t mean that anything is right or wrong. That might be

different efficiencies but there are still multiple ways to get to the right thing. I think that’s

an important part of being an ELL and just really understanding the way cultures work,

that’s kind of like the symbolic thing where there are lots of different ways of doing it but

we all have the same goal.

6. How many languages & cultures do you have in your classrooms?

7. What is rewarding and challenging about teaching students from different

backgrounds?

1st Participant: I think what is challenging is there are miscommunications because we have

different meanings even we are all fluent in English, we come from different cultural

backgrounds. Something might be the norm for one person and might be offensive for

another so the terrain is right there for a misunderstanding. What is rewarding is that same

diversity cultures and understandings because we are able to approach things from a variety

of ideas and I read something that the most effective groups are the most diverse so if that’s

true then our groups are going to be five million times effective, because they are so

diverse, they approach things from a lot of different points and they also bring a lot of

different knowledge to the table. I end up learning a lot about the world from my students.

2nd Participant: I second what she said as well. I just think that working with a population

of teenagers no matter where they are from, it is always a learning experience because every

time there is a new generation, there are new ideas, new opinions and they are having a new

outlook on the world. So I do experience learning a lot about culture which is really great to

learn but at the same time they are still teenagers, I still have a lot to learn about working

with teenagers.

3rd Participant: I second everything they all said. Just add to that there is not only their

culture but also their education cultural backgrounds so the kind of schooling they are used

to, really different from what we are studying here and from what other students are used to.

Just being able to see and observe and to navigate those different backgrounds and bring

them to the education setting here is very rewarding.

4th Participant: I agree with them. I think the hardest part though is they all come from a

different background and different education system back home and try to have them in the

same page. So it is hard when they are all diverse but they learn from one another, so that’s

the great thing.

5th Participant: Yeah, just to put more of a specific content, I agree to what they say but in

Math the one big that challenges them is the fact that sometimes there is not always a hands

on tangible way to explain Math to them. We are dealing with a lot of conceptual things, the

vocabulary and the conceptual aspects of mathematics is another language itself so I feel

like the cultural parts of the different languages complicate that a time when there is not a

direct thing you can say this is this and that is that.



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8. What advantages do you see in teaching in multicultural classrooms?

9. What challenges do you face in terms of making yourself understood by the students?

10. What classroom management issues do you face in general?

1st Participant:

2nd Participant: I don’t think I have ever had the same management problem twice. I think

there are a lot of dynamics that are going on because of you have students from different

cultures and they have different misunderstanding but also teenagers are always going to

sort of test their limits. I think it is just a matter of trying to have basic rules and not taking

it too personally as a teacher.

3rd Participant:

4th Participant: In terms of miscommunication, sometimes students may not behave in their

best because of the cultural misunderstanding, we have more learning. Sometimes it is not

intentional.

5th Participant: A lot of the classroom management issues are stemming from the SIFE

students whose prior schooling may be not done. A lot of the emotional stuff and the

cultural aspect in the past where we had a lot fights and cultural issues, I need to stand up

for myself and my country; I need to stand against you, your country, and your people.

There have been those cultural …which also created some conflicts.

11. What kind of behaviors do you notice in your classrooms?

12. Can you tell which aspect(s) do you understand the most from your students?

a) Cultural practices?

b) Traditions?

c) Identity?

d) Communication?

13. Do you understand the education system of the countries of origin of your students?

2nd Participant: What I understand things from my students about students who were

educated in Guinea and China; they were at school where they learn a lot of factual

information, understanding level facts, they did not do a lot of critical thinking, a lot of

evaluating or analyzing. Even though they might know a lot of facts, or when it comes to a

triangle facts to scientific methods they struggle. That’s what I noticed from few students

that I don’t want to make a generalization, but those are the patterns that I have seen. Also

there are some students who went to school abroad where they did not have sciences as a

subject.

4th Participant: I would say coming from that culture, I can understand the process of

learning where you just memorize, spit back facts. So to ask for your opinion, a lot of

students struggle because they warmed the opinion that the teachers want them to say.

5th Participant: We don’t know a lot about the countries of our students.

14. Do you think it is important that teachers know about the education system of the

students’ countries?

1st Participant: I think it help me to bridge, to be able to speak a little bit to their experience

and a more visual understanding of the jump that works better to me, not just in terms of

content but also in terms of the role of the teacher, discipline, just so that we can have a

clear understanding of what we are asking our students.

5th Participant: I think the years I have been here, I have got a little bit more effective

because I learned a little bit more about the education systems. The more I learn, I will able

to get a little bit more effective each time.



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15. Do you think understanding the education system of your students’ home countries

would be important in helping you better manage your class?

16. Did you study abroad? If yes, what inspired you to do so?

1st Participant: I went to Senegal because I was interested in Studying West African

philosophers; Leopold Senghor and I ended up dancing there.

2nd Participant:

3rd Participant: I went to Japan to teach English for two years because i wanted to try out

what teaching English is like and also to move to a different environment, different culture.

4th Participant: I did not study abroad

5th Participant: I did not.

17. What was most valuable about your time abroad?

a) Academics

b) Cultural learning

c) Self-reflection

d) Country-specific information

1st Participant: For me it was learning how little I knew about Africa as someone who was

allegedly well-educated. Then going to Senegal, I realized how little I knew about a full

continent and that what made work with the non-profit I worked with when I got back

because I just realized how ignorant I was. I think that was the largest lesson and within

that there were many other language learning, self-reflection.

5th Participant: I would say people who studied abroad continually help to teach me and the

way that I found that their information and their experience that had been most helpful was

definitely the cultural stuff. Just as far as the cultural customs, the norms because I feel like

that’s the number one burrier that if you don’t if you don’t deal with that, there is not going

to be any academics, not anything. Kids are looking you in the eyes, whatever the case is

and it is causing a conflict and you don’t understand why, you need to figure out what the

issue is first, that’s what I found everybody else’s experiences most valuable for me.

3rd Participant: I feel like just living the experience of going to a new place and not be able

to speak the language, not knowing the customs of the culture, the way that feels, you stood

out and you feel so small. That taught me to be able to relate the students in how they feel,

even if we don’t treat them as they are small they still feel small.

18. Do you think going to your students’ countries for 15 days will help you

2nd Participant: Absolutely yes, I think the more we can travel, the better even if it is not

for long time, to go to a different country and experience what’s like to be lost with the

map, not understanding any of the language, looking like an outsider, I think that feeling is

so humbling and it is so important. I love to travel.

3rd Participant: I think it would be extremely helpful especially if we were able to visit

some schools. If that was part of the program, be able to shadow teacher where we can see

how the educational system works and classrooms work, how students, and teachers are

doing.

5th Participant: That’s what I was going to say. I think like 15 days is short, I was thinking

about a month that would be the minimum because I think like 15, you are still new that

you are taking everything and your sensory is still going off. I think a month is the time you

are learning the routines of what really happened. The school part of it, like going to visit

the school where our students come from, we are going to the DR, not going to Punta Cana

to the beach, maybe one day. We should do home stays.



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4th Participant: add to that, it would be great to the students to know that we went to their

countries that would create a bridge. That way they can feel that we understand them

because we have been to their countries, we could relate to them.

3rd Participant: I think it would be amazing if we went to know what to be looking for so

that we had a goal, like a focus.

Appendix H: LEAT Timeline of the Program

Months Actions

September

- Official announcement of the LEAT program

- Coordinator begins planning for summer 2014 program

- Start fundraising events

October - Begin the marketing process

- In-country coordinator recruitment process

- Monthly funding process

November

- In-country & Participants recruitment

- Begin weekly & monthly program discussion among participants

- Begin working with in-country coordinator & Skype meeting

- Fundraising events

- In-country coordinator contacts schools

- Home stay families’ recruitment process

December - Finalize program arrangement

- Meeting for budget

January

- Program information

- Send out forms (participants, health, etc)

- Finalize Home stay families

- Pre-departure orientation specialist recruitment

- Fundraising events

February - Meeting with teachers, Internationals Network for Public Schools,

NYCDOE

- Collect all the money the program has

March - Recruit lecturers

- Check with partners for final donation

April - Buy tickets to D.R.

May

- Send pre-departure material to participants

- Check with participants for health situation and condition

June - Final installment from participants

- Two-day orientation at BIHS school, NYC

- Coordinate with in country coordinator

- June 30th

depart to DR



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Appendix I: Questions to ask in the Survey for the evaluation.

Participant Development

Did the program help me expand my knowledge of the world through academic

experiences?

Did the program help me expand my knowledge of the world through nonacademic

experiences?

Did the program help me identify and communicate how my experience abroad has

impacted me personally, academically and professionally?

Did the program help me navigate differences more effectively?

Did the program help me develop and enhance my self-awareness, by deepening my

understanding of my own culture?

Did the program help me develop and enhance my sense of self-reliance?

Did the program help me understand the complexity of the society I lived in while abroad?

Did the program help me learn to navigate situations of uncertainty?

Cultural Learning

Did the program offer sufficient opportunities for engagement with the host culture?

Did the program help me gain a deeper understanding of my host culture?

Did the program allowed me to develop an awareness of and challenge assumptions about

my host culture?

Did the program help me to reflect on issues of power and privilege?

Did the program help me gain a better understanding of the social, political, historical,

educational and economic realities of my host country?

On-Site Staff

I was able to get individual help from the on-site support staff with personal problems when

I needed it.

The on-site support staff was concerned for my health, safety and well-being.

I feel that the on-site staff was supportive of helping me reach the stated program learning

outcomes.

The on-site support staff was supportive of helping me to understand the host culture,

economy, history, political climate, education, etc.

Educational Learning Abroad

The Learning Abroad was helpful to understand the education system of the host country.

I felt comfortable with the school visits, lectures and interactions with school stakeholders

in the host country.

The timeline was enough for my learning process.

The information provided by the LEAT helped me feel prepared to understand the country

education system.

The LEAT staff was supportive of helping me reach the stated program learning outcomes.

Housing

My housing was appropriate with regard to local standards.



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I felt safe in my housing situation.

My housing caused me to gain a greater understanding of my host culture.

My meal arrangements were appropriate.

If you have additional comments you want to share here:

LEAT) LEARNING EXPERIENCE ABROAD FOR TEACHERS OF BROOKLYN

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