Five Hazen Spanish language students stepped beyond their rural Vermont homes to explore language, culture, history, arts, and life around Mexico City, Mexico, for 13 days in June 2019. This was the first Hazen international travel study program in at least a decade and is one of many exciting ways that we are working to prepare our students for success in our multicultural world.
Based out of the Casa de los Amigos Center for Peace and International Understanding, the program enabled participants to encounter aspects of daily living in Mexico City while also exploring some of the oldest and most phenomenal historic and cultural sites of Latin America. Some of the highlights of the journey were excursions to art and history museums, including Frida Kahlo's home and the world-renowned Museum of Anthropology, sporting and cultural events, and UNESCO World Heritage sites while practicing language skills throughout our days. Students spent time beyond the city limits navigating the ancient canals of Xochimilco and at the Aztec ruins of Teotihuacan and practiced Spanish language skills throughout our journey.
For more information about this program, please read the program proposal as approved by Hazen Union School Board 22 October 2018. You may contact kfreedy@ossu.org with further questions about the program.
By organizing this program "in-house," we managed to keep the cost below that of using an external travel provider. Throughout the school year, we engaged in significant fundraising and grantwriting so that cost was not a barrier to any student's participation in this opportunity.
Thank you to all of our supporters for making this opportunity a reality for our students!