Travel to Thailand This Summer
Note: Due to a family emergency, Dr. Weniger has changed the date of this trip to July 5 - 26. This is a correction to the date that was printed in the Globetrotter's paper edition.
In June 2004, I took 11 AIS students to stay for two weeks in a small village of 2,000 people, 300 kilometers from Bangkok. Each student was placed with a Thai host family and every day from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., we taught English to elementary school children in the village.
Each classroom was assigned to two AIS students. We started off with the alphabet, animals, clothing, colors, numbers, verbs, songs, games and sports. It was the first time that the children discovered the American sport of baseball! They were still talking about it when I went back again the summer of 2005 with another five AIS students. Through AIS and kindhearted parents, we were able to take school supplies to the village. This was a real treat, for some of them have never drawn or painted in their lives.
I came to a realization that, for the village children, learning English was not the most important thing because we were only there for two weeks, and there isn't much that you can learn in such a brief time. The most important thing for them was our presence, sharing our experiences, who we are and where we come from. The time we spent there was a magical time for them, a time where the Thai clock stopped for two weeks and the school was not only a school in its usual sense but a fun place to be.
I am planning the next trip for July 2006. The date will be July 5 - 26, the cost will be $2,850 per person, and it includes everything except spending money. The deadline to reserve a space is March 30. If anyone is interested, please contact me at tip@siamlotus.com. We also accept donations of children's picture books, educational toys, crayons, and craft materials. We can pick them up from your home. Thank you very much.