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“I experienced a different part of the world that I had never seen before. It gave me the desire to help, not only people in our community, but also throughout the world.”
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Julien and the kids at the Orphanage. |
“Before I went to Mexico, I had all these preconceptions, and as soon as I got there, they were blown away. I have never seen such a beautiful, hospitable, intelligent country. It sounds effusive and clichéd, but it is totally true. I would go again in a heartbeat.”
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Eli and the rest of her EIL group on their last day of cooking classes. |
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Breakthrough has partnered with Experiment in International Living (EIL) for more than ten years to provide travel abroad opportunities for scores of students. Countries BT students have visited include China, Kenya, Japan, Australia, Brazil, Poland, Spain, France, Costa Rica, Mexico, and Guatemala.
This summer, four Breakthrough graduates went abroad to explore other countries in an extraordinary learning experience provided by the Experiment in International Living (EIL). EIL offers challenging, substantive three- to five-week summer abroad programs that focus on cultural immersion, experiential learning and making meaningful connections across national, linguistic and cultural borders.
In June, Julien Apollon, Janell Abellard, Eddy Ramos, and Elizabeth Raphael focused on community service, language study, ecology, travel, and the arts in Brazil, France, Italy, and Mexico respectively. Their visits to these countries also included living with host families, which enabled them to not only live as a member of the family, but also to have a more personal understanding of the culture.
Julien, Eli, and Janell decided to share some memories about their experiences:
Julien visited Brazil. While there, he volunteered at an orphanage where he and other EIL students played fútbol with the children, painted a mural and planted a garden so the people in the community could feed themselves.
This summer, Janell traveled to Monaco, Italy and France, where she visited the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, the Lourve, the Mediterranean Sea, and many castles.
“Everyone was nice overseas, and I’d like to go back when I get the opportunity.”
Eli participated in the Cooking and Culture in Mexico program, where she was able to take culinary classes. She spent a week at a university in Puebla cooking in their laboratory kitchens with chef Mariacelo. |
