July 25, 2017- сообщество
From Mr Binder:
You say this word like this: showb*shvest*vuh
In Russia, it means "community". Today we had an opportunity to visit a camp in Velegozh called "Our Sunny World".
You say this word like this: showb*shvest*vuh
In Russia, it means "community". Today we had an opportunity to visit a camp in Velegozh called "Our Sunny World".
At camp, I had an opportunity to share what it's like to be a teacher in the USA, and how my job involves working with students of different abilities and backgrounds. I explained how we are trained at the start of the semester, and how there are supports in place if I need to use them. In Russia, it's only been in the recent past where laws have been passed similar to the Americans with Disabilities Act, and accessibility has become more visual in the public. (Some places in Moscow are even more accessible than in some places in America.) However, our two school systems are different. When I shared about how at our school we have inclusive classrooms, and how students have many opportunities to interact, it seemed to give some hope to our hosts. The parents are the main drivers of change in Russia, and the public change seems to have its roots in their classrooms.
This camp was founded in 1992 at a time where people with disabilities were segregated in life in an effort to help them have a place in society, if even for a short time. But over the years, public awareness and understanding has occurred and people with disabilities became more seen, and more understood. Therefore, this camp has succeeded in changing the world through creating a new sense of our word for the day - "community".
We are lucky to have the "community" we have at Hempfield, and today it was a bit of the envy of our hosts. It's a hope of the camp's founder today that this common sense of "community" that's developed within our two individual countries, eventually can help bind our cultures together in a new sense of community *between* our countries.
Tomorrow is a travel day, so our next blog might not come until the 28th. Still, check in... we'll see!
From the students:
Being in a country that we could never have dreamed to be in gives a new perspective on everyday life and its unseen challenges. Throughout the week we have been viewing and filming different forms of disabilities, from a blind soccer match, to a camp dedicated to the well being of autistic people. It is so inspiring to see the strong sense of humanism and the love for each other in their everyday lives. We are thankful for this chance to see the world through the shoes of struggling yet strong individuals, and we are constantly being surprised by the friendship shared by everyone within the Russian community and the world.
This camp was founded in 1992 at a time where people with disabilities were segregated in life in an effort to help them have a place in society, if even for a short time. But over the years, public awareness and understanding has occurred and people with disabilities became more seen, and more understood. Therefore, this camp has succeeded in changing the world through creating a new sense of our word for the day - "community".
We are lucky to have the "community" we have at Hempfield, and today it was a bit of the envy of our hosts. It's a hope of the camp's founder today that this common sense of "community" that's developed within our two individual countries, eventually can help bind our cultures together in a new sense of community *between* our countries.
Tomorrow is a travel day, so our next blog might not come until the 28th. Still, check in... we'll see!
From the students:
Being in a country that we could never have dreamed to be in gives a new perspective on everyday life and its unseen challenges. Throughout the week we have been viewing and filming different forms of disabilities, from a blind soccer match, to a camp dedicated to the well being of autistic people. It is so inspiring to see the strong sense of humanism and the love for each other in their everyday lives. We are thankful for this chance to see the world through the shoes of struggling yet strong individuals, and we are constantly being surprised by the friendship shared by everyone within the Russian community and the world.
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