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GCE Bangladesh Exchange Team Returns Home |
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The excitement of the students, teachers, parents and RI staff in Bangladesh knew no bounds as everyone waited for the arrival of the GCE Bangladesh Exchange Team. The anticipation was finally rewarded when the team returned and shared stories and experiences that were particularly etched in their mind.
Students were positively beaming as they spoke animatedly about their trip. They explained it had been a very educational trip as the American methods of teaching were very innovative and interesting, which made it a very efficient one as well since these methods made it easy for students to quickly grasp the concepts being taught. The teachers used different games such as mathematical games or word games to teach the key topics, and use of modern technology was encouraged. They appreciated the fact that every time any student got stuck with any problem, the teachers made them sit with a computer and helped them solve the problem. All GCE students unanimously agreed that the easygoing demeanour of the teachers proved to be very helpful for everyone. The fact that American students are allowed to use chemical labs from a very early age, and that they are taught such interesting things to do like make rockets, inspired a lot of enthusiasm in the GCE Bangladesh team. Seeing their own rocket in the air was one thrill that they will never forget.
Pic 1 ; Students are working in classroom
The class they attended for the students who need special aid was especially memorable for them as they saw that physically challenged students are given as much importance as other students and treated with a lot of respect and care. The students were also extremely psyched that they had met the honourable mayor of Waterloo, and much appreciated the fact that young students there were shown how the City Council works. They commented that it is important for such a system to be prevalent in Bangladesh as well, whereby students would some chance of interacting with city government officials and would know more about how the different boards work.
The Bangladeshi students also visited the State Department office, where they met the official who coordinates GCE activities in Bangladesh. They also went to the section that is responsible for maintaining the website of the State Department, where they were able to talk to the American staff about the Bangladeshi ning site and how it works. They also had the privilege of going to Capital Hill, the Voice of America office and a Congressman`s office which they found very educational and inspiring..
Pic 2: Students visiting city council etc
They were also thoroughly well entertained on their trip. They made trips to a baseball match, a golf course, the zoo, the shopping malls, etc. On top of that they made trips to places where they could enjoy and at the same time learn a lot, like trips to the museum and the science center .They also went to the house of one of the representatives from the State Department, and were struck by their warmth and affability .The representatives were so genuinely interested to learn more about the Bangladeshi education culture that and such gracious hosts that the students found themselves completely at ease.
Pic 3: Dinner at Anna’s house
When asked about their host families, every student explained that each of the families had been unbelievably hospitable. The host families had not only been interested to learn more about Bangladesh, they had tried their best to make these visiting students feel completely at home and had even served meals like rice and chicken which the Bangladeshi students like. All members of the host families had made the trip immensely enjoyable for the students, and all appreciated the close family ties that the Americans have among themselves and the generous and welcoming attitude they have towards visitors.
Pic 4: Students in/with host families
One experience that is especially close to their heart is the work they did in the Washington D.C. Central Kitchen. The kitchen serves around 4000 meals to the homeless people of the city everyday by preparing food in their kitchen and by collecting the extra food from various restaurants, hotels, etc. The students were thrilled to be doing some volunteer work at a place where even personalities like Mr. Bill Clinton and Dr. Yunus have also volunteered. They highly appreciated the selfless work that most students do when they put in their time to volunteer here to help the homeless, and were happy that they too had made some contribution here.
Pic 5: Students at DC Central Kitchen
All in all, the GCE Bangladesh Exchange team members were euphoric about everything they had learnt and seen during their trip. They thanked the RI members and especially their chaperone and Mr. William Theobalt for their remarkable support and hospitality. Indeed, this program surpassed everyone’s expectations in terms of being successful and gratifying.
About the Exchange Program:
Information about the exchange participants from Bangladesh can be found at http://gcepbd.ning.com/forum/
Interview and script: Naira Nizam, Public Relations and Communication Officer, RI SOL Bangladesh |
