International Education Week 2019

November 18th - 22nd celebrated International Education Week - an initiative of the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education to highlight and showcase the benefits of international exchange programs.

As part of International Education Week, we asked our participants to illustrate their favorite part of their culture (food! community! monuments!) through photos and a caption. This contest highlights the diversity of the world and how much there is to learn by going abroad or hosting exchange visitors in the USA.

We received many outstanding submissions, and we’ve learned so much about our participants’ cultures. We have shared a selection of these below, and we hope it sparks your interest in a new culture!

Congratulations to our winners - Manuel Antonio Ruiz Vilcapoma, a Peruvian participant who is completing a traineeship at the Four Seasons in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Sandra Susanibar Tinoco, a Peruvian participant who spent her summer working at Publix in Tavernier, Florida in 2016.

Manuel Antonio Ruiz Vilcapoma

Advanced Professional Training 2019

In the southern part of Peru is located the state of Cusco, in there you will visit lots of magnificent places including one of the seven wonders of the worlds - Machu Picchu. During your visit you will probably go to the Sacred Valley where you will find the Alpaca. The Alpaca is the flag animal from Peru because you will also find it in our flag. The Alpaca represents the Andes from Peru. Local people farm Alpacas, and they allow people to take pictures with them. With the wool of alpaca, they make warming sweaters and scarfs. When you go to Machu Picchu, you will see the amazing ruins that were discovered in 1911. When the Spanish came to Peru, they never found this place because of its location. It is located on the very top of the mountains where you can easily see the skies. This place is full of energy. Also in Cusco is located the rainbow mountain. It is located on 5,000 meters above sea level. To get to top you must walk 2 hours from the bottom of the mountain, but once you reach the top the view of the mountains is priceless, and after having walked too much you will realize that the effort was really worth it. Well, this is a little bit of my country, Peru.

Sandra Susanibar Tinoco

Summer Work and Travel 2016

This picture taken in Chincheros, province of Urubamba in Cusco, Peru. In this province, the textile culture is a teaching that passed from generation to generation. Women are part of textile centers and use the earning for living as community. They use ancestral techniques, such as the use of “away” and “loom”, and use products such as alpaca and sheep wool for their preparation. The process starts when the wool is cut, whether they are Sheep or Alpacas; to later go to a washing process where plant roots are used as a natural detergent. Then, parasites like Cochinillas and others are use as dye. To get the dye, Cochinillas are boiled for some minutes and finally the alpaca wool is boiled for some minutes. Chincheros weavers traditionally weave in the doble cara, or two sided warp-faced, technique. I would like to invite you to visit Chincheros as well as other beautiful places in Peru. Participating in exchange program is wonderful. It helps you because it gives you a new perspective of the world, new experiences, and teaches you how valuable are cultures.

Thank you to everyone for sharing their culture!

This pictures are from south Argentina, one of the spots I love the most out of all the country. To me, this places represent calmness and beauty in all the ways you can imagine. It makes you feel connected to the earth.

Pablo Lopez / Summer Work and Travel 2015

That picture shows how we celebrate our cultural and traditional festival. In my place we celebrated Sangyaw Festival which is a religious and socio-cultural event. It is held every 29th of June. The event called Parade of Lights which the city is glowing in so many colorful lights and with gleeful dancers with their very cultural and traditional costumes. Also it is a celebration of the Fiesta of Sto. Niño de Tacloban, the city’s patron saint. The picture showing dressed, beautiful, and young lady dancing while showing everybody the patron of Tacloban, Sto. Nino. I love seeing the people how devoted and happy during the event and also It is anchored Home of the Happiest People in the World.

Argyll Salceda / Advanced Professional Training 2019

Those photos are taken in the different parts of our community located at Antagan, Tumauini Isabela, Philippines during the Youth Festival - an outdoor and indoor 5 day camp. Youth Festival aims to promote social inclusion & equity among youth. The project was recently awarded as Most Outstanding SK Projects National Top 5. This photos shows how rich our community is because Youth are making difference by initiating different Activities that promotes youth development and also supports the global goals. The delegates of the event learn from the speaker how important education is and their role in nation building. After that, youth conducted an outreach program that aims to give school supplies to the unprivileged kids of our community as our support to access to quality education. We also conducted feeding program and gift giving activity. We also teach them the value of team work as they enjoyed the team building activities. The event was a celebration of diversity as we unite for one purpose. For us, this makes our community one of the best place to visit in the entire country not because of our beautiful soroundings but because our community is where the hope of our nation live. The United Youth.

Aladin B. Cabutaje / Summer Work and Travel 2014

Bangkok, The capital of Thailand. The ultimate travel destination. A heady blend of modernity and tradition, Bangkok has something to offer everyone.

Bangkok is firmly embedded in tradition. All aspects of Thai culture. Thailand is a Buddhist city. Rituals are carried out on a daily basis. Like elsewhere in the country, Monks accept their daily alms and people of all ages pray and make merit at one of countless temples. The check points for the tourist, Rattanakosin Island, also called Rattanakosin or Old Town, is home to the ornate Grand Palace and a sprawling temple complex called Wat Pho, known for its huge reclining Buddha. In parks including Sanam Luang, locals play sepak takraw, a kick volleyball game. Boutique hotels offer riverside dining, while Phraeng Phuton Square is lined with row houses where old-school Khaosan Road. It is also very much a city of entertainment fun and street food - Bangkok is top 10 in the world. Thai food is Papaya salad, Tom Yum Kun , Pad Thai Chicken Curry, and Thai Basil Fried Rice. Facilities help you keep in touch the BTS ‘Sky Train’ (elevated railway) and the MRT ‘Subway’ (underground railway) and bus and taxi and Tuk-tuk or Thai tricycle, one of Bangkok's symbols. Above all, Bangkok is a city of extremes. Bangkok is not just a city to visit briefly on your way to somewhere else. It is a place so rich in experience you will want to visit it time and time again. All pictures taken by film cameras.

Naphatsanun Chumtongdo / Advanced Professional Training 2019

What do I love most about my country? It's a very difficult question, and not because I don't know what to answer, but because there are so many things that I wouldn't know where to start. I think that what I love most about my country is its megadiversity, I love that despite being such a small country it is so rich naturally and culturally, so much that it is known as “the country of the four worlds” because in the continental territory it divides into three beautiful regions that are so different from each other and in the island territory it has some magical islands known as "The Galapagos". I will tell you a little more about my country and it is so unique and special that it is literally located in the middle of the world and as I mentioned before, my country has three wonderful regions and being so small you could enjoy all them in a single day, having breakfast in the Amazon, having lunch in the Highlands surrounded by beautiful mountains and having dinner on the Coast watching a spectacular sunset at the seashore. Within the megadiversity of my country, we find an infinity of species of flora and fauna, from colorful birds like toucans, to large bears and countless species of monkeys in fauna; and from beautiful flowers to large moors in flora.

I love that in each city you go to, you find its name in large and colorful letters, being able to show you three different cities in each region. San Mateo on the Coast, Quito in the Highlands and Misahuallí in the Amazon.

Another thing that I love about my country is its delicious gastronomy and that despite having a little exotic dishes, each region offers something different. I love the seafood of the Coast, the singular dishes of the Highlands made mostly of pork, being able to observe in one of my photographs, the famous “fritada” and the “chontacuros” in the Amazon, which are a kind of worm, it may sound a little strange but they are not so bad once you eat them.

I would also like to tell you about the place where I was born that coincidentally becomes the capital of my beautiful country. Quito is one of the most wonderful cities you could know and it has as much history as art and modernity, from classic buildings to beautiful modern buildings overlooking the city. One of my favorite places and of which I send more photographs is “La Basílica del Voto Nacional”, it is such a beautiful and antique cathedral that houses a lot of history, it is located in the Historic Center of the City and it certainly gives it a unique beauty.

In my country we have several customs and traditions but I would like to tell you only of three that are my favorites:

1. “La Colada Morada y Guaguas de Pan” is a delicious tradition that represents the blood and body of the dead, serving them in the famous "Día de Muertos". “La Colada Morada” is a kind of purple drink with different fruits on it and “Las Guaguas de Pan” are nothing more than breads with different human or animal forms. This tradition makes us firmly believe in life after death.

2. In my photographs you may have noticed a unique character with many colors, it is the "Diablo Huma" that could well mean the head of the devil. I love this character not only for its colors and vitality, I love it because for the duality that it represents.

3. My last favorite tradition is celebrated in New Yerar´s Eve and it's about burning a “monigote” (that it is like a rag doll) at the end of the year, which means putting an end to everything bad that happened during the year ended and expecting all the best for the new year that begins.

Finally I want to tell you about the people of my country and it is that it is lovely. Unfortunately, I don't have photographs, but there are several ethnic groups and indigenous communities with unique customs and traditions that make my nation what it is. It is important to mention that the people of my country are a fighter, hardworking, dreamy, happy, friendly and full of magic.

Lagoons, volcanoes, rivers, mountains, beaches, waterfalls, handicrafts, customs, traditions, gastronomy, species, “swings in the clouds”, are few of the things you can find here, the warmth of each place and each person, is something you can find nowhere else.

What do I love most about my country? There are so many things that I love that I could not have defined it with a single photograph. And if you still don't know the country I talked about, ECUADOR is its name.

Nicole Barriga / Summer Work and Travel 2019

The photos I have uploaded are my favourite part of my home country of Ireland. My favourite part is the scenery and nature in the county. It is so amazing from our rolling green hills to our wild oceans, it’s an amazing thing to do to go for a drive by the coast of Ireland have this on either side of you. Ireland is a cultural haven for people. When I worked in hospitality I used to love watching people come on a Friday after a busy week to catch up with friends over a nice pint of Guinness in front of the open fire at the bar, it doesn’t get much more cultural than that.

Adam Cooney / Advanced Professional Training 2019

JEEPNEY - KING OF THE ROAD

If you can drive in the city of Manila, you can manage to drive in any part of the world.

Jeepney is the most popular mode of transportation in the Philippines; that's why it was claimed as the King of the Road. Jeepney came from Jeep which is originally used by American soldiers during World War II. When the American troops left the country they also left the Jeep to the Filipinos. Filipinos then modified the said vehicle to accommodate the needs of the people. We extended its length to hold more passengers, upgraded engines and assembled roof for a better commute, we also decorated it with vibrant colors and trinkets. This showed how innovative, creative and artistic Filipinos are.

Like some of the royalties, this king has been an icon of the Filipino culture. It is widely known all over the world with its functionality, aesthetic and efficiency.

Riding a jeepney brings out unity and communion in the society. For you to pay the chauffer or the conductor, you'll be needing an assistance of your co-passenger and you too will assist another. In order for you to be dropped at your stop you will be needed to call out to the head of the jeepney that your stop is being approached. To this day jeepneys are essential in our everyday life. With these, we get to travel a lot of places in different cities and provinces.

As the King of the Road, Jeepneys succeeded in bringing people to places, exhibit Filipinos' creativity, working with one another, and enjoy the ride of life in the Philippines.

Danielle Eva Sia / Advanced Professional Training 2019

Cagayan Valley, dubbed as "A spelunkers' paradise" our region is blessed with many beautiful tourist destinations such as the Callao Cave, Anguib and Nangaramoan beach, Buntun Bridge and various churches. But my favorite destination would be the Horno Ruins found at my hometown, Tuguegarao City. In my twenty years of existence and residence at Tuguegarao, I didn't know about this place until my teacher recommended it to us (me and my teammates) as the subject of our thesis.

Horno means oven in Spanish. I came to know that the Horno Ruins is already 400-years old. It existed since the Spanish colonial era of our country. This is where bricks were baked for the construction of churches namely the St. Peter and Paul Cathedral and the San Jacinto Chapel, both famous churches in our city. Laborers supplied the kilns with gravel and sand from the Pinacanauan River, the longest river in the Philippines. From the Hornos, the bricks were relayed by hand in hand until it reached the masons, who in turn piled them together to build roads, bridges and buildings.

At the present, sad to say the ruins are neglected and is currently in a bad shape. The more we were inspired in making our thesis because we believe it's a historical treasure that must be passed on from generation to generation. After a thorough research and conducting surveys, we've successfully produced a thesis entitled "Horno Ruins in Bagumbayan, Tuguegarao City, Cagayan" in the hopes that one day the Ruins would be restored to its former glory.

I'd like to end my sharing with this realization of mine, "Everything is beautiful for as long as you know how to appreciate. But it becomes more beautiful when you know the story behind it."

Karla Mae Caculitan / Summer Work and Travel 2018

The daily routine that happens every morning of this place. This picture I took on my sister's birthday. Here is a small market nearby my house. I come here with mom still be child until now, I'm 23 years old. Everything has never changed such as food, buildings or people. Everything remains the same. Anyway if you come here they are like your neighbors to you are always welcome. I hope to take you find new experience and feel heart warm.

Kanoknipa Janprachum / Advanced Professional Training 2019

This beautiful place is called "La Huacachina" that is in the department of Ica - 3 hours from the capital of Peru. I chose this photo since I took it a few months ago when I returned from my work and travel 2018 - 2019. This place is one of my favorites, since I can feel the adrenaline of being in sand-cars and strolling through these beautiful dunes and feeling the sand and heat of approximately 25 degrees. Also to be able to taste various wines of this department and the rich food that they prepare here. Many tourists from different countries come to this point to be able to know and fall in love with the beautiful places that Peru has, so I invite you to know it. come to Peru

Brandon Cordova / Summer Work Travel 2018

A Unique Place on Earth.

There are lots of places I would love to share about my home country. My Ecuador is beautiful, because of its people, food and places that are the warmest, delicious and prettiest of all I have ever known.

Being Ecuador a small country, there is not only one picture but others I would love to share with the world, which tell a story about my culture and the places where I fortunately live nearby. For instance, you can go to a lot of unique places from the capital of Quito, to other provinces, in only 1 to 6 hours when traveling by car. There is a lot to see in this beautiful country, such as the Galapagos Islands, that is one my favorite places, with its animals (like sea lions, turtles, a variety of birds), and unique landscapes, to the majestic views of “La Chocolatera”, in the Ecuador Pacific Coast. This is a place where the sea touches the earth with a great impact and creates a water splash in which you can see beautiful sunsets as shown in my pictures.

Furthermore, our traditions kept for many years in our culture also enhance the values of our wonderful Ecuador. For example, the 2nd of November we remember our love ones in the “Día de los Difuntos” or “The Day of the Death”, when most people visit the cemetery to pray for those who no longer live and an Ecuadorian tradition is to eat the famous “Guagua de pan” which is a bread made with the shape of a child, filled with any jam such as blackberry or chocolate. It is served with a beverage called “Colada Morada”, made from lots of berries, fruits like pine apple and cornstarch or flour, that takes a purple color representing the death’s blood. This is delicious and every family eats this not only in the cemetery, but in our homes during the end of October and the first days of November. Take a look to the picture I took this October 2019 of one of this typical food and different tradition.

Another place that is unique to everyone who visit our country is Cuenca, our third most important city in Ecuador. It is a place chosen by a lot of foreigners to live when they have retired. Cuenca has colonies of German, Swiss, French and other Europeans as well as American people. This city is one of the living destinations because of its calm, rustic, ancient and beautiful architecture, food, climate and kind people. You feel as if you were living in the past because it preserves its original buildings with the essence of tradition, art and culture. It is like as if you were visiting an open-air big museum. Take a look to a few images of Cuenca and you can appreciate its architecture.

Finally, a place that I love with all my heart, is Quito. My beautiful home city and Ecuador’s capital that also has lots of things to share. Quito’s downtown was declared World’s Cultural Heritage by the UNESCO, and it has the most unique places such as “La Ronda”, a neighborhood where you can find typical food, traditions and architecture. We also have a place where you can visit the Middle of the World, in which you can make experiments that you can only experience there. For example, you can stand with one foot on the North and one on the South Pole, or you can make an egg stand on top of a nail.

I think cultural exchange is very important to know places such as my country, to be able to make new friends that you will never forget and visit new places that are different. This can help you to know new cultures, food, traditions, and to experience what you will carry with you all your life, that will help you to grow as a person. I invite you to come to my country Ecuador, and visit as much as you can, because it is so beautiful that you will fall in love with it. I would never change it for anything.

Diana Borja / Summer Work and Travel 2019