Friday, March 29th, 2013

Santa Barbara Schools - Peace Village

By PierceAfter an interesting bonding experience searching for paint, our troops headed to the Thanh Xuan PeaceVillage in the heart of Hanoi. Opened in 1991, this village serves as an orphanage and boarding school for people from infant ages to adulthood that live with the mental and physical disabilities as a result of Agent Orange.  Students have classes and learn… [Read Full Article]

Thursday, March 28th, 2013

Santa Barbara Schools - March 27

March 27th - Mekong DeltaBy Kayla:I woke to a gecko on my net and got the boys, who were loud and awake, to come catch it. It ended up traveling into their room anyways so I cautiously went back to sleep, only to re-wake to the gecko on my net again! After another loud and rambunctious breakfast we went to get catch fish… [Read Full Article]

Thursday, March 28th, 2013

Santa Barbara Middle School - Arrived Safely

From Kelly SB Friends and Fam,We are currently relaxing in our air conditioned hotel room at the Palace Hotel in Saigon, with the colored lights of billboards and honking city traffic creeping in from the busy streets below.  We have spent the past 30 hours traveling, sightseeing, and getting acquainted with Ho Chi Minh City on our first LONG day of… [Read Full Article]

Wednesday, March 27th, 2013

Investigative Journalism - Greetings from Xieng Khuang!

Here in the dusty highlands of Laos we have been most fortunate to meet and interview a range of courageous UXO survivors. Students reviewed their biographies in advance, crafted interview questions, and practiced the nuanced art of eliciting the sought-after story from a willing, but pain-stricken, subject.The results of our split group of six students were most impressive. Kayengs villageUpon arriving… [Read Full Article]

Sunday, March 24th, 2013

Investigative Journalism - Day One

Impacts of Vietnam in Vientiane:We awake after a 36 hour travel day in air-conditioned boutique-hotel comfort, a  short tree-lined walk from the Mekong Delta in this blossoming capital city. Our traveling troupe of educators and learners are in good health and high spirits. Arriving under cover of darkness in a foreign land is always mysterious: what new discoveries will daylight… [Read Full Article]