Kappa Delta Pi

During the summer of 2008, 19 undergraduate Kappa Delta Pi members traveled to countries all over the globe as recipients of EF Tours Global Awareness Adventure scholarships. The goal of this scholarship program—which is exclusively for KDP members—is to increase international awareness for future educators. As you’ll see from the stories on this page, that goal was certainly accomplished!

Entry I Egypt	Entry II Costa Rica	Entry III China	Entry IV London/ Paris	Entry V London/ France
Entry VI Peru	Entry VII Australia	Entry VIII Austria, Italy, and France	Entry IX Ireland	Entry X Australia
Entry XI Rome	Entry XII Japan	Entry XIII Italy

Travel Diaries

Alicia Krogstrand
University of Nebraska Omaha
Eta Omega Chapter

Please describe where you traveled, your activities and projects during the trip, and the highlights of the experience:
I traveled to Italy and Greece. We spent several days in Rome, a day in Florence, Sorrento, and Pompeii. In Greece, we visited Delphi, Athens, and took a day cruise to three of the Greek islands.

How do you envision incorporating this experience into your future classroom and/or school?
I will be able to relate to students and their different backgrounds and cultures with more understanding. Since I am going into Math education, I think it would be a fun idea to do a unit on converting monies from various countries around the world.

What specific plans do you have for sharing your experiences with others outside of the classroom?
I think it would be fun to have a global awareness week, where I could make posters with pictures, explaining the different cultures I encountered. This would give students that were not in my class a chance to broaden their sense of global awareness.

Bridget Maher

Bridget Maher
University of Michigan
Tau Epsilon Chapter

Please describe where you traveled, your activities and projects during the trip, and the highlights of the experience:
The People's Republic of China: Beijing, Xi'an, and Shanghai. I was able to see a section of the Great Wall, Terra Cotta Warriors, Tiananmen Square, Jin Mao Tower, Summer Palace, Forbidden City, a local school, Old Shanghai, Acrobatic Show, and so much more!

What did you gain personally through your international travel experience?
I gained a more in-depth and dynamic perspective of China and the Chinese people. I had studied Chinese history for a good portion of my undergraduate college career. After traveling to China, I was able to see the history and places first hand. I understand now more than ever that the history of China is an enormous part of the Chinese present experience. More than any place I have traveled to before, I saw how revered and respected the history of this country is. It made me understand the Chinese more fully and I will definitely take this experience to my future classroom.

Please describe what receiving this scholarship means to you:
The scholarship was an opportunity to capstone my studies of Chinese history with an actual visit. Without this scholarship, this trip would not have been possible. It was an incredible way to learn about China, but also learn about myself. I realized I am an incredibly adaptive person and able to survive in so many different situations. I feel incredibly lucky to be able to travel to China, and do so with such a well-organized and thoughtful study tour from EF Tours.

Katie Kaufman
Linfield College
Sigma Delta Chapter

Please describe where you traveled, your activities and projects during the trip, and the highlights of the experience:
I traveled to Greece and spent the majority of the trip visiting ancient sites and learning about Greek mythology. The entire country was gorgeous and every day we ate delicious foods. Seeing the Acropolis was breath-taking and I will never forget it.

How do you envision incorporating this experience into your future classroom and/or school?
I have found that young children are fascinated by the world we live in and the people in it. Because I have a real world experience with this country, I will be able to teach about it better and engage my students more. My students love to hear about the places I have been and are in awe of the stories they hear. I like to be a role model for them and show that they also can see the world.

Please describe what receiving this scholarship means to you:
I could not have done this without the help of Kappa Delta Pi. Going to Greece had been a dream of mine, but I knew I could not afford to do it alone. I will be a better teacher and more culturally competent because of this trip.