Hen Hud Teacher Visits India on Fulbright-Hays Scholarship

Editor's note: What follows is a Patch reader-generated announcement. For instructions on how to create your own, click  here.

Gretchen Flintosh, a teacher at Furnace Woods Elementary School, is a member of a group of US elementary school teachers and educators who recently visited India on a Fulbright-Hays Seminars Abroad Program.

The program, funded by the US Department of Education and organized by the United States- India Educational Foundation (USIEF), provides short-term study and travel seminars abroad for US educators in the social sciences and humanities for the purpose of improving their understanding and knowledge of the peoples and cultures of other countries.

“The time that I spent in India this summer was unparalleled to any other trip I have taken. On a multitude of levels, India is filled with beautiful complexities and paradoxes that one needs to experience firsthand in order to understand.  Concurrently, sounds, sights, and smells flood a person’s senses; they change whimsically and without forewarning.  The religious and linguistic diversities that exist within the country speak to the unique nature of Indian people and their respect for differences,” remarked Flintosh.

“Our aim through this program was to give the group a taste of Indian art, culture and heritage, along with providing a direct understanding of the challenges and remarkable ways of the education system in India”, said Mr. Adam J. Grotsky, Executive Director, USIEF.

“I am grateful to have spent time in such a deeply spiritual and ancient place and encourage others to partake in travel to a nation embodying such incredible history. Rooted in antiquity, India is quickly soaring ahead in our modern world and is a country rich in more ways than one can count,” said Flintosh about her trip.

“I think the group went back with a lot of good memories, positive experiences and productive lessons which they can now impart to their students back in the US. I appreciate the group’s patience and cooperation during the five-week long program,” added Mr. Grotsky.

“When Gretchen received notification of her Fullbright Scholarship last spring, she realized a life-long dream.  She loves to travel, and to spend a full summer in India takes that experience to the next level.  In addition, as a teacher of our English Language Learners, the more exposure she has to the many cultures of her students, the more effective she can be,” said Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum, Instruction and Professional Personnel, Dr. Alice Gottlieb.

 The program also focused on contemporary but important issues in economic development, environment and ecology, education, gender, and Indo-American relations. The group was introduced to India’s geographical diversity through the field visits which took them to eight Indian cities; Shimla, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Madurai, Chennai, Bhubneswar, Kolkata, Varanasi, and Agra. Visits to schools, colleges and museums, rural areas and NGOs (Non-Governmental Organizations) working on developmental issues in both rural and urban settings provided a balanced perspective on India’s socio-cultural fabric.

For more information on USIEF’s initiatives, please visit www.usief.org.in or e-mail at manu@usief.org.in.