Wrapping Up Orientation in Peru - Weeks 3 & 4

The time has come to wrap up EdOdyssey’s study abroad month-long orientation in Lima, Peru. During the past month, Sandra, Sarah, Grace, Citlalli, Jeniffer, Steve and Joe had opportunities to create friendships, familiarize themselves with how Peruvian Spanish differs from other countries in the region, and get to know Lima on their own! In our third and fourth week of our month-long orientation, we showed them a more in depth look at the diverse communities within Lima and Peru as a country.

During the first two weeks, they visited bordering cities and districts of Lima, in addition to their daily language and cultural classes.

This way they were able to learn how both time and distance are very different things when moving around Lima, compared to what they are used to back home. They even learned firsthand how the city’s traffic can change dramatically in just under an hour’s long trip.

In the last two weeks of the orientation, we took the students on an in-depth journey to continue exploring the city and we accompanied them to get a taste and look into Peru’s incredible diversity during our trip to Iquitos, located in the Peruvian Jungle.

The group received lessons on Peruvian music, including Bareto - a music group in Peru who are famous for their versions of Peruvian classic hits.

Throughout this third and fourth week of our month long orientation, our group continued to practice their Spanish skills and learned about Peruvian music (pictured left) by showing them examples from our three regions’ (coast, highlands and jungle) musical expression. Peruvians love to express their history through their music. Some songs are filled with longing for what was lost while others are full of happiness about life and our connection to their ancestors’ heritage. 

They visited Lugar de la Memoria to understand Terrorism in Peru to learn about one of the darkest, most violent times in Peruvian socio-economic conflict history and the way it shaped Peru’s social interactions today.

Additionally, they spent time at the MATE museum in Barranco, which is a non-profit center established to promote Peru’s culture and heritage. For example, they saw the work of Mario Testino, famous Peruvian photographer, who has captured the likes of many celebrities and well-known personalities all over the world sharing his unique perspective through his lens.

Students continued to explore Lima, including the Plaza de Armas de Lima (pictured below, left) which is the center of the city. While on their visit, they quickly learned about the different ways the city has grown, and how the Via Expresa has helped to connect everything together with a highway that helps go through the city a little quicker.

They were able to view the Cathedral of Lima (pictured above, right) and about Jirón de la Unión, your street of choice if you wanted to be seen and known back in the 1950’s. In fact, Plaza Bolívar is location where the one and only Simon Bolivar, one of the forefathers of Peru’s independence lived for three years starting in 1823, which was only two years after Peru’s independence was declared.

During the third week of orientation, students participated in additional days of service and volunteering to gain a wider perspective with respect to the different communities in Lima. Additionally, they visited one of the most impoverished communities in the city and witnessed the economic divide. As week four concluded, students spent the afternoon at “Kantaya” (pictured below) which is located in a more poverty-stricken area outside of Lima with children ages 5 to 15 years old, and helped the staff during activities, such as teaching english.

Our students visited the Corazon de Jesus School with Agustin.

They also met and visited Agustin, the promoter of the donation-funded Corazon de Jesus school. Located in the outskirts of the city, east of Metropolitan Lima, this was a wonderful opportunity for our students to learn how differently people live from the main, more tourist-oriented parts of Lima. Even with a reduced budget, the school shows that a lot can be done with the will to be better and love for education, despite scarcity and hardship.

The group posed in front of the Libertad Jungle Lodge, an accommodation and community within the Iquitos area of Peru.

The final week of orientation marks the beginning of the academic year at Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú (PUCP) where students take classes in Lima. Before our students went on campus to start their classes, the EdOdyssey team took them on a trip to Iquitos, one of the three excursions we have prepared for them so they get to know how diverse Peru is in its territory. Life in the jungle is not easy, especially if you come from the city.

With the help of Gumer, the bravest and most charismatic guide you’ll find in Peru, our students learned about jungle survival and swam with Pink Dolphins. Fun Fact: these animals have evolved specifically for rivers and interact with wild monkeys and go out fishing for piranhas.

Our students also learned about the mindset of the people in Iquitos, and how hard work is when you are in a part of the country far away from its capital.

It sure has been quite the adventure for EdOdyssey students during their first month abroad! As their semester begins, we hope they have enjoyed their introduction to Peru and continue to embrace their journey overseas!

Are you interested in learning more about the study abroad program that these EdOdyssey students are participating in? Check out our Study Abroad page today!

Three Benefits of Hosting Foreign Exchange Students

Has your high school hosted exchanges with other schools, or would your high school would be interested in hosting students from another country for the first time? EdOdyssey works with schools from around the world. For schools wanting to travel, we facilitate short-term immersion programs tending to last 7-10 days. For schools that want to host students from abroad, we've had students stay short term for 2-5 days and we can also arrange longer stays.

Over the last five years and counting, we’ve built strong connections/relationships between schools in the US, China, Peru, Spain and more. Our program wants to empower young people taking classroom knowledge and applying it to real world settings abroad.

At EdOdyssey, we value opening doors to new cultures through home stays with local families in conjunction with a host school to build and develop a deeper ties between local schools, their communities and visiting schools.

Why do we believe so strongly in the importance and value of immersion program exchanges between schools from different countries?

Here are three major benefits to hosting foreign students for a short-term immersion program:

1. Show The Best of Your Local Culture

The best part about people visiting is that you get to show them the highlights of your city and the surrounding area! In our daily lives, we get too busy or tied up with our day-to-day activities that we sometimes don’t enjoy the beauty of our local places and spaces.

When was the last time you saw a local show or went to a nearby museum? Wouldn’t it be fun to meet a new friend from another part of the world and give him or her a look into your daily life at home, at school, and in your community?

When we collaborate with schools from around the world, we look to build an educational program that’s mutually beneficial for both host and visiting schools. For our visiting schools, we build our home stays around 3-5 days in the host city so the visiting students can visit the school, get a sense of the school day, and participate in classes to see what a day in the life of a local student looks like in another country. For both host and visiting schools, we find activities that are both educational and fun with local musicians, artists, athletes and notable local personalities. 

We take the time for our host brothers and sisters, and their visitors, to visit a local famous place of interest. You have an opportunity to reflect on the beauty of your own home and culture, and you get the chance to show a new friend how great your hometown is as well. 

2. Make Life-Long Connections

We see the importance in bridging culture gaps through hand matching our host students with their visiting brother or sister based on their mutual interests. Despite each homestay lasting for only a few days, their connections and the lessons learned during this period can last a lifetime!

From the start, we ask both host students and visiting students to complete a survey. After they submit questionnaires with their likes and interests to EdOdyssey, they are matched and put in contact through us so they can connect through email with the option to share their social media and phone number!

These short and intense experiences allow both schools to see the beauty in differences and the importance of mutual respect!

In the past, we’ve worked at a local food bank organizing food donations!

3. Share School Communities & Missions

In both visiting and host schools, we like to organize different events in the community. In our past programs, we’ve focused on developing four aspects of the exchange involving (1) a service opportunity (2) a local visit, (3) a local event (4) a big dinner with host families and their visiting brother or sister.

For service, we’ve organized an event with a local non-profit, charity or organization, such as a food bank in Spain, providing value to the local community. We set up these events out of solidarity - ultimately both locals and visitors gain a better appreciation for programs that provide assistance to an underserved part of the community.

In our past local visits, we’ve found a museum, or a local event, that meets and matches the respective missions and objectives of both of our schools.  When we continue speak and collaborate with both host schools and visiting schools, we want to align their missions and objectives.  When we’ve created events, such as flamenco shows in Spain or volunteer events in Peru, we coordinate with both schools to create a cohesive and coherent plan for all of us to learn from each other. If the visiting school wants to focus on a specific classroom subject, or a specific topic (like history or art) we work with host schools to coordinate events that mutually benefit both schools and communities.

In the past, our local event has brought in local artists and musicians that highlight an aspect of local culture and community. We’ve hosted local musicians and artists to come and put on a show at the local school.

During our previous immersion programs, we’ve worked to create a cultural event in conjunction with the host school to provide a big finale for host families and the visiting students and teachers.

Ready to see if your school is the right fit for our homestay program? We’re open to your ideas and we want to hear them! If your school has volunteer centers, local museums, or businesses, we want to facilitate sharing your community with a visiting school from abroad!

Please send us an email at info@edodyssey.com for more information and we’ll be in touch with next steps on planning your unique journey.

The Life-Long Impact of Study Abroad Volunteering

One of my most memorable experiences in Peru was volunteering in the greater Lima area in Pamplona Alta. Volunteering while abroad offers the chance to see and experience parts of the country that you are in that you may not encounter on a day to day basis.  These experiences help to shape your overall experience abroad and they will stay with you. They are not only with you in the short term, but also provide long-term value in helping to understand your purpose, potential professional experiences in the future, and any future humanitarian work.  

In short, the purpose of volunteer work is not just checking an action item off of a list.

Uncertain Expectations

One day in Peru, one of my Peruvian friends told me about a place in Lima called Pamplona Alta.  They had a contact who was in charge of organizing students to go to Pamplona Alta to do volunteer work.  My friend said that I should definitely go to Pamplona Alta while I was in Peru. I did not initially think much of this, but I would soon realize why she highly recommended that I go.  Before going to Pamplona Alta, I felt as if I did not know what to expect. Up until that point, I had not really ventured outside of the main parts of Lima.

Gaining New Perspective

The day began with me going to meet with my friend’s contact and other volunteers in San Isidro.  We then boarded vans and headed toward Pamplona Alta. On the drive over I noticed something that I had not seen yet in Lima.

After exiting the main city part of Lima, there was a tunnel that we traveled through, and on the other side there was a stark contrast to what we had just left.  The main question I had was: Was this intentional? Would the government actually create a physical boundary between these two parts of Lima?

Upon arrival at the bottom of the mountain, it was time to get out of the vans and walk to where we would be working.  We walked for about twenty five minutes to our site, but there were even farther places higher up the hill. This is a walk that every person living in this community has become accustomed to.

Building For The Future

I knew that we would be helping to build new stairs for a part of the community, but I did not realize we would actually be making our own cement.  I learned that day just how this is done.

After making cement, we would put it in buckets and pass them down to the next person in the human assembly line, and then pour into the steps to dry. After working for a few hours, the members of this community who lived near our work site treated us to a homemade lunch.

I remember thinking about how selfless this was, how people with less than us were making us lunch, yet were so giving and generous in spirit.  After a few more hours of working and finishing the steps for that particular section, a person who lived in the community wanted to show us more of the community, so we climbed even higher up the hill.

Life-Long Impact: Sharing Solidarity

What we had done that day really hit me when we were at one of the highest points on the mountain. Viewing the entire community from that spot made me think about how the people of Pamplona Alta deserve everything. Everyone I met were the most warm and loving people I had ever met.

After writing our names in the fresh concrete and saying our goodbyes, we descended Pamplona Alta.  On the ride back, it was hard for me to not think about what I had just experienced. Stairs are a necessity for anyone living in a community like Pamplona Alta, yet this is not a guaranteed right.  I remember feeling a little angry that more could not be done, but I could only remember the smiles on all of the faces I saw that day.

There comes a point where you cannot be angry, but simply do more, and step up to bring change daily.  I learned from this experience that we are really in it together, and change can only be accomplished together. I also learned that the people of Pamplona Alta and beyond live their lives and make it with our help. It is up to us to live in solidarity when we do enter communities like Pamplona Alta, as they give a lot living their lives with big hearts.

Having New Appreciation

What I experienced in Pamplona Alta was in stark contrast to what I experienced on the daily in Miraflores. This experience taught me even more about Peru as a country and as a population. Would a random person in Miraflores invite me into their home for a refreshment?  

In Pamplona Alta, this type of hospitality happens without hesitation. Volunteering in Pamplona Alta definitely shaped my experience in Peru, as it exposed me to what most of Peru truly is, a country of warm, generous, and loving people.  Going to places like Pamplona Alta and actually interacting with the community make these areas less scary and aid in breaking down stereotypes.

In the long-term, experiences like this help to see your place in the world and serve to inspire you to do more in the world.  The world needs more people like the people of Pamplona Alta, a living example of selfless love in the world.

Four Reasons Why A Gap Year Makes Sense

If you are currently a senior in high school, you are going through the stressful college application process. What was something that never crossed my mind during the beginning of my senior year of high school? A gap year.  

The idea of taking a year off from school does not cross the minds of most seniors eagerly applying to college.  It’s existence may be known, but a gap year is not followed through by most. It feels natural to attend college right after graduating from high school, but it is important to ask yourself if this path is right for you.  

My parents were initially hesitant about my year off from school, but it was not hard to convince them that a gap year would add tremendous value to my studies and life. I assured my parents that I would make the most of a gap year and that it would be a productive year.  I was fortunate that my family was extremely supportive of my decision, and everyone was excited to see what I would do.

What is missing from the natural path however is a breath or even a couple breaths to take a step back and think about your journey.  One of my initial concerns was the perception of taking a gap year. I was worried that a gap year may appear to detract from my path of studies and achievement.  However, I became reassured that a gap year would only enrich my path after having several conversations with my family, guidance counselor, and teachers.

I was also concerned that I would be missing out on college and feeling connected to my friends going off the college.  However, when I thought more about this, I remember getting advice from my high school principal that in hindsight, this is only one year of my life. In the moment, I may have been concerned about missing out on college, but in the future, when looking back on this point in my life, I may be able to appreciate this year for myself even more.

If you have made the decision to dive into a gap year, you may be thinking “Now what am I going to do?  Here are some ideas:

Intern

A great way to gain some real life experience is through obtaining an internship.  This gives you the opportunity to pursue an interest or field of study that you may be drawn to, and may even help you decide what you want to study in college.  

You will be able gain some professional experience, build your network and references by meeting incredible people, and also build upon your own portfolio. You can additionally obtain a job to earn some money for your future, and this can be combined with an internship, depending on if it is a paid or unpaid position.tra

Volunteer

Nothing is more rewarding than the feeling you have after helping others and making a difference, regardless of size or scale.  You can volunteer in your own community, or go outside your hometown and volunteer somewhere out in the world!

Personal Project

Perhaps you have wanted to accomplish a personal goal or had a special project that you wanted to do during high school but did not have the time.  Now on your gap year, you have that time to work on a passion project to build your skills and portfolio . This could be photography, a writing project, learning a new instrument, or even learning a new language!

Travel

One of the best ways to go outside of your comfort zone out into the world and learn more about yourself is through travel.  It is very possible to travel on a budget, while going on an adventure of a lifetime and diving deep into different cultures of the world!  This is the perfect option for an experience that will allow you to grow as a person and gain some independence.

Traveling abroad opens yourself to new views of the world, with exposure to new foods, languages, and cultures that maybe you have never knew much about.  A gap year gives you time to actually think about and give you a better idea about what you want to do in your future. High school does not provide students with time to ask themselves what they like and what they’re passionate about. Travel can provide a great window of opportunity for this, and this is especially valuable before starting college.

If you decide that taking a gap year is the right choice for you, I would advise that you still apply to college in the fall of your senior year of high school.  All universities do not have a deferral policy, so you must determine if your desired school(s) has a deferral policy or not. It is best to apply to college in the fall of your senior year if you are considering a gap year because this way you will not stress out about applying to colleges during your gap year.

The beauty of a gap year is that it is yours to mold and plan.  You can easily combine any of these ideas! A gap year is not for every student, you may want to go straight into college or maybe the thought of doing something different excites you!  

Curious to learn how a gap year changed my life? Check out How Study Abroad With EdOdyssey Prepared Me For Harvard!  

How Study Abroad with EdOdyssey Prepared Me for Harvard

One of the world’s biggest Buddhas behind me!

My name is Jake Leary and I am currently a freshman at Harvard University, but the journey to get on campus has taken me from Massachusetts, around the world, and back home. I do not know my concentration (Havard’s fancy term for a major) yet, but I am very interested in Government and East Asian Studies. I am from Brockton, Massachusetts and attended high school in Boston. I was very involved in our writing club, jazz band, yearbook publication, and running cross-country for four years in high school. In the fall of 2016, as I went into my senior year, I had no idea that I would be taking gap year after graduating and travelling the world to countries like China and Peru. I did not really even know what a gap year was, nor that a gap year was possible for me. However, looking back on it, this became the best possible path for me to take.

During the final month of my senior year in high school, I decided I wanted to take a gap year. After thinking long and hard about it, I knew that I needed to give myself a break. This was not only a break from the routines of school and school work, but a deep breath to slow my life down.

How I learned breathing techniques and how to meditate in China.

As I look back on my senior year of high school, it turned out as the most stressful year of school for me and it didn’t allow me time to consider the next step after college. If I went straight into studying in college, I would have felt the burnout from high school, but luckily, I felt supported when I told my close friends, teachers, and mentors at my high school. However, I kept getting asked the same, repetitive question: “So what are you going to do?”. I had not given much thought to this which I probably should have, but I responded: “I might want to travel, but I will figure it out.” This simple, general response probably scared a bit those who asked, especially my school’s principal and president, when their valedictorian essentially had no clue what he was doing with this year off.

Despite the little worry I had about my future plans, I knew that everything would work out. This self-assured feeling became especially true when I found out about EdOdyssey after graduating. I had an inkling that I wanted to travel, and EdOdyssey’s several travel destinations for students intrigued me. After talking with EdOdyssey about possible plans for my gap year travels, I became very excited to embark on this journey.

Loved the Chinese tea!

Prior to my gap year, I had never travelled outside of the United States and felt something missing from the experiences in my life. With a desire to learn Mandarin for the first time, my first destination that I decided to travel to was China, halfway across the world. At 18, if you told me that I was moving to China, I would have never believed you. After arriving at night in Beijing, I was a little intimidated to say the least, since I could basically only say 你好 (hello) in Mandarin. After arriving in China, my hosts referred me to a breakfast that I later found because I was starving after 19 hours of travel. Now it was time for me to order something to the best of my ability which turned into an unforgettable experience.

Luckily, when I went to the counter of the restaurant, a boy around my age who spoke some English helped me order my soup and baozi--a steamed bun filled with meat-- which felt strange eating meat at 9am. Despite my reservations, I took my food and sat down at a communal table and started a conversation with a woman and her parents, from what I could tell. Although the meat tasted great, they noticed that I did not love my soup so they handed me a warm piece of bread. I told them my story through Google translate and then asked them where I could buy bottled water. After finishing eating, they walked me all the way to the grocery store. Despite a language barrier, it was these complete strangers’ natural instinct to help me. This kind of hospitality and friendliness I later continued to experience and encounter throughout my entire trip in China.

One of my favorite experiences in China was when I studied Mandarin for the first time in my life in the small city of Guilin (population of 5 million, a small city for China standards). At the language school recommended by EdOdyssey (Chinese Language Institute), it was extremely valuable to have one-on-one classes with my Chinese teacher, and solely focus on my study of Mandarin. Since I did not take Mandarin classes in high school, it made a tremendous difference studying a new language in its native country. I took what I learned in my classes and practiced persistently when I asked locals questions, went out to eat, and explored the city. My experience with Mandarin challenged me, but I did not feel as intimidated as I first thought. Even though I studied hard, I met tons of new and incredible people and had loads of fun simultaneously.

After teaching high school students in China about culture in the United States!

Reflecting on my experience in China, I now realize how valuable it truly was because of all of the amazing people I met, my newfound interest in Mandarin, and personal growth. If I had not received all of the help and guidance from EdOdyssey for my trip to China, I would never have met such amazing friends that brought me back to China this past summer to visit. I also would not have decided to continue my study of Mandarin here at Harvard. As I entered my first Mandarin class this fall at Harvard, I felt very prepared and confident in my foundation of Mandarin that I had established abroad. Within my first week of Mandarin class, while some of my peers struggled to introduce themselves, I could hold conversations with my teachers. After my travels in China, I thought about improving my Spanish, which I could not speak and hold a conversation a year ago.

Soon after my trip to China, I decided that one country would not suffice for my year off, and through EdOdyssey, I headed south to explore Peru. Initially, I felt worried about traveling to Peru because I thought about how I would essentially start from scratch again in a new country. I wanted a new and fresh experience in Peru, one entirely different from mine in China. This fear quickly disappeared as I fell in love with Peru’s numerous destinations, diverse culture, and delicious cuisine.

Papa a La Huancaína is a must-eat!

My homestay experience shaped my entire time in Peru. Living in Lima, with a central location close to all of the restaurants, shops, and downtown area was very convenient. I was only a walk away from one of Lima’s central parks Parque Kennedy with numerous restaurants and shops and the area that overlooked the Pacific Ocean Malecón de Miraflores where I enjoyed morning runs. My helpful host family got me acclimated to this new environment and showed me around to their favorite spots in Lima several times. In my unique homestay experience I only spoke Spanish in the home, forcing me to significantly improve it. I loved sitting with my host parents during meals while eating some of the best food I’ve ever eaten and learning more about Peru, South America, and my host parents’ lives. A cultural difference that I realized, the affection exuded by everyone I met, I soon came to love, with constant hugs and kisses when greeting someone. This speaks volumes to how much love and passion Peruvians truly have in their lives.

I loved most in Peru when I had the opportunities to give back in the form of volunteer work. Going to the community of Pamplona Alta in Lima exposed me to the hardships of many living in Peru, but also the great sense of perseverance and strong-will that its people possess. I helped in constructing concrete stairs, as the citizens of Pamplona Alta must climb the mountain-sides daily. After my experiences in Peru, I learned that life does not have to be so constantly fast-paced as we sometimes make it. This has helped me in how I go about living my life, in handling any stress and managing my time in the best way possible. I have learned to approach life with a more easy-going attitude that I know will stay with me.

In summary, the opportunities to travel because of EdOdyssey have changed my life in a very positive manner. Before my gap year, with a shy and timid personality, I mainly stuck to routines. Through travel, I have grown to become more independent and adventurous. I have also in the process become a strong advocate for students taking a gap year. An amazing chance to learn more about yourself, outside of the comforts of what you are used to, a gap year is transformative. It is a time to take a risk, but a risk with infinite benefits. Nevertheless, I would give the idea of going abroad with EdOdyssey serious thought and you may find yourself reflecting on it, and maybe even writing a blog about your experiences, in one year’s time!

The day before I left Peru, I enjoyed seeing all the places where I visited during my time in Lima from above!

Learn more about studying abroad in Peru with EdOdyssey.