Fulbright Orientation in Full Swing

The last two days have chocka block full of seminars and workshops as part of the orientation programme in DC. We have heard speakers from the Department of State and the Department of Education, one of whom I had met at Parliament in March. We had a really interesting and entertaining presentation on the Art of Crossing Cultures and also another about developing global competence. The US is really wanting their students to have an understanding about the rest of the world and for the young people to be interested in and to investigate global issues, be communicators of ideas and to take positive action to help others and relate well with other cultures.

We also learned specific information about what is required of our research projects. It's going to be a busy time. I will be based at Indiana University, but will do one day a week at Bloomington North High School where I will have a mentor teacher. I will be involved in two classes at the university, but I will not have to do exams or assignments. My adviser at the university will be the key person who will help me narrow down my project. We have been told to be prepared to be flexible, because completing the project in four months requires quite a targeted focus. The sessions have been really informative and my head has become loaded with information.

A post can't go by without more free things that can be done in DC. A visit to the White House (well, a view from the fence, but that's OK). A tour of Capitol Hill. This city is known for its monuments and we went on a tour to see some of these -- (Jefferson Memorial and Martin Luther King's statue are pictured below). The weather is really warm (25-29 degrees), but when we went for the tour of Capitol Hill, it had been raining most of the day. Incredibly warm though. My hip sets off all the beepers whenever I go through security. The statue of Rosa Parks is a recent one in the Capitol (see below).