In the Spring of 2018 SPIRAL International partnered with Global Outreach Charter Academy or GOCA for a one of kind program designed to introduce Chinese students to American culture and education. This successful collaboration saw students from China arrive to shadow peer ambassadors in GOCA middle school classrooms, learn American daily life with local host families and experience the beauty of Jacksonville, Florida. We built on this collaboration this year to include college tours to the University of Florida, The University of North Florida, a historical tour of St. Augustine and a cultural tour of Jacksonville.
In addition to the college and cultural tours, 38 Chinese students will shadow GOCA Peer Ambassadors during the school week and each school day, in Social Studies class, present about their home life in China. Their teachers, five in total, from the same school in China, will have an opportunity throughout the program to learn about various school functions, like technology integration, extra curriculuar programming and school supporty systems from the GOCA administration team. The 2019 Winter Immersion Program is a collaboration in culture that will impact the students and educators involed and lead long term understanding, knowledge exchange and peace. You can read more about GOCA’s cross cultural exchange programs here.