It’s Your Chance to Have the Summer of a Lifetime!

Our deadline for summer faculty-led programs is January 31st! Don’t miss the opportunity to have a summer you will never forget. There are so many options to choose from, and we can help you find the program that fits best for you!

Always dreamed of traveling to Italy? We have two programs there this summer! Want to improve your Spanish? Head to Argentina! Maybe a tropical destination is more your style- apply to go to the Bahamas! There are also a variety of other subjects such as business, biology, music, english, and more! Click on the photos below for additional program information.

Stop by our office in 1207 Blair Hall with any questions you may have, and get started on your applications today! An amazing summer awaits!

Mediterranean Cuisine: Florence, Italy

The Good Life: Italy

Summer in Salzburg: Austria

Summer in Argentina: Cordoba, Argentina

Health and Wellness for Life: Novi Sad, Serbia

Science and Schooling: Andros Island, Bahamas

Summer Archeology: Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium

Incredible India: Creating Global Educators – Hyberabad, India

Intercultural Communication and Co-Cultural Experiences: Ireland

Nation Building in the New South Africa: Cape Town, Johannesburg, and Kruger National Park, South Africa

Sustainability, Energy, and Development: Barcelona, Spain

Business Study Abroad: European Union – Croatia and Spain

Plant Usage and Culture in China: Beijing, Xi’an, and Sichuan Province, China

The Sport Industry in the United Kingdom: Winchester England (with field trips to London)

English Literary Landscapes: Grantham, England

Q&A: Jesse teaching in the Bahamas

Dedicated to our returning students, this installment of our Q&A Series focuses on a recent EIU graduate now teaching abroad in the Bahamas. Hear his thoughts from the best to worst and everything in between.

Jesse Garibaldi

A recent 2013 EIU graduate, Jesse has gone from his hometown of Glenview, Illinois to studying, and now working on the beautiful island of the Bahamas!

1. Now that you’ve settled into your new job, what’s the best part?

Settling into a new job can always be scary, especially when it is your first job as a teacher. Thankfully, I work with a wonderful staff that is always looking out for each other and always willing to help however they can. I would have to say my fellow coworkers are one of the best parts of my job at Tambearly.

2. What’s the hardest part? What presented itself as a difficulty while you were adjusting?

One of the hardest parts of teaching here is the grading; it is something I have gotten better at but it still takes up so much time. I have been going in earlier and getting some work done
during my breaks to keep up with everything so I don’t have to worry about taking so much home.

3. Did your student teaching in the US prepare you well for this position?

I am really lucky because even though I am teaching abroad, the private school I am working at uses United States state standards. My lesson plans and the material I teach look similar to lessons I created during student teaching. I did my student teaching in kindergarten which is a little different than teaching in fourth grade like I am now. But I am teaching three, four, and five year old soccer so the practice I have had with the younger students has really come in handy there.

4. How does the environment affect your teaching or your daily life?

Tambearly is a open air school meaning that there are walls and a roof, but there is no air conditioning. The school is made so that the windows on the ground pull in air while the windows on the wall blow air out. It keeps the school pretty cool considering it has been around 90 degrees. Because the door and windows are always open to the environment, there are frequent “visitors” that come into the room especially if it is raining. One of my first few days, a frog managed to hop into my room and disrupt the whole class until I was able to get it out. Having frogs, lizards, and a variety of other animals is a pretty regular event, but I have become better at keeping my class calm and getting the animals out of the room without hurting them.

5. Where are you living? What’s that like?

I am living in a nice neighborhood and my house is only a three minute walk to the beach. The water is so blue here and the sun is so many different colors. Depending on the time of day it really is wonderful. My walk to work is about half an hour but most of the walk is along the water, which makes the walk much nicer. I am living on my own for the first time without roommates, which is a little different. I have made some really nice friends so I rarely get bored, but there are some times when my days can be slow.

6. What do you miss from home? (places, people, things, food)

It’s on those slow days when I find myself missing my friends and family the most. I have always been close to my family so even when I was living at home it was nice because there was always someone to talk to. Thankfully now with Skype and Facebook, I have been able to keep in touch with mostly everyone, which makes everything so much easier.

7. You’re coaching as well – how does that add to your experience?
As it is my first time coaching, I do not know the most about soccer. However, I am working with three, four, and five year olds so practice is not about specific fine motor skills but more to get the students out, having fun, and boosting their confidence. I have a good relationship with the young students and many of them are really enthusiastic about playing, which is always exciting to see.

Thanks, Jesse! Continue to teach others all over the world.

Q&A: Laura’s View from 2 Countries

A unique double trip installment to our Q&A Series dedicated to our returning students. Hear their thoughts from best to worst and everything in between.

Laura Krieg

Laura is a native of Woodstock, IL and is an EIU student receiving a Dual Cert. in Special Education and Elementary Education. She has studied abroad TWICE within the past couple years, first during May 2012 on the German Life and School program in Esslingen, Germany and then again in May 2013 on the Science and Schooling program on Andros Island, Bahamas.

Q1: PLACES, talk about your favorite spot in your home away from home. Where? Why?

In Germany, my favorite spot was at the highest point in the Alps.  It was so breathtaking.  I have never been able to look down on so much and so far.  I would love to visit this spot again.  In the Bahamas, my favorite spot was the lodge where we stayed.  There were two other groups (one from Ohio and one from New York) staying there with us, so we got to interact with more than just our group of EIU students as well.  Every night, we would sit out on a deck they had on the ocean and watch the tides come in.  It was a great place to stay!

Q2: NOPE, are there things you don’t miss from your destination? What? Why?

The sand fleas in the Bahamas!  I came back covered head to toe in huge bites!

Q3: YEP, you’re actually homesick for something from abroad. What? Why?

I really miss the laid-back, relaxed lifestyle from the Bahamas!  People did not rush around as much as they do in the United States.  You simply got where you needed to go when you got there.  Also, everybody was so friendly!  People would honk and wave every time they passed you on the street.

Q4: SHOCKING, you could hardly believe your eyes when you saw … What? Why?

A small group of us were snorkeling one of the reefs in the Bahamas.  We were swimming right along the reef when a 6 ft shark came up over the reef and swam right underneath me.  I could have reached down and touched it… it was so close!  I don’t think my mind actually registered what it was until it was underneath me.  Scary, but AMAZING, experience!

Q5: WEEKENDS, full of travel. Where did you go? How did you choose? Was it difficult to plan?

In Germany, I spent a weekend in Konstanz, Germany on Lake Constance.  I chose this location because it was close enough for a weekend away but very different from where I was studying.  It was beautiful!  I did find it difficult to plan because I do not speak any German and neither does the girl I went with.  The weekend was definitely an adventure… we ended up walking miles and miles because we couldn’t read the bus schedule!

Thanks, Laura! We appreciate hearing your memories from both of your trips abroad!

From study abroad to job offer

One minute you’re packing your bags to study abroad, and a few months later, you’re returning to teach in a local classroom. We got to talk to recent 2013 graduate, Jesse Garibaldi, and his plans to work in the Bahamas.

Science & Schooling in the Bahamas

Jesse majored in Elementary education with a focus in social science. A Glenview, Illinois native (just north of Chicago), he admits he was, “not used to beaches and warm weather every day like they have in the Bahamas.” When Jesse enrolled in the Science & Schooling Study Abroad program in the Bahamas, he joined his classmates on Andros Island for ten days. Led my Dr. Dan Carter and Dr. Marilyn Lisowski, Jesse expected he would have some fun and report back with some amazing experiences. He had no idea a job opportunity would come from this ten day adventure.

He says, “My parents were supportive of me studying abroad there but they saw it as a fun way to take some extra classes over the summer. So when I came back and told them I wanted to teach abroad, they were obviously shocked.” Jesse credits his time on Andros Island as opportunity to think about what he valued as a teacher. “There are many things I took for granted that many people do not have.”

What surprised him the most? The use of technology: “Just because we can create lessons on computers and guide activities with the use of a smart board, does not make it a good lesson.” Future teachers come from a generation dependent on smart phones and smart boards, but Jesse hopes they will be able to use technology in a more practical manner, not as a crutch. “I believe students learn best when they can have hands on learning experiences and sometimes the use of technology can get in the way.”

Hanging around on Andros Island

This unexpected return to the Bahamas is not all palm trees and clear waters. Jesse admits that going back to the Bahamas will be a major change from his experience as a study abroad student. “Living on New Providence is going to be much different than being a visitor on Andros. I will have to gain the respect of the students from day one instead of visiting an already established classroom. One of the biggest differences is when I was last in the Bahamas I was [being] influenced in many different ways. Now, I hope to be influencing others and passing on the information that I know.”

Jesse’s assignment will take him to an independent preparatory school in New Providence called Tambearly School. He knew he wanted to teach abroad, but found that many programs requested at least two years of teaching experience. In regard to finding his position, Jesse credits the world’s favorite search engine, Google: “I found this position with a little luck, some frustration, and a lot of searching. After a lot of time looking I finally decided to just google the top ten elementary schools in the Bahamas and email the school directly. I sent out three or four emails to some of the schools on that list informing them that I was a new teacher who had studied abroad in the Bahamas and was looking for a job there.”

Not thinking that anything would pan out, Jesse was surprised to see a return email from Tambearly within a few days, requesting a resume and some additional information. The principal, an American who grew up in the U.S. hires teachers from all over the world, and called Jesse to offer a phone interview about a fourth grade position. Students attending Tambearly hail from a variety of areas, which appealed to Jesse in terms of its diverse student body.

This year while his peers begin their work in the U.S., Jesse will be teaching a fourth grade class, be a swim instructor, and be working to create a new club for the school. He says, “All of the teachers and parents are really involved with the school which makes everyone there seem like a big family.”

With his new found role abroad, Jesse’s advises future study abroad students “to keep an open mind and try new things.” He admits, “Before studying in the Bahamas I had no intentions of teaching abroad. But, my time on Andros opened up a whole new world of experiences and I would not change a thing.”

Congrats, Jesse! Best of luck to you in your new school.

If you’d like to talk to Jesse about his experiences abroad, or learn more about the Science & Schooling program, please drop us an email at goabroad@eiu.edu