Teach Boldly

"Education is the most powerful tool you can use to change the world." - Nelson Mandela

Teach Boldly

After summering seriously, it's an educator's job to face the annual paradox: how to infuse fresh classes of kids and content with our renewed vigor and then avoid burn-out by October. I once heard a teacher comment that they avoid any "hot button" issue in class because "teaching current events is not worth it. All it does is rile people up, and then they want to kill the messenger." As teachers,

we believe that civic literacy is an urgent concern. Connecting the lessons of the past to relevant issues facing society today is critical for the health of democracy. We hereby offer some resources for teachers to journey boldly into your classes this year.

Go Ahead: Teach the Controversial Stuff

Prepare yourself: consult Yale University resources for managing heated topics in class. Know that your emotional stasis will encourage students to challenge their assumptions in creative dialogue. Intelligent class discussions are powerful tools, and structured appropriately, can be transformative for irrational thought. We are not in a post-fact society---yet.

How do we foster critical thinking about facts? We can boost student engagement by experiential learning. We do it by first-hand experience via travel, testimonials and visual storytelling. We must be bold, and resist weaponizing of educational experience for a political agenda. Teachers connect history and modern events by tackling hard subjects such as human rights issues, environmental issues, citizen activism and lived experience of survivors. By putting a human face on your curriculum you enable students to enter into these issues without taking sides.

Earn College Credit for Travel:

We are proud to partner with Santa Barbara City College to offer COMM 142 Leadership in a Global Society. This online course allows students to earn 3 units of college credit, and satisfy the final exam requirement with a Peace Works Travel digital storytelling project. Learn more...

Teacher Resources/What We've Been Reading/ Award-Winning Films

Solutions Journalism: focuses in-depth on a response to a problem and how it works in meaningful detail.
Trump Wants Guatemalans Like Me to Stay Home. Here's Why So Many Don't
How Ethnic Studies Done Wrong Can Make Students More Resentful
Happy Teachers Change the World: A Guide for Cultivating Mindfulness in Education by Thich Nhat Hanh
My Latinx students write what they know. And their words are powerful By Marcos M. Villatoro
Testimonials From the Border: A Traves de Mis Ojos

Student Travel Opportunities

Crossing Borders: San Diego/Tijuana: Veteran's Weekend

November 7-11, 2019

Put a human face on the headlines. Expand your understanding beyond the rhetoric with a comprehensive exploration of the trans-border region. Our program invites participants to understand the U.S. - Mexico Border surrounding the San Ysidro port of entry in San Diego through a "Human Geography" lens. Travelers meet with voices from all sides of the issues: Border Patrol, bi-national clergy, activists, artists and administrators.

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Urban Studies

Chicago, IL

Spring 2020

Chicago is a melting pot of arts and culture, a foodie haven, a wildly popular sporting events bucket list destination and the birthplace of blues and American Jazz. Chicago’s dynamic exterior conceals a rich interior landscape. As the city pulses with sensory delights, there is a deep undercurrent of art, activism and empowerment at play.

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Vietnam: Holiday Family Adventure

Summer 2020

Breathtaking powdered-sugar sandy beaches, limestone green island bays, lively Mekong River Delta culture, verdant jungle and terraced hilltribe farms. Vietnam is a glorious landscape of natural beauty unlike anywhere on Earth. Decades of normalized relations between the United States and Vietnam invite us to explore these national treasures with ease. Our synthesis of historical analysis, conscious tourism and survivor testimony provide a framework for applying Vietnam’s lessons – the missed opportunities for peace --- upon the geopolitical conflicts of today.

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Teacher Travel Opportunities

Professional Development:

Crossing Borders: San Diego/Tijuana - Overnight

April 19-20, 2020

Put a human face on the headlines. Expand your understanding beyond the rhetoric with a comprehensive exploration of the trans-border region.

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Build Your Own Program

Choose from our insider’s programs in nations healing from history on dates that work for you. We help you select the best itinerary for your curricular vision. All-inclusive pricing is clear and reliable. We build your itinerary, provide a detailed budget and support your administrative approval process. Calendar and deadlines are managed easily on your dedicated web portal. Need suggestions? Want to customize? Interested in free teacher travel? We’d be delighted to speak with you.

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“Traveled with Peace Works with a group of students to Vietnam and Cambodia. Terrific educational program with strong support on the ground and quick responses whenever the unexpected happened.”

Cynthia Crass, Teacher - PolytechnicSchool

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