Global Classroom Awards
Woodstock Union High School
496-1 Woodstock Road
Woodstock, VT 05091
Principal: Greg Schillinger
Contact Person and Essay Author: Christopher Cate, Director of Counseling Services
"We are a rural high school in Vermont drawing students from seven different towns in the surrounding area. Vermont itself is quite diverse in terms of culture, but not as diverse in terms of various nationalities. Every year we host students from around the world. This year we have students from China, Turkey, Germany, and Indonesia. In addition, we had a student visitor from Argentina who was here in Vermont visiting with the family that had sent their son to live with him the previous summer. Other countries where students have come from in the past five years are Spain, France, Bolivia, Thailand, Ecuador, Brazil, Chile, Taiwan, and Denmark. Students have had experiences abroad working with the East-West Center (Cambodia), School for International Training (Italy), and Oxbridge Academic Program (Cambridge). This year I am aware of one students planning on studies in Spain and France. We also have two students who will be travelling to Cambodia with the East-West Center. It seems we fluctuate from 2% to 10.5% of our student population travelling somewhere abroad every other year.
In addition to individual students taking advantage of travelling abroad to such places like India, Bolivia, Chile, Denmark, Taiwan, Costa Rica, Switzerland, and Cuba, we have a long standing school effort where students, teachers, and community members have travelled to Peru. Over the past seven years the groups that have travelled to Peru have raised money to help build two medical facilities, two school buildings, and fresh water wells. The villages that have received our support are Cabo Pantoja and San Juan. The medical facilities serve multiple villages and two indigenous Yahua communities. This is an effort that has really become a wonderful experience that is open to any student with an interest to help and broaden their horizons.
Our faculty is also very active in taking advantage of expanding their own personal experiences culturally to enhance the classroom offerings. Summer travels have included educators travelling by ways of Fulbright Memorial Funds to Japan, Greece, and Cyprus. Through he Oxbridge Academic Programs faculty have travelled to Paris and Cambridge.
As well as all the travelling options, our school has been very active inviting various groups to present to our students. This year we have had a Cuban Music group Septito Tipico, and last year musician and dancers from Ghana.
We strive to open all avenues to allow our students to experience cultures from around the world. Perhaps one of the best responses is not in my words, but from the perspective of a student who recently returned from her trip to Peru.
Thank you for offering up this opportunity and helping students see the world."