[educational exchange] [tourism development] [law enforcement exchange]
[basketball] [special assistance] [support for the arts]

Special Projects: Educational Exchange

Since the inception of the American Home in 1992 we have encouraged contacts between American and Russian students and teachers. Our goal is to go beyond what we are accomplishing through our English and Culture Program by facilitating as many educational exchanges as possible.

2013 Alternative Spring Break in Russia

Interested in spending your 2013 Spring Break in Russia? Come spend it with us!
We have four different trips going: two to Vladimir and two to Murom, and they will be held March 2-10, 2013 and March 9-17, 2013. Come to Russia and spend your spring break involved with one of our two alternative spring break programs!
CLICK HERE to download the full brochure on both trips!
*Please note: The deadline to apply for the 2013 trips has passed. We will have the information for the 2014 trips online soon, so please check back!

Fulbright-Hays Group Program Abroad Awards

Two major universities and Serendipity-Russia were awarded grants totaling $235,000.

Serendipity provided the in-country programs for three Fulbright grants. The most recent grant was obtained through the University of Chicago Center for East European and Russian/Eurasian Studies. The first two grants were through the University of Illinois Russian, East European, and Eurasian Center. Each of these trips have been characterized as a "truly excellent educational experience."

2004 Fulbright-Hays Group
Follow the link to the 2004 Project Photo Diary!

Read two interesting articles about the 2004 Fulbright group in Russia:
I'm Not Afraid of Russia, I Can Live Here if Necessary! and Teacher Thankful for Fulbright-Hays Experience in Russia

2007 Fulbright-Hays Group
Follow the link to the 2007 Project Photo Diary!

Read this article by 2007 trip participant E. B. Holschuh, a Russian teacher from Texas:
Vacationing with Lenin and the “Colonel”

2008 Fulbright-Hays Group

Meredith Clason, Associate Director, University of Chicago CEERES:
Meredith Clason’s Blog (2008 Fulbright-Hays Group)
NOTE: To make Meredith’s interesting observations more readily available—and easier to follow—we’ve put her entries in chronological order, added photos, and converted it all to a PDF file.

Jeff Schagrin
http://jeffrussia.blogspot.com (2008 Fulbright-Hays Group)

Breanne Goldman
www.breanne-russia.blogspot.com (2008 Fulbright-Hays Group)

Follow-Up Curriculum Development Reports: http://ceeres.uchicago.edu/k12/curriculum/08russia.htm

These programs provided the participating elementary and secondary teachers with a unique opportunity to learn firsthand about Russia's past and present.

Serendipity-Russia continues to:

• arrange contacts between educators and students—building on the foundation provided by the Fulbright program, we are developing a high school program that includes video and written exchanges and reciprocal visits
• arrange contacts between educators and students
• assist Russian students who want to study in the U.S.
• assist American teachers who want to visit Russia
• provide information to Russian educators including providing publications to the Vladimir Juridical Institute and to faculty and
students at other institutions
• provide information for pen pals... and more!

"The large number of criminal justice articles you brought to us from Professor Frank Morn have been valuable beyond description." Anna Podstrakhova, Head, VJI foreign language program.

"Being pen pals with fifth-grade students in Vladimir has been a fascinating learning experience for the fifth-grade students at Grundy School in Morton. Students have expanded their knowledge base, learned research and writring skills, studied more geography, and increased their understanding of themselves and others."
Jane Richmond, Teacher, Grundy Elementary School, Morton, Illinois

Vivian Hubbard, far right, interacted with a
teacher education class at the Pedagogical
College in Vladimir, April 2000.

Visiting the public and private schools in Vladimir was an exceptional learning experience for me professionally and personally. I observed and interacted with students and teachers from the lower elementary level through college students majoring in speech therapy at Vladimir Pedagogical University. It was fascinating to find the common threads between education in Russia and in the United States. The differences were also apparent and informative. Their teachers are very hard working with limited resources and are dedicated to their students who are eager to learn.

Vivian Hubbard, Speech Therapist
Metcalf Laboratory School, Illinois State University

---