[Pages S14277-S14279]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION WEEK

Mr. FEINGOLD. Mr. President, in honor of the eighth annual
International Education Week, which runs Monday, November 12 to 16,
2007, I would like to emphasize the importance of international
education and exchange programs and the key role they play in
strengthening our own educational system, shaping our young citizens to
become successful in our interconnected world, and improving our image
as Americans overseas.
In so doing, I want to share a number of stories from my constituents
about how their international education and exchange experiences have
changed their lives. While I do not have time to read all of their
stories, I will ask to have them printed in the Record as each and
every one of these stories demonstrates how critical it is that we
support international education and exchange programs and initiatives.
You will see in all of my constituents' stories a common theme--
international education has opened their eyes to the fact that we are
an interconnected global community and that we have responsibilities as
Americans to reach out to that global community. A constituent, Claire
from River Falls, WI, wrote to me that:

I was an AFS student in high school (in Brazil) and since
then firmly believe that if we could lift every 16 year old
out of their ``comfort zone'' and have them live somewhere
else in the world for a few months; we'd end war and
certainly increase global understanding.

I agree with this statement and firmly believe that if we all stepped
out of our ``comfort zone,'' we would be facing a future that is more
stable and secure than where we appear to be today.
International education and exchange strengthens our own educational
system in a variety of ways. First and foremost, educational exchanges
better prepare our children for

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the workforce and competing in the global economy. Katherine from River
Falls shared her experience working through a nongovernmental
organization called Building Tomorrow. She wrote:

While in Uganda [with Building for Tomorrow], I was
fortunate enough to have a home-stay experience with a
Ugandan family . . . I and two other Building Tomorrow
members were paired with a doctor because we all had an
interest in some aspect of health care . . . This experience
was remarkable and contributed to my decision to pursue a
career in public health.

International education and exchange strengthens our own educational
system. Teachers and students participating in exchange programs are
able not only to broaden their own horizons, they also inform their
peers of their experiences and thinking and, in so doing, contribute to
their school systems for the lasting benefit of others. Sandra, a
teacher in Sun Prairie, wrote to me that she participated in two
separate Fulbright Hayes Group Projects Abroad and that, ``both
Fulbright-Hayes Group Projects Abroad inspired me to develop innovative
interdisciplinary curriculum units, made infinitely richer by my newly
acquired photographs, video footage, cultural artifacts, interview
notes, books published outside of the U.S., and personal reflections .
. . As a result of ongoing internationally focused literacy
programming, my middle school students, including reluctant and
struggling readers, seek out books on other cultures and countries, are
intrigued by world maps, and pay more attention to world news and
global concerns.''
International education and exchange programs foster greater cultural
understanding. Today's students are tomorrow's leaders--and the better
they understand other cultures, the better prepared they will be to
make informed and balanced decisions for the benefit of our Nation's
and our world's security and well-being. Thanks to the disastrous
policies of this administration, anti-American sentiment around the
world is at alarming levels. Those policies were based, in part, on
inadequate information or misinformation about the rest of the world.
As a result, future American leaders are facing a world that is fraught
with mistrust. Their overseas experiences today will build
relationships for tomorrow. Those experiences will form their future
decisions and provide them with a broader appreciation of others' views
and interests.
Sarah, a senior at University of Wisconsin Stevens Point, wrote to
explain to me about her semester abroad program:

Traveling and studying abroad in general taught me about
American and other cultures, societies, views, and ideas,
different forms of government, a greater sense of
independence, and how to look at cultures and traditions that
are different from my own with an open mind, rather than
making judgment[s] before I know all the facts.

As U.S. citizens, many of us have privileges that countless millions
of people throughout the world will never experience. International
educational opportunities encourage a greater sense of social
responsibility to assist those who face lives of poverty, disease, and
the effects of natural disasters. Lacey, a 25 year-old graduate of UW
Madison, e-mailed me upon her return from spending a summer studying in
China which impacted her so much that she is returning to be a
volunteer interpreter at the Beijing 2008 Olympics. She wrote:

I use my travels and the things I learn from each place to
bring back to my community with me and try to give back in
whatever way I can as much as possible.

Finally, our citizens are our best diplomats. International education
and exchange programs offer them the opportunity to reach out to others
to reverse negative or inaccurate images that the rest of the world has
formed. Kathy from Oshkosh shared with me how her experiences changed
her perceptions:

I recall with distinct clarity a conversation I had with my
host mother in Spain about the people of Islam in our
country. She was very surprised that I had friends who are
Muslim and that I respect their culture and religion. She
told me that I changed the way she views Americans . . .
Senator Feingold, I am no longer just a citizen of the United
States of America. I am a citizen of the World.

Congress has an important role to play in enabling and promoting
these experiences for our constituents. I was a strong supporter of the
creation of the Commission on the Abraham Lincoln Study Abroad
Fellowship Program, an independent commission created in 2004 for the
purpose of recommending a program to greatly expand the opportunity for
students at institutions of higher education in the United States to
study abroad, with special emphasis on studying in developing
countries. One of my colleagues--Senator Durbin--has taken an important
step in working to implement the commission's published recommendations
by introducing the Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Foundation Act of
2007, S. 991. But this bill is not enough. We also need to be
supporting opportunities for every American to study overseas. And if
not study, then to volunteer or participate in one-on-one exchanges.
Cultural misunderstanding makes our world more dangerous, and, as you
have heard from the accounts I have read, it is our citizens who make
the biggest, longest lasting change.
As we recognize and celebrate International Education Week, I call on
all Americans to take a little time to learn something new this week
about another culture, and I encourage all Americans to recognize and
support international education and exchange throughout the year.
Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to have constituent stories
printed in the Record.
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in
the Record, as follows:

Additional Stories

In the summer of 2005 our family, which owns a dairy farm,
did an international exchange with a Mexican college student
named Ceci.
Boy oh boy did it open our eyes to the cultural differences
as well as similarities that we share. Our children later did
a reciprocal exchange, and stayed with Ceci's family for 3
weeks, and again this summer we had an opportunity to go
visit Ceci's family who live in Queretaro, Mexico. I have
also volunteered to speak about this cultural eye opening
experience to our local elementary school, and have shared
our pictures of the farms we visited while in Queretaro. Very
similar...
Our countries have so much to offer each other, it sickens
me that our government is spending so much money in the name
of terrorism to build a wall between our borders. I respect
the need to secure our borders, but there should be a
diplomatic way in which we could legally allow those seeking
work to come here and work. Those who come are following a
dream of a job, not a dream to kill Americans. If we were
working them to place them in jobs, it would be easier to
outline our expectations and track them as well.
Ellen, Independence.
____

Studying abroad is an opportunity that any student should
be able to take advantage of. This past Spring Semester, I
had the chance to study abroad in Pamplona, Spain. Never did
I imagine it possible for me to study in Spain had it not
been for the financial help provided for me in the form of
grants and loans. I entered Spain, expecting to learn a
language, when I left I had learned and gained so much more.
Coming back to the United States, I not only feel more
comfortable in my ability to speak Spanish but in the way I
present myself. When studying abroad, language can become a
barrier, and one must rely on other things such as tone of
voice, hand gestures, and more often relationships to
understand the culture to its fullest. Having to conquer the
hurdle of language while I was abroad, I learned to depend on
other strengths and attributes I never knew I had. I can say
honestly, that I have gained much more than the experience of
learning a language, moreover the growth of a family. Living
in the United States, I take a little piece of Spain with me
wherever I go, hoping to influence others with my experience.
Mary, Oshkosh.
____

This past summer I completed an internship on the Tibetan
Plateau in the Yunnan Province of southwestern China. It was
coordinated through UW--River Falls and the China Exploration
and Research Society (CERS). The mission of CERS is to
conserve the cultural and natural environments of remote
China. I aided in this mission by helping to develop eco-
tourism plans for one of their current projects. This
involved designing nature trails, septic systems, and
composting toilets.
Living in a developing country really puts the world into
perspective. I now look at my day-to-day life differently
than before. It is hard to put into words, but I feel much
more content with my decisions and myself. Seeing the lives
of the rural Chinese and Tibetan people has shown me how
other people live and sustain themselves on very limited
resources. They get things done with the tools around them
and are patient to let things unfold naturally. When time is
taken to look at all the options for solving a problem and
all the consequences have been laid out, the likelihood of
success based on common sense is far greater.

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Studying abroad is a great opportunity and a true life-
altering event. It challenges a person right down to their
core and really builds character on a newly formed
understanding of the world.
Nick, River Falls.
____

I had a once-in-a-life-time opportunity to study abroad in
the Wisconsin in Scotland program in the spring of 2006. This
experience changed my life. It not only helped me realize
what I wanted to do in my life, and gave me the desire to
travel, it also changed the way I looked at every aspect of
the world. This biggest thing I took away from the program is
my view of other cultures. I was naive when I first left to
study abroad thinking that any culture that wasn't as
``advanced'' or ``sophisticated'' as the U.S. was simply just
not wealthy enough to be up to our ``standards.'' I now am
adamant that this is not the case. I live by the phrase
``different isn't bad, scary, or wrong, it is just
different.'' This experience also helped me realize what I
wanted to do with my life. I intend to become a theatre
professor, and I want to teach somewhere in the UK. I loved
every single aspect of my study abroad experience and cannot
wait to go back. Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, I
learned something about myself that I would not have learned
anywhere else besides in another study abroad experience. I
learned my own personal strength. I learned what I was
capable of. When I was on holiday in Milan I missed my
flight, and it was up to me, not my professor, or my parents,
to figure out what to do. I never realized what it was like
to be a real adult until I had to take care of myself. It was
scary, and it was hard, but I did it. I now have this inner
strength of knowing what I accomplished by myself, in a land
where no one spoke my native language, and I got myself
through it. I will be forever grateful to the University of
Wisconsin--Superior and their Wisconsin in Scotland study
abroad program for turning me into the strong, well-
educated, and open-mined woman that I am today.
Nicole, Superior.
____

I was fortunate enough to study in another country. At
first, when my friends told me about the study abroad
program, I was hesitant to sign up for the experience. In the
end I had made a decision that would change my life forever.
I had decided to study in the Wisconsin in Scotland program.
Before that time I had never even been in an airport much
less fly to another country. When I was in Scotland, I
learned far more about culture than any one could experience
from a class or text book. I was place in a foreign world and
had to deal with the changes. This is what made me feel more
confident about my independence as a person. Soon after my
return, my communication and people skills flew through the
roof. Thanks to the study abroad program for helping me
become the successful person I am today.
Aaron, Menomonie.
____

I am currently a student at the University of Wisconsin--
River Falls. Last semester, spring 2007, I was a participant
in the ``Wisconsin in Scotland Program.'' It was an amazing
experience to be a part of. Not only were we able to enroll
in courses which would transfer credit back to our home
university, but we could fully absorb a different culture by
living in it. One of my friends said it best--you learn more
from traveling, especially studying abroad, than you could
from years in a classroom with text books. Although Scotland
is relatively similar to Wisconsin, volunteering in the
community of Dalkeith, visiting with host families, and
traveling with new friends offers new challenges. When we
flew back in May, I think we all had a new sense of
independence, a different look on the influence of the United
States on other countries, and an appreciation for what we
have at home. Being able to have the opportunity to study
abroad is an important, valuable experience.
Gena, River Falls.
____

I am a senior at the University of Wisconsin--River Falls.
Two years ago, I spent a semester of my academic career
studying Spanish in Queretaro, Mexico. I lived with a host
family while I attended the Instituto Tecnologico de Estudios
Superiores de Monterrey, and I had an absolutely phenomenal
experience. Yes, I developed my language skills
significantly, but even more so, I developed an appreciation
for the Mexican culture and an understanding of the social
and educational problems that cause so many of the Mexican
people to emigrate to the United States. My study abroad
experience impacted me so greatly that I changed my major
from Elementary Education to Spanish Education with a minor
in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages)
so that I might work with the growing immigrant
population.
Theresa, River Falls.
____

From September 2005 until September 2006 I was on a
sabbatical leave from UW--Whitewater in Oman as a senior
Fulbright program scholar. I taught business and economics
courses at Modern College of Business and Science, which is
located in Muscat. In addition, I assisted the College
administration and owners in preparing their college for
academic accreditation. I participated in English language
training of Omani judges (in collaboration with the U.S.
Embassy and the Ministry of Justice). My family and I have
met many interesting people from different ways of life and
had many opportunities to travel throughout the region.
Promoting American values in the Middle East today is very
difficult. I believe that my solid work particularly with
college students will enhance good will and will bring
tangible benefits in the future by developing bilateral
business and educational linkages.
Tom, Whitewater.
____

UWM's Fulbright-Hayes summer program offered an opportunity
to nurture an interest I've had in the Middle East and North
Africa since I was a freshman in college (over a decade now).
Like many Americans, I had reservations about traveling to a
part of the world that seems hostile to us. My experience
with my Moroccan host family proved this perception false. I
learned that the legendary warmth and hospitality of the Arab
world are not myths. Indeed, my host family gave the
impression that their primary enjoyment of material comforts
came from sharing them with me, a stranger with strange ways
to whom they had opened their home. They eagerly shared their
culture with me, and were infinitely patient as a I learned
the finer points of Moroccan manners, such as eating with my
right hand and remembering to take my shoes off when I walked
on a carpet.
After my experiences in Morocco, I find myself having a lot
to say when I hear another American declare that Arabs or,
more broadly, people in the Muslim world, hate us. Hearing
this is frustrating, knowing what I know now, especially when
people use it to justify an unjust action on the part of the
United States toward countries in the Muslim world. The
Moroccans I met went out of their way to distinguish between
the U.S. government and the American people when expressing
dislike of a particular U.S. government policy or action
against a country in their region. They feel that their side
of the story is not heard or understood. Since I've been
back, I find myself seeking out news coverage of the Middle
East and North Africa, waiting to hear those perspectives my
Moroccan friends and family shared with me. Their absence
only seems to reinforce the ``well, they hate us,'' attitude,
since they are often preempted by more extreme viewpoints.
I think that programs like our summer trip to Morocco can
expose both sides to new ways of seeing the conflicts that
exist between us and that can be a positive first step to
better relations.
Valerie, Ripon.
____

I was selected to participate in the Training of Writers
program offered by the National Council on Economic Education
(NCEE). This program is part of the Cooperative Education
Exchange Program, funded by the U.S. Department of Education,
Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools, and carried out in
coordination with the U.S. Department of State.
Briefly, the week I spent in Bucharest was amazing and
exceeded all of my expectations! On a professional level, I
benefited from the formal goal of the program: creating a
pool of qualified economic curriculum writers which provided
insights into NCEE curriculum materials, voluntary national
content standards in economics, and active learning
strategies. This program has already improved my teaching as
I re-focus my lessons on meaningful and relevant economics
content. (Hence, the reason why I am swamped as I am making
adjustments and improvements in my classroom.) On a personal
level, the experience of working with international educators
was invaluable. We worked as partners in collegial teams
creating active, meaningful economic lessons which could be
implemented in K-12 classrooms worldwide. The collaboration
allowed me to learn about economic education in various
countries and build an international network of fellow
educators. I will continue to work on this program over the
coming months as I refine my lesson with feedback from the
U.S. faculty, field-test the lesson in classrooms here in
Wisconsin, and finally submit my final lesson to NCEE with
revisions based on feedback from teachers involved in the
field-testing.
My international experiences through opportunities provided
by the NCEE have shown me the importance of working in
partnership with people in other countries and building
positive collaborative relationships.
Ann, New Richmond.

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