| SEARCH OnWEAC |
|---|
 A volcano provides an adventure – and photo opportunity – for Sarah Allen. The teacher at Irving Elementary School in West Allis is working in Colombia, South America this school year through the Fulbright Teacher Exchange Program. |
Sarah Allen combines the quest for knowledge with the pursuit of adventure.
For the better part of a decade she has climbed volcanoes and explored far-away places, all the while taking time to be a teacher to the young people she encounters. She has traveled to the rainforests, wandered through Europe, been stuck in an Ecuadorian landslide and lived in Mexico for half a year.
This Irving Elementary School teacher from West Allis is in the midst of her greatest journey yet, serving as a teacher in Colombia, South America, through the Fulbright Teacher Exchange Program. “I have really always been adventurous, and this is a really good time in my life to pursue this,” she said.
Allen has swapped classrooms with teacher Hendrick Suarez, who teaches English as a second language in Colombia.
The exchange should prove valuable for both educators and all of the students involved. At Irving Elementary School, Allen is a teacher for English language learners. There are 15 to 20 different languages represented by students at the school.
“I have worked with students who speak Spanish, Hmong, Ukrainian, Russian, Vietnamese, Urdu, Punjabi, Hindi, and more,” Allen said before leaving for her Colombian assignment. “But the majority of my students have been Spanish speaking.”
In Colombia, she teaches 2nd- and 3rd-grade students. “There are so many things I want to accomplish while there,” she said, including bringing her Spanish to near-native levels.
Allen became involved in the Fulbright Exchange Program after hearing about the positive experiences other teachers have had. “I love to travel,” she said. “Learning about other languages and cultures is a passion of mine.”
| Read Sarah Allen's reactions to teaching and living in Colombia |
In the summer of 2006, Allen spent the summer traveling, studying and teaching in Ecuador. At the start of the 2006-07 school year, she wasted no time applying for the Fulbright Exchange.
“Colombia has the draw of adventure and the unknown,” she said. “It also has a reputation for danger, but what I’ve heard is that it’s an absolutely beautiful country. I’m excited to immerse myself in the culture. I want to try everything.”
The experience will undoubtedly give Allen additional insight into the Latino families at Irving Elementary, especially those families who have emigrated from South America. “I will have to learn the customs and ways of a new culture, as they did when coming into this country,” she said.
Allen received much support from her fellow members of the West Allis-West Milwaukee Education Association, as well as from the community as a whole. She keeps everyone up to date on her experiences through a Web cam, and can even get a glimpse into her Irving classroom while Suarez is teaching.
“Every day is brand new and exciting,” she said. “That’s what attracts me to living abroad. I am able to pursue the two things that are most important to me, teaching and adventure.
“It’s a perfect opportunity.”
Posted December 12, 2007
