Carlsbad School Models New Type of Study Abroad: Pacific Ridge School and South African LEAP School Share Experiences, Knowledge and Materials

CARLSBAD, CA November 04, 2010

Since its founding in 2007, Pacific Ridge School, a non-profit, independent middle and upper school in Carlsbad, has fostered academic excellence, ethical responsibility and global engagement to prepare students for college and a purposeful life. Implementation of this mission is found in programs and practices throughout the school, such as service learning projects, annual global engagement trips, partnerships with sister schools around the world, and ongoing classroom discussion around seminar tables. Most recently, Steven Le, an English teacher at Pacific Ridge School who co-directs the U.S.-based non-profit Omprakash, exemplified global engagement when he traveled to Cape Town, South Africa, as a 2010 fellow of Teach With Africa, which seeks to bring educators in America to South Africa to form professional collaborations with the LEAP Science and Maths School.

Through Le's efforts, Pacific Ridge School has now established an educational dialogue between two schools located continents apart. Lefs class has already taped a seminar discussion on a South African play that will be shared online with South African students at the LEAP School in Cape Town. Through videos and written communications, the schools will exchange personal narratives and insights on materials and lessons, thereby deepening the cultural knowledge of students in both countries.

"What's important to note about this program is that any American school can join in this effort to bring relationships, learning, and teaching resources to schools abroad," said Le. "The dots are already there; they simply need to be connected. Teachers can travel to South Africa, form relationships, and share and bring back materials for their respective classrooms."

Furthering the relationship with the LEAP School and Teach With Africa, Le and Pacific Ridge history teacher, Chris Webber, will take a group of up to 15 students to Cape Town in May 2011, as part of Pacific Ridge School's annual global engagement trips. The Pacific Ridge School students will work at the LEAP School to tutor students; participate in local outreach projects, such as AIDS clinics, job training, and day care; explore relationships with primary schools in nearby townships; and finally have the opportunity to meet face-to-face with their counterparts after communicating from abroad over the past year.

For more information about Pacific Ridge School and its mission of academic excellence, ethical responsibility and global engagement, visit http://www.PacificRidge.org.

About Pacific Ridge School:
Opened in the fall of 2007, Pacific Ridge School is a non-profit, independent middle and high school located in the North County, San Diego. With the distinctive mission of building a community that fosters academic excellence, ethical responsibility and global engagement, Pacific Ridge offers a first-rate educational experience to prepare students for college and a purposeful life. For more information, visit http://www.pacificridge.org. Pacific Ridge School does not discriminate on the basis of religion, gender, sexual orientation, race, creed, or national origin in the administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, and other administered programs.