Why Gratefulness in 2021 Matters

A new year and new semester is now underway, but it is never too late to reflect on what last year left us with, and to ask ourselves: was everything we went through even worth it? How could we really take something positive out of such an intense year? 

The entire world breathed a collective sigh of relief when the clock struck midnight on New Year’s Eve and the calendar read 2021.

However, if you are still feeling exhausted, drained and stuck under the weight of 2020, our team wants to let you know that you are not alone and we felt important to reflect on this sentiment and to keep it all in perspective.

Grateful for Challenges

Although we’d all like to pretend the past year didn’t happen, or that it is already in the past, it’s important that we pay very close attention to all those challenges that made it such an intense year and to learn from them.

To many of us, 2020 meant a significant and major change on our routines, plans, goals and on our personal structures too. 

And for you, if you’re a high school or college student, it meant a significant change in terms of your learning process, but also your way of socializing. You adapted to new ways of studying, communicating and connecting not only with your classmates and teachers but with your friends and family too, and you worked to overcome those difficult challenges. 

The challenges that you’ve faced as an individual within a bigger society have left us with major lessons about solidarity, justice, and adaptability that we all need to implement in our current, respective lives. Collectively, we’ll take these lessons to build a new one that goes beyond society itself and structure a new sense of community: a much more conscious, compassionate and responsible one. 

Just as for us, as a company and as a group of individuals from around the world: many of our plans had to change when the pandemic hit, and we were suddenly stuck in a dense uncertainty cloud with no clear path in front of us. However, it was right in the middle of the crisis that our team found a way to rise above the challenge of the pandemic together, as we’ve always been, and luckily with the same team we had at the start of 2020. 

Grateful for Innovation

For our team, we created two passport-free programs to provide students the ability to connect with an international experience, even if it was virtual. Our Virtual Study Abroad program in partnership with the most prestigious university in Peru, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú. Additionally, our team created an unbelievable Medical Spanish & Latinx Patient Program integrated Medical Spanish language classes.

Each program had workshops focused on latin culture backgrounds too that are both online and affordable options for students in need of, even under hard circumstances, continue learning and exploring into global perspectives.

Grateful for Growth

So, how could each and everyone one of us feel grateful for 2020? During last year, have you reflected on the fact that challenges, such as economic and political crises and health systems collapsing, have always been a common thing in the world?

They didn’t start in 2020, but somehow no year has ever brought out in such a uniform way, how necessary it is to start thinking even more collectively and to take responsibility for ourselves and others, and how little we really need to live happily.

Challenges will always be a common denominator that we all need to adapt too. So, going from there, why don’t we start approaching life from a grateful, wider perspective and focus on everything we have instead of everything we lack? 

Let’s appreciate what last year taught us. 

Let’s not forget all of those things that let us shine our truest and most vulnerable essence. 

Let’s grow into kindness, respect and care for and to one another. 

Let’s see life from a grateful approach.

Take a minute to think about this and reflect: what are you grateful for today? 

Our team is hopeful the world will become a better and safer place for all of us. We are grateful for being alive, healthy and for the incredible opportunity to keep doing what we love most, despite what’s happening in the world. 

As our organization looks ahead, we are very excited to welcome a new year with you and thrilled to tell you about all of what we have planned for you both online and through future in-person programs.

This 2021 is filled with travel opportunities we need to know how to take advantage of in the most careful and responsible possible way. 

Want to keep connected with us and learn more about our programs ahead? Don’t forget to follow us on all of our social media below! Let’s get it started!

Starting International Education Week: An Open Letter to Students

Dear Students,

My name is Patty Valencia and I am the Peruvian Program Coordinator at EdOdyssey.

As the International Education Week starts this week, as it typically does in mid-November, I started reflecting on how valuable and resourceful studying abroad truly is. This time, I am not going to put my attention in the academic nor the cultural side, but the personal, friendly one.

As the program coordinator, I have seen many of you come and go. All arrivals have always been different, I can’t argue that. Some of you come exhausted for the long flight. Others come tired but truly enthusiastic and then we have the ones with an impenetrable look and silence treat, quite an enigma.

So yes, arrivals are all different and uniques. But the farewells? Oh, the farewells.

You see, it is not a small decision to live abroad for half of year or an entire year. It is a big decision that implies a lot of smaller choices, especially if you decide to move to Peru, this beautifully different country than your own.

But let me be completely sincere about something here. That great gap between your culture and ours, between your country and mine, and between your possibilities there and here. All of it means your experiences will easily be the biggest effect of your experience in Peru. Or as I see it: personal growth.

I am not saying here that your entire time in my country will be negative, but I am saying it can indeed take you out of your comfort zone.

That’s for sure.

Your experience will present you a range of realities, some harder than others, and it can fiercely force you to reflect. Your time abroad will make you go deep inside yourself as an individual and question all those things you may have taken for granted.

Your experience can, and it most likely will, make you see yourself in a different light and in connection with others. It can really shape a different you. A more conscious, grateful, and humble version of you.

That future you, from my perspective, is the most powerful effect about your experience here. And I promise, it won’t go away.

In my eyes, if you ever ask what do i prefer: if hellos or goodbyes (you haven’t asked but I am going to answer just in case), I prefer the goodbyes. And not because the fact of saying goodbye, but because of the light, love and growth that I see shine in your eyes.

Those looks of you after those last hugs are fuel for me. They the exact thing that makes me love my job the most.

I miss you all so much. Keep shining that beautiful light of yours onto the world. For now, take care of yourselves, kids!

Hasta que nos volvamos a encontrar,

Patty

Want to take your first step toward an in-person experience? Check out our virtual study abroad here!

Blending Academics and Culture: The Uniqueness Behind EdOdyssey's Virtual Study Abroad Program

Expand your academic experience this semester with courses that go beyond traditional online classes. Take part in EdOdyssey’s virtual study abroad program that uniquely combines a cultural learning module with a selection of academic courses at the top university in Peru.

This is an incredible opportunity for eager learners excited about taking their education to gain cultural and academic knowledge from a local perspective. 

Growing your global understanding is integral to being an impactful society member wherever you live. Throughout the virtual study abroad program, you will connect with Peruvian professors to learn about either Indigenous Rights, Peruvian History, Global Pandemics, Spanish language, or Traditional Medicine in the Andres.

While students receive academic coursework, our Peruvian team based in Peru will engage in an open dialogue and support students while they learn about aspects of Peruvian culture.

As a Virtual Study Abroad student, you’ll gain knowledge about Peru from local perspectives, gain cultural competencies and even prepare yourself for future study abroad and travel!

LOCAL PERSPECTIVE

These courses, taught by PUCP professors who are highly knowledgeable in their fields, will create an opportunity for students to connect with other students throughout the U.S., while also engaging in dialogue with the Peruvian professors. 

Class photo with one of the awesome professors at PUCP from our in-person semester program

How often do you get the chance to take a course about “Indigenous Rights and Legal Pluralism” with a Peruvian professor who has extensive knowledge and experience related with indigenous rights? This could be a once in a lifetime opportunity! 

The five exceptional course options challenge students to build cultural competencies beyond the classroom. By learning directly from Peruvian professors with lived experience in Latin America, students will be able to ask questions, engage in fruitful dialogue and greatly expand their knowledge. 

CULTURAL MODULE: BECOMING A GLOBAL CITIZEN

In an increasingly globalized world, these courses provide you with an opportunity to gain crucial skills of cultural competence and a wider global perspective through interacting with citizens from another country and covering important sociocultural topics. The cultural module of the Virtual Study Abroad program will include a series of guest speakers who will share their perspectives and experiences on numerous topics related to accomplishments and challenges in Peru. 

Various presentations will inspire you to reflect and gain perspective on your personal identity, experiences, and capital through discussions and conversations in the cultural modules. While specific aspects of Peruvian society may not resonate with a student, there are numerous takeaways which students can use to reflect on social justice issues and questions such as:

How can I make a difference in the world and community in which I am a part of? 

In what ways can I focus my community engagement where I live? 

In what ways do my individual actions impact global economies, societies, and peoples? 

What values do people have in different regions such as rural areas and cities? 

A TASTE BEFORE STUDYING ABROAD

For high school upperclassmen and college students, this program may also be helpful for those debating studying abroad or future travel. Knowledge gained will help students build cultural confidence and possibly reduce the intensity of culture shock upon arriving to study abroad in Lima in the future.

The Peruvian History and Culture course will be particularly useful for students who will eventually study abroad in Lima, as you will be able to discuss historical events and social issues with locals.  As wonderful as study abroad information sessions and slideshows may be, the more you know before you go abroad will help you feel ready and excited about the new experiences to come. 

IS VIRTUAL STUDY ABROAD THE RIGHT FIT FOR ME?

If you are a high school upperclassmen, high school graduate, or undergrad student then YES, this program is PERFECT FOR YOU!  Knowledge about diverse cultures, regions, and societies will help you succeed in any avenue you pursue in life. Additionally, during this unprecedented time of a global pandemic, some may find the course “Pandemics, Global History & Peruvian Society” to be an exciting new perspective on what is happening across the world. 

If you plan to travel somewhere, the lessons you learn in this program about Peru’s culture will apply to various aspects of your life. Learning about Peru’s diverse range of cultures, climates, and languages will help students reflect on their own realities and how they’d like to better engage with them. 

If you’re still working on your Spanish, or haven’t studied a language in awhile, that’s okay! The Peruvian History, Indigenous Rights, and Global Pandemics courses will be offered in English. You will provide you with an opportunity to learn about various aspects of Peruvian culture and society, expand your cultural competency and better align you for a future of impactful societal engagement. 

If you’re looking to improve your intermediate or advanced Spanish language skills, or learn about Traditional Medicine in the Andes, you’ll gain even more perspective and improve your language skills!

Want to learn more about the virtual study abroad program? Learn more about the Curriculum and Experience!

The Peruvian Divide: Race, Ethnicity, Class & Status

The mission and responsibility of EdOdyssey starts with serving our students and the world through experiential learning. As leaders in international education, our organization feels compelled to raise our voice against racial discrimination and violence and to educate on the differences that exist within societies abroad.

As a Peruvian citizen, and a member of the EdOdyssey team, I’m sharing perspective on the Peruvian experience with racial divide that exists so any student that comes for an immersion program or semester has more context and a wider perspective when visiting Peru.

Peru’s History: Roots of Racism & Imperialism

Racism in Peru has its origins as old as the history that led to the formation of its territory. The first meeting of the Spaniards with the last Peruvian Inca, known as Atahualpa,  in 1532 was one based on domination and violence. Narrations of historians at the time tell how the group led by Pizarro presented a Bible to Atahualpa and demanded him to renounce his pagan beliefs. 

Depiction of the encounter between Francisco Pizarro and the Inca Atahualpa by chronicler Guaman Poma de Ayala, circa 1615 Photo Credit: Amautu Diaries

Atahualpa, not knowing what a Bible nor Christianity was, discarded the object, triggering anger in the Spaniards at the sight of such profanity. They then used this as justification to submit the native Peruvians and begin what was known as the Viceroyalty of Peru.

The process was not peaceful. Wars were fought, blood was shed and the indigenous population was reduced to numbers dangerously close to extinction. The start of the Viceroyalty of Peru was one based on the notion that the native Peruvians were a people that lived in ignorance. 

Wars stripped them from their possessions, and they were cast out to the outskirts of the city of Lima to areas that were called The Inca Reductions. Walls were erected to prevent the Inca descendants from mixing with the Spaniards. Some portions of that wall can still be seen in Lima today.

A New Form of Division: Classism

From that point on, there would be a disparity between Spaniards and native Peruvians, both in economy and education. This inequity would continue even throughout the history of Peru as a Republic, as being from an ethnic background different from the European meant you would have fewer opportunities in life, making racism merge with a new form of division: classism.

Links Between Ethnicity & Social Status

And the same way Incan buildings remain in modern-day Peru for everyone to see them, classism and racism are still very present. You will notice, for example, that the city of Lima has some variability of the ethnicity of their population according to where in Lima they reside. The majority of people living in the outskirts of the city are descendants of Native Peruvians, and the people living in the richest, most central parts of the city are of European descent.

We can go as far as to describe that oftentimes houses in the richest parts of the city of Lima have a housekeeper of sorts called “la empleada”. This at-home worker will mainly come from one of the outskirts of the city and their ethnicity will almost always be Native Peruvian. The name of empleada has been recently changed to trabajadora del hogar. 

The reason for this change is very revealing: to say empleada implies meaning of someone being used, employed for something, in an example that critics have called modern-day slavery. To say trabajadora del hogar roughly translates to house worker, and it is a clear effort to move away from the utilitarian view of the less fortunate citizens.

Indeed, language is power.

Hand-In-Hand Connection: Race & Social Status in Peru

We can also see this in modern-day Peru. Part of our Study Abroad Program involves experiences that show the enormous economic and racial divide especially in the Lima area. With service day-trips to the less fortunate areas in the capital, like the Sagrado Corazon de Jesus School or the District of Ventanilla, students can experience firsthand the difficulties and challenges that people in these areas face day to day, and how this is highly tied to racial divide.

Ramon Castilla, three-term president of Peru. He abolished slavery in the year 1854. Photo Credit: La Biografía de Ramón Castilla.

One of the biggest challenges is the lack of presence of the government in these areas, which results in lack of public investment. This means no running water, no public schools, and poor security as opposed to the richer areas of the city. In these areas people make the most out of what they have, and schools like Sagrado Corazon de Jesus survive from donations and the goodwill of citizens and volunteers like you and me.

Indeed, one of the first things you notice once you get acquainted with the city of Lima is how quickly its appearance changes depending on where in the city you are. Just a thirty-minute drive can mean moving from the richest, most luxurious parts of Lima, to the poorest developing areas where people earn a day’s pay in order to survive.

Lima, The City of Kings, is not immune to great social distancing in the shape of expressions that cause division. With all its history and cultural legacy, there’s still much to be worked out. We are not immune to racism.

How Can We Help?

We can start by having experiences and conversations that help us to fully understand the challenges that our people have in our communities, to know that we are no different to one another, and that equal opportunity is essential for a society to grow in harmony. 

As human beings, we feel drawn to those things we know and things to which we can relate. We build bridges and relationships when we take the first step, we board that plane to a country we’ve never been to before. We live their reality, we suffer the pains of daily life, we go through thick and thin.

And that’s what we aim for when we build, offer and host a Study Abroad program. It is not just a social visit. It is a soul-building, mind-changing experience. To spend a semester in Peru means we have opportunities to guide our students, be with them, to show them the beauty of the country, but also to explain the things we need to work on as a people and why that is important.

“Many people can hear about places where poverty impacts the communities everyday, but actually being there in person demonstrates a much larger picture of how each community overcomes the obstacles thrown in their way.” Grace, 2019 Study Abroad Alum

For those who visit us short term there is still an opportunity to learn, as we remain with our groups for the entirety of their visit, monitoring and guiding our experiences to make their short stay as thorough as possible in terms of culture and social issues. At the end of each day we conduct a group reflection, to exchange ideas and build on our experiences.

And in that journey, we grow.

Peru is a wonderfully diverse country, in every dimension we can think of. My fellow Peruvians and I have been blessed to have such a rich and deep history, and as we have much room for social improvement, we dedicate our lives to building cultural and digital bridges to take that first step and reach out, clear the mist of difference, and heal.

Want to learn more about more of Peru’s more recent history? Check out Peru's Recent History: A Story of Struggles and Growth!

Travel Prep and Planning Now: Benefits For Students and Teachers

At EdOdyssey, we believe that travel changes people, and people change the world. We know that students experience travel differently at different points in their lives, and educators and school communities play a pivotal role in showing their students the meaning of these experiences.

Visiting a foreign country invites people to pursue new experiences and adopt different viewpoints of the world. Like students, travelers are always learning new things and pondering how their new knowledge fits into their lives.

Travel plays a pivotal role in any student’s experience. School trips add a more adventurous and interactive side to course material. As students grow older and prepare for life after graduating from high school, it is important to provide them with formative experiences that leave a lasting impact afterward and further promote their personal growth.

As avid travelers and educators ourselves, we believe that traveling to a different country can provide students with exactly these experiences, and we believe that you - teachers, parents and communities - can make them happen.

Beginners in student travel, or global student travel experts, have an opportunity to plan to expand classes into a global setting. Now is the perfect time to learn how to develop or be a part of the moment to enhance your school’s experiential learning programs abroad, and you’ll see the long term benefits of preparing and planning for student travel.

YOUTH TRAVEL STARTS EARLY

What do you imagine when you see the phrase “Youth Travel?” A group of twenty-somethings backpacking in foreign countries? College students studying abroad for a semester or two?

While a lot of people travel in their late teens and early twenties, youth travel begins before then in high school.

Young people start traveling before they head off to college and become young professionals. According to the World Youth Student and Educational Travel Confederation (WYSETC), young people make up 23% of international airports around the world!  This survey includes people as young as 15; high school students are among the millions of young people traveling abroad.

High school students also made up a majority of the young people surveyed about their interest in international experience earlier this year. According to data from Statista, over 10,000 of the 18,000 total participants stated that they wanted to experience travel abroad! From the same survey, 8,000 students also said that they were very interested in a study abroad or international exchange program.

Even during a time of travel restrictions, it is important to keep a global perspective and continue planning for international trips for the future. After thousands of students were sent home earlier this year, Ahmad Ezzeddine, the Associate Vice President of Educational Outreach and International Programs of the National Association for Foreign Student Affairs (NAFSA: Association of International Educators) said about the worldwide nature of the current situation:

“It’s a perfect example of how everything we’re dealing with has a global nature. It’s why we need to continue to invest in study abroad and the international experience.”

ADVANTAGES OF SECONDARY SCHOOL TRAVEL

The excitement of adventure does not end after the trip is over - students bring home new experiences and memories that will last a lifetime! The impact that travel has on them during the trip stays with them and can benefit their success in high school and beyond. 

Exploring a different part of the world challenges students to approach topics from new perspectives.

Travel also grants students an opportunity to develop their own viewpoints. Their experiences in a different country are perfect to make their college applications stand out! Each student interprets travel experiences differently, and their unique stories can distinguish them from other applicants and wow the college admissions officers!

Bringing students abroad in high school inspires them to keep traveling and learning on their own beyond the educational setting! A 2016 survey focusing on youth travel states “28 percent of students who travel take more than one trip per year and those traveling between ages 10 and 18 are more likely to return to the destination later in life.” (Peltier and O'Brien 5 Charts Showing Student Traveler Preferences in the U.S. and Abroad)

WHY PLAN NOW?

Just because travel is on hold doesn’t mean that planning has to be. This is the perfect time to plan a trip abroad. This fall, EdOdyssey is hosting its first-ever Global Student Program Certificate for Educators course. Teachers, administrators, and faculty will have a chance to learn skills to develop, market, and enrich school trips abroad.

You’ll have the chance to take any of your benchmarks, your learning objectives, and your content area’s curriculum to infuse them into the design of your program for almost any theme and content area(s). As educators ourselves, we’ll show you how we build a trip that also functions as an academic program that prioritizes student learning while still creating a fun, enriching program.

Pick and choose from different modules, and get certified after completing the entire program. With the right travel planning and management skills tailored for you, you will be able to make international trips a reality for you and your students.

As Matthew Wolfe, an EdOdyssey featured traveler, wrote about his experience abroad, “Being able to see the world from a completely different perspective in another country is an opportunity that you simply should never pass up.”

To explore more about the benefits of travel prep and planning now, learn more about The Four Major Benefits Of Customizable Programs!

Ready to start planning?

---

Sources

Duffin, Erin. “Interest among Students about International Experiences by Type U.S. 2020.” 

Statista, 13 July 2020, www.statista.com/statistics/985046/interest-among-students-international-experiences-type.

Peltier, Dan, and James O'Brien. “5 Charts Showing Student Traveler Preferences in the U.S. 

and Abroad.” Skift, 15 July 2016, https://skift.com/2016/07/15/5-charts-showing-student-traveler-preferences-in-the-u-s-and-abroad

Rifai, Taleb. “Facts and Stats.” WYSE Travel Confederation, 2020, 

www.wysetc.org/about-us/facts-and-stats/.

Toner, Mark, et al. “Internationalization, Interrupted.” NAFSA, 1 Apr. 2020, 

www.nafsa.org/ie-magazine/2020/4/1/internationalization-interrupted. 

Peruvian History and Culture: Millennia of Civilization and A Changing Future Ahead

Studying abroad is like forming a new friendship: you start out somewhat, if not completely, a stranger. It takes a bit of time to grow familiar with the place but eventually, you begin to know the people and environment there on a deeper level and appreciate even the smallest experiences you share together. The bond you form with a place abroad is one that you will never forget and one that you will cherish long after you return home.

That special connection comes from the newness of venturing outside of the world you grew up in. So many people have experiences and viewpoints that are so different from your own. Studying abroad challenges you to take in the perspectives of people from a different country and incorporate this new knowledge into your interpretation of the world.

A critical part of achieving this level of understanding stems from understanding the history and culture of a place. As students in a global society, we have the opportunity to learn about the deeper aspects of another nation without leaving our own home countries. We are fortunate to maintain connections with other people across the world through the internet.

This upcoming semester, EdOdyssey can bring you a special opportunity to explore the foundational aspects of a different country from people who live there. Beyond taking courses at Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú (PUCP), one of Peru’s top universities, you can connect with your classmates through meaningful discussions and engage with guest speakers online!

PERU: A LAND OF COMPLEX HISTORY AND CULTURE

For millennia, the land that is now modern Peru has been the center of ancient civilizations. The impact that the ancient Peruvians left is so great that archaeologists are not only learning about the history of the region from their ruins and artifacts, but also about human history as a whole. Remnants of complex structures on the high mountain ridge continue to tell the tales of the country’s epic history today.

Peru is home to the famous Machu Picchu, a 15th century Incan fortress that stands as an iconic United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Site and one of the Seven Wonders of the World. While the site dates to the time of the infamous conquest of the New World, Machu Picchu was actually spared from destruction because the conquistadors never found it after they invaded the nearby Incan capital of Cuzco.

While Machu Picchu stands as a monument of an untouched Peru, other places in the country faced decades and even centuries of conflict. In addition to exploring the history of the ancient civilizations of the Andes and the historic impact that the Age of Exploration had on the place, the course will also examine how different factors such as cultural traditions, racial and gender identity, representation in art and literature, and global relations have shaped the development of modern Peru.

NOT JUST ANY CLASS

Peruvian History and Culture may sound like a class you could enroll in at your home institution, but taking the course through a program in the actual country brings a deeper perspective and relevancy to the topic. Furthermore, the instructors from PUCP are experts in their fields who live and breathe the Peruvian experiences themselves. They teach from what they study and observe in Peru firsthand.

Out of the many courses you take in your college career, Peruvian and History and Culture is sure to be a unique one for your transcript! Don’t miss this opportunity to learn outside of class as well: we will be offering weekly modules exploring more of Peru’s history and culture!

Want to learn more about virtual study abroad?