Warrensburg Latham administrators travel abroad to gain perspective
WARRENSBURG, Ill. (WCIA) — Two Central Illinois school administrators are back home after traveling nearly 2,000 miles for a service project.
The Warrensburg Latham superintendent and high school principal went to the Dominican Republic and said they are hoping what they learned will make a difference.
The trip was organized through the Illinois Association of School Administrators. The I.A.S.A helps support school leaders by giving them different opportunities to learn and grow. And one of them is global service projects.
"Six nights, six days, moving to a different location every single day with a different adventure every day," Superintendent Cheryl Miller said.
Superintendent Cheryl Miller and Principal Allison Nolen got the chance of a lifetime. Last month they spent about a week in the Dominican Republic going to a new educational facility each day. The goal was to gain new perspectives on how to educate.
"This was a program that we had to apply for," Miller said. "So, I believe it was last summer that I sent in an application. It's a competitive program, and we were very fortunate to be accepted."
Miller had heard great things from fellow administrators.
"It's kind of that bucket filler for educators and also the way for us to extend our local districts into global service," Miller said.
And they were not disappointed. Nolen had never been to the D.R. She immediately recognized their commitment to sustainability for all.
"Children who may not have a really good upbringing or socio-economic status, just getting them a better life, and so doing everything that they can," Nolen said. "All of the places that we went to were about creating a better situation for them and their families."
The group also rolled up their sleeves and got to work... planting mangrove trees, artificial reefs and more than 500 coffee plants.
"And what we didn't realize at the time is that was going to sustain that facility for the next 30 to 40 years," Miller said.
Both Miller and Nolan say it was an experience that makes them excited for the future. They're already working on planning a similar trip for students in the Warrensburg-Latham district.
"It's really important to let them see the culture of other communities in other countries, and it's just something that we can't give them here," Nolen said.
Principal Nolen already got to show what she learned with students in Spanish 4. She showed off money and other souvenirs found on the island. They already have a teacher in mind to lead the next outing when it happens.
