Looking Back: ISP Reflections
by LaShae Adams | originally posted on Jan 31, 2010
I’ve had the opportunity to travel on two International Study Program trips with The Brotherhood/Sister Sol. I went to Puerto Rico and Dominican Republic in July 2008 and Brasil in July 2009. The trip to Brasil had a lasting effect on me. While visiting certain parts of Brasil, I saw homeless street children begging for food and money. It brought tears to my eyes and my heart went out to all of them. Being away from home helped me to appreciate the beauty and strength of other cultures, as well as all the things that I have in my life.
While in Brasil, I also had the opportunity to spend a week in a quilombo. A quilombo is an area of land that was founded by Africans who escaped enslavement. Many who live in the quilombos today practice many of the traditions used by people who lived there hundreds of years before. Staying at the quilombo was like meeting a piece of my history and finding a piece of myself I never knew was there. Brasil is one of the countries of my ancestors. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to travel there.
The experiences we shared traveling abroad with the International Study Program are ones that will stay with us for the rest of our lives. Below, three former ISP members reflect on what their journey meant to them.
Reflections From Past ISP Members
In all honesty, ISP trips changed my worldview, and helped me to see my role in the international struggle against the oppression of people of color. How can two trips do this? It is because by traveling you begin to witness the oppressions that do not only exist in the U.S. They are based in systems of white supremacy, among other problematic ideologies, and these views are propagated worldwide. This is a depressing realization, and trust that I went through a lot in the process during which I traveled. But in this process I found a love and appreciation of peoples of the African Diaspora and a desire to work toward solving our problems. After traveling to Brasil in 2006 and Ghana in 2007, I realized that there were many different places I could call home, and while none of these homes were exactly like mine, the aura, the foods, the dances and the faces were similar enough to excite a butterfly-like fluttering in my stomach, a hastening in the beating of my heart and unrestrained emotions that always occur when I am on my way home.
I absolutely loved my ISP experience. I cannot ever fully proclaim how much they’ve changed, because attempting to explain emotional responses and month-long experiences that change your life in many unspoken ways is a task that I am not yet equipped to do, and often words are not my forté. Even so, my life and my identity have been greatly affected by my ISP experiences. I am a Haitian Brooklyn girl and always will be. To this foundation, I’ve grown to add organizer, photographer, dancer, and writer, among other things. I was reintroduced to my love of artistic expression through international travel. I was introduced to a world of pan-African appreciation, and a passion for travel, too. I will be traveling back to Bahia as a part of my university’s study abroad program, which I will be doing in January. Ghana birthed my dream of traveling to 50 countries in South America and Africa. Through traveling, I have found an inexplicable calmness, a quest for understanding, and a love of diverse groups of people. These have all influenced not only my future plans but my daily life.
My biggest wish is that more and more people travel with ISP. Live, learn and fall in love in and with another country; it is truly a process of awakening and a chance at building across seas, across differences and against the powers that wish to separate us all. - Marsha Jean-Charles, ISP 2006 [Brasil] & ISP 2007 [Ghana]
Brasil was a beautiful place. It was sad to see the disparities and children my age sleeping on the streets and begging for food. As a homeless teen in America, we have much more help and services, whereas in Brasil the people don’t have the help that we have. This trip to Brasil was a trip that brought tears to my eyes and joy to my heart. - James McMichaels, ISP 2009 [Brasil]
I really enjoyed the trip to Brasil. I think it’s a wonderful opportunity that should be seen as a great honor to be a part of. - Kailani Capote, ISP 2009 [Brasil]
LaShae Adams is a senior at Richard R. Green High School of Teaching. She is also a member of the Liberation Program and the Media Team. In years past, she attended the International Study Program to the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and Brazil. This year she will be traveling to Ghana.
Looking Forward: ISP 2010: Ghana
by Anthony Keller | originally posted on Jan 31, 2010
In the summer of 2010, the International Study Program of The Brotherhood/Sister Sol will travel to Ghana, in West Africa. During the month-long study there, students will share in a variety of physical experiences in order to better understand the history and culture of Ghana. Often what we learn about history in school is unbiased and not the truth. So the information we will learn will give us a true understanding of a place that is often stereotyped. Ghana is filled with diverse culture, much of which is not shown or taught in schools. Ghana is also the place where one of the largest markets of enslaved Africans existed. This chance to study overseas will give us an opportunity to experience firsthand what most people can’t - what it’s like to live in another country. The wisdom gained can be used in life. In school the knowledge learned can be used to provide context and deepen our historical understanding. The experience can be shared to widen others’ knowledge.
To be accepted to the International Study Program, all potential applicants must write a 300-word essay. They should also include what their talents are that would help on the trip, their goals and what they plan to learn, as well as reasons they would like to attend. After the group is decided from the applications, they begin taking one class per week for the 6 months leading up to the trip, starting in January and ending in June. The classes cover information about the country’s history to current events that could affect our stay. They will learn the native languages and what they will be doing while in Ghana. During this time, the attendants must apply for and receive their passports and other requirements such as shots before the trip. Although the trip is fully paid for by The Brotherhood/Sister Sol, students must fundraise during the planning months to offset the cost of food, lodging, transportation and other costs.
When they return from the trip, students are required to write a report on their experience during the month-long trip. This includes what they liked and disliked, their observations, as well as what they learned. After written, they present it as an oral presentation for the Summer Liberation School participants. Overall, the International Study Program is an experience is unlike any other. From the places visited to the daily workshops, you are given not just a better appreciation of what’s available to you in America, but it can also broaden your view on the world.
Anthony Keller is a sophomore at Bread and Roses High School. He is also a member of Liberation Program and the Media Team. He will be studying abroad in Ghana with its International Study Program in summer 2010.
Journey To Thailand
by Barrington Roberts | originally posted by Jan 31, 2010
In the summer of 2009, I traveled on an amazing trip to Thailand. Through the International YMCA Global Teens Program, around 250 teenagers were given a chance to have an experience unlike anything we ever imagined. We were charged with the awesome responsibility of building a YMCA Learning Center in Chaing Mai, Thailand. The numerous days of training, which included meetings that would allow us to become engaged in the culture and the practices of Thailand. Most teenagers between the age of 14 and 18 don’t have the opportunity to travel out of the country to the other side of the world, without parents, and with two, down-to-earth group leaders.
The trip from New York to Thailand was a journey in and of itself, taking a total of 28 hours, including stopovers and flight time. We quickly learned that we were in for the time of lives. We jumped directly into the first activity right after our first Thai meal. The first day of the trip was spent getting to know your roommate and group, as well as exploring the commercial marketplace, also known as shopping. The malls in Thailand were similar to the malls in America, with high-priced name brands, sporting good stores, and a food court.
After a short while, we learned that it was time to get to work. Our group set out to begin. Our first task was to move over 200 bricks to one spot. Next we had to prepare the cement for the foundation. Manually mixing cement was by far one of the most challenging things I’ve ever done, because of the torture it puts on the body. After four long, hard nine-hour work days, we finally finished building something that would be useful to the Thai children.
We felt an overwhelming mixture of success and exhaustion. We completed the task at hand, building an YMCA Learning Center from the ground up, with blood, sweat, and some tears. We accomplished what we first thought was impossible. That was the most important part of the Global Teens experience: feeling good about what you accomplished in another country, with people that soon become your family. Thailand was an unforgettable experience.
Barrington Roberts is a senior at Rice High School. He is also a member of The Liberation Program and the Media Team.
The International Study Program Experience
by LaShae Adams | originally posted on Feb 2, 2009
The Brotherhood/Sister Sol facilitates the International Study Program (ISP) in Africa and Latin America for our teen members. Over the last 13 years, more than 100 youth and 20 staff have studied in Morocco, Spain, South Africa, Mexico, Egypt, Ghana, Dominican Republic/Puerto Rico and Brazil. It is a natural continuation of our work on leadership development, Pan-African and Latino/a history, and global awareness.
The Application Process
It took me at least 4 weeks to fill out the application for The International Study Program (ISP). I wasn’t sure if I wanted to go away for a whole month. I mostly liked staying to myself and being kind of antisocial. Just the thought of being with people 24 hours a day, that I barely even knew, was something unusual for me. I didn’t think I would be able to do something like this.
I didn’t even feel like doing the essay for ISP. I don’t like writing essays for school. But for some reason I found myself writing this essay, and didn’t think anything of it until I was accepted to travel and study in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. Then it finally hit me - I would be spending practically my whole summer in a different country. Not many young people I knew had the opportunity to be able to go away and learn about the history, culture, and heritage of two different countries. I had an amazing time abroad. When I came back from the trip, I found myself conquering most of my fears and being a little more outspoken.
In the summer of 2009, the International Study Program will be traveling to Brazil. There were 29 applications that were submitted — more than any other trip. It would be great if everyone were accepted, but only 15 members will be selected. The members that attend this month-long ISP trip will come back totally different people. Most of the members are only accustomed to New York City. Just being able to leave and travel to another country is a great opportunity. It keeps us young people productive and off the streets. Experiencing new things can be life changing.
In order for members to be eligible for the International Study Program, you must:
• Be involved in the Brotherhood/Sister Sol for at least a year.
• Be between the ages of 14-18, or still be in high school.
• If you are not a member of the Brotherhood/Sister Sol, you are still eligible to apply, but you will have to start attending Bro/Sis programming, such as Teen ASP classes.
• Long-time members of the organization or high school seniors will have first priority.
• Complete an application, which includes a 300-word essay stating the reasons why you would like to study abroad with Bro/Sis. The staff facilitating the trip will choose the applications that stand out the most.
The Sessions
After members were selected for the International Study Program, we had to attend Saturday sessions. When I first heard about this, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to go through with it. I didn’t like waking up early in the mornings, especially on Saturdays. But as I started coming to the sessions, I realized it wasn’t that bad after all. At sessions we spent time learning about the history and culture of the country we would be visiting. We took language lessons that would prepare us to communicate in the new country. We also crafted our own original mission statement that described what we stood for as a group. Each person had to come up with a few sentences to contribute to the mission statement. I thought that was good because everyone’s idea was heard. We also had the chance to be able to connect with the staff and members on a much more personal level.
It’s understandable if you cannot make it to every session. But it’s also important to know that if you miss multiple sessions, you are jeopardizing your chance to go the trip. The sessions prepared us for our responsibility abroad: every student who travels with the International Study Program is expected to do research in preparation for the seminars we will give our peers while in the country.
Traveling Abroad: Here’s what you need to know.
Passports
• You should apply for your passport at least two or three months before the trip.
• You can apply for a passport at any post office, online or by mail.
• If you apply for a passport in person it usually costs more than by mail. Also, the price ranges depending on on your age.
Packing
• Don’t bring anything that you cannot afford to lose or damage.
• Do not over pack! It is recommended that you bring only a week’s worth of clothing. If you go over the airport’s limit for your luggage’s weight, you will be charged extra.
• Luggage with wheels or backpacks are ideal.
• Duffel bags are the most difficult to carry.
Make sure to bring:
• Bug spray
• A personal journal
• Spending money for souvenirs, snacks, or postcards.
Stay tuned for our next installment, live from Brazil!
LaShae Adams is a high school junior and a member of The Brotherhood/Sister Sol’s Liberation Program. Last year she attended the International Study Program to the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. This year she will be traveling to Brazil.
Bro/Sis Photo@Random
