Blog: Drago '12 Chronicles Four-Week Trip Visiting Schools in South Africa

NAME Mark Drago ’12

HOMETOWN Western Springs, Ill.

AREAS OF STUDY Mathematics major in the Teacher Education Program

WHERE HE’S GOING From May 16 to June 13, Drago, along with four other Holy Cross students, will take part in a Maymester to South Africa as part of a new Teacher Education Program initiative led by director Beverley Bell.

WHAT HE’LL BE DOING Drago, and the other students in the community-based learning course, will spend four weeks in South Africa, volunteering two weeks in inner-city schools and one week in a rural schools. They will also work in after-school centers and visit cultural, historical and geographical sites such as Soweto, the Cradle of Human Kind, and Apartheid Museum.

COURSE COMPONENTS The full-credit course requires students to conduct research on an educationally-related topic (Education and AIDS, race, economics of education, teaching of pre- and post-apartheid history in South Africa, etc.). Students will attend some lectures in South Africa on educational issues and will also learn Xhosa, one of the 11 official languages of South Africa. Daily reflection sessions will also be held.

A GLOBAL INITIATIVE As part of a classroom-to-classroom global initiative, students will partner with three schools in America (Greenfield Middle School, the Early Learning Center in Greenfield, and Burncoat High School in Worcester). For example, students in a history class at Greenfield Middle School are learning about Africa and will use South Africa as a case study. Some Holy Cross students visited Greenfield in early May, and Dr. Bell taught an introductory class on South Africa covering basic history and geography. They videoed each student as they introduced themselves and asked questions directed to a South African student about their lives, sports they play, and other interests. Students in South Africa will respond to the questions and ask questions of their own — which they will relay back to Greenfield using Facebook.

WHAT HE’S MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO Drago, who wants to become a math teacher, says, “I am most looking forward to working in a classroom outside of the United States. I am interested in seeing how education is in other countries.”

WHY HE’S BLOGGING “This is going to be an amazing experience and one I want to share in a blog. I hope everyone enjoys reading it and gets some sense of what my experience in South Africa is like.”

Read the blog »

* “Students in Worcester, South Africa interact,” Worcester News Tonight, May 12, 2010 * Video: Holy Cross Connects Students in Worcester and South Africa

Related Information:

* Check out our admissions and photo blogs, along with many of our other online journals at me.holycross.edu