Ode to Our Mothers We are coming up on one of the most important holidays of the year in my estimation. In many countries, this Sunday brings us the holiday ‘Mother’s Day’ and our annual opportunity to demonstrate our love and appreciation. It goes without great articulation that the love of a mother is our […]
Significant Waypoints There are particular junctures in life that encourage emotional punctuation to assure that these moments don’t pass us by without appropriate recognition. Our seniors this week have reached that moment where their knowledge and associated work of two years has come to a culmination and we move them into independent study mode to […]
Welcome back after a nice Spring getaway. Whether you were just “getting away” to the parks in Moscow or traveling more broadly, I hope this energized you for weeks of packed activity that are now on the horizon. I’m looking forward to seeing you at various junctures between now and closing ceremony. You got a […]
https://youtu.be/gA3GlS6JopM Nicely done! While this was completed and shared before our trip, it deserves some additional play time, now that we know the initiates captured here are really working!
As I look around our neighborhood, there are increasing signs of Spring on the horizon. With that comes a new burst of energy that matches the sunrise each morning. We have a quickened pace, and all eyes are on the prize that is dangling ahead of us, whether it be graduation, transition, or just completing […]
As you have likely been reading in my blog, you will note that I’ve had an amazing experience with our HS students in Africa. It was in all ways a profound experience, one that is still impacting my thoughts and feelings in the aftermath of our adventures in Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Zambia. It is important […]
We left Pandamatenga on Wednesday with much sadness as we considered all of the many things we had experienced in Botswana. The previous night gave us opportunity to say goodbye to our friends in the community, but on the morning’s ride, we contemplated our farewell’s to this wonderful country that had exposed us to the wildlife […]
Greetings from deep within Africa. As I write this we are packing for our trek from Botswana to Zimbabwe. We’ve had a lovely sojourn here in Pandamatenga and are all very sad to leave this wonderful village and country. Earlier today as the sun was setting in the sky, we said goodbye to the […]
We started this morning walking with the children to their current school that is quite a distance from their neighborhood. It was a 45 minute walk through the bush area behind the highway and we had a long line of over 100 kids walking with us. Shortly after we started, we encountered a “new” river […]
Lazy morning preparing our games and materials at the lodge got us prepared for a wild afternoon at our Fair in Pandamatenga. In simple terms: Sunshine Finding the children Coming from all directions 200 kids playing games and enjoying the activities 20 adults in sessions with Project Humanity on the risks associated with alcohol Wind/rain […]
We had a wonderful day on Saturday meeting the village elders and getting permission to enter the village. They had a wonderful dance that greeted us (video later) and the assistant chief of the tribe welcomed us to the village and gave us permission to enter. Later, we were invited to a church setting a […]
I’m sorry to say that I’m having tremendous difficulty with connectivity with blog from here in Kasane. I’ve gotten through some of the material and trying to upload more things, now that the first day is coming to a close with dinner in a couple of hours. I was a bit more successful with Facebook […]
Getting to south Africa has proven to be a bit of a challenge. Not because of paperwork or documentation because that all went very smoothly. So glad we followed the South African Embassy process. That proved to be the best part of our overall paperwork. But, the time it takes on the flights and the […]
26 kids – 4 adults – passports and documents from a dozen countries. All clear! On the plane! Everything checked to destination. Life is good on the first leg of our adventure!
The Ambassadors gathered at school for our departure at 3p today and the mood was good. All was well prepared and every ounce of luggage utilized for the trip to meet the benefactors of their efforts. Clothing and other gifts were packed in every nook and cranny. So, as we now prepare for the long […]
I’m heading off tomorrow for an adventure with 27 of our high school students. After a quick board meeting, I’m on a plane to Africa to help out with our school building projects in Botswana, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. My thanks to all who contributed to this project both through the many activities throughout the year and […]
Dear AAS Community, Just a few more days until the AAS Ambassadors go on their service learning trip to Botswana and Zimbabwe to work on their project “AAS Builds Schools.” The Ambassadors are actively engaged in a primary school build, village development, and community garden project in Pandamatenga, Botswana. They are also working on a […]
We hope you all enjoyed your special holiday weekend with family during our extended days. I find that we sometimes forget the meaning behind holidays, so I wanted to make sure that we remind ourselves of the significance of International Women’s Day. In this year, it is particularly poignant that we consider the roots of this special […]
Those of us who live the international life know that some things are often fickle. We have all experienced the closure of a favorite restaurant, the change in service at a hotel, the often unpredictable attitude of a taxi driver, and the constant difficulties with government services, for almost all nationalities. Both inside and outside […]
Once in awhile, there is a project that comes into your life that truly inspires you. You know that feeling you have in your chest, somewhere close to your heart, that tells you that the action you are about to take is just simply the right thing to do. I had that moment recently, and […]