Anonymous
Post 01/08/2016 13:48     Subject: FREE Study Abroad Trips for DCPS 8th and 11th Graders!
Anonymous wrote:Does DCPS offer to cover costs such as passport, visa and other fees?


Website says yes on passport and visa. It also says all 8th and 11th students enrolled in world language are eligible but there is an application processed outlined (essay, teacher recommendation) too.

Not clear at all how many students will actually be able to go or if you will need to be in good academic standing, etc.
Anonymous
Post 01/08/2016 13:47     Subject: Re:FREE Study Abroad Trips for DCPS 8th and 11th Graders!
According to an email I just got from DCPS, the program will fund 400 kids. There is an application process and the kids have to complete a project afterwards. All expenses paid (including the costs of passports, but you have to obtain them yourself).
Anonymous
Post 01/08/2016 13:47     Subject: Re:FREE Study Abroad Trips for DCPS 8th and 11th Graders!
Anonymous wrote:Are they literally going to take every 8th and 11th grader who wants to go and who has studied taken language for any period of time? So basically this will fund for example EVERY 8th grader at Deal? If so, that's a huge expense in a school system that can't seem to find the funding for lots of other needs (and is not doing to well educating the city's most disadvantaged). If they want to sponsor trips, I think that's great, but funding should be awarded on a need basis only.



Not everyone who is eligible will apply/wants to go. The deadline is next month, so only students that have a passport and are currently enrolled in a World Languages class are eligible. It appears that DCPS has done the math, and it has decided that it can afford it. As a parent with an eligible student; who am I to question it?
Anonymous
Post 01/08/2016 13:46     Subject: FREE Study Abroad Trips for DCPS 8th and 11th Graders!
Anonymous wrote:Does DCPS offer to cover costs such as passport, visa and other fees?


Yes.

Does anyone know where in the DCPS budget this program is funded? I looked briefly but didn't see it.
Anonymous
Post 01/08/2016 13:41     Subject: FREE Study Abroad Trips for DCPS 8th and 11th Graders!
Does DCPS offer to cover costs such as passport, visa and other fees?
Anonymous
Post 01/08/2016 13:37     Subject: FREE Study Abroad Trips for DCPS 8th and 11th Graders!
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:This is a wonderful opportunity. I hope they open it up to charter students as well. This would be great for the immersion charters where students have spent years learning another language.


Some of the immersion charters I know of already have trips abroad as part of their programs. For example, Bethune 8th graders have gone to Spanish speaking areas of the Caribbean, Yu Ying 5th graders can go to China, Stokes students go to Martinique or Panama.



Yu Ying has stopped doing the China trip.

I cannot imagine DCPS would open this to charter students (same as the summer SEM program at Hardy). They view this as a way to lure charter families back to DCPS.


+1. Exactly! The expansion of charter schools in DC has pushed DCPS to step up it's game--and that's beneficial to ALL public school students in DC.
Anonymous
Post 01/08/2016 13:33     Subject: Re:FREE Study Abroad Trips for DCPS 8th and 11th Graders!
Are they literally going to take every 8th and 11th grader who wants to go and who has studied taken language for any period of time? So basically this will fund for example EVERY 8th grader at Deal? If so, that's a huge expense in a school system that can't seem to find the funding for lots of other needs (and is not doing to well educating the city's most disadvantaged). If they want to sponsor trips, I think that's great, but funding should be awarded on a need basis only.
Anonymous
Post 01/08/2016 13:27     Subject: FREE Study Abroad Trips for DCPS 8th and 11th Graders!
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:This is a wonderful opportunity. I hope they open it up to charter students as well. This would be great for the immersion charters where students have spent years learning another language.


Some of the immersion charters I know of already have trips abroad as part of their programs. For example, Bethune 8th graders have gone to Spanish speaking areas of the Caribbean, Yu Ying 5th graders can go to China, Stokes students go to Martinique or Panama.



Yu Ying has stopped doing the China trip.

I cannot imagine DCPS would open this to charter students (same as the summer SEM program at Hardy). They view this as a way to lure charter families back to DCPS.
Anonymous
Post 01/08/2016 13:26     Subject: Re:FREE Study Abroad Trips for DCPS 8th and 11th Graders!
Anonymous wrote:Does anyone know if every middle school has a World Languages program? It would be a shame if the kids who need it most (cost free travel) would not be able to benefit from this program simply because they go to a school that does not offer foreign language.


Yes, every middle school in DCPS has a World Languages program.
Anonymous
Post 01/08/2016 13:20     Subject: FREE Study Abroad Trips for DCPS 8th and 11th Graders!
Anonymous wrote:I read this on FB yesterday.

BIG NEWS! DCPS 8th and 11th graders who are enrolled in a World Languages course are now eligible to apply for one of our fully funded study abroad trips happening all over the world this summer! More info and applications here: http://dcpsglobaled.org/


This will be a wonderful opportunity for Oyster-Adams 8th graders. They can choose to study abroad in either China (since Adams middle schoolers take Mandarin as a foreign language), or a Spanish-speaking country. Adams' students also have study abroad opportunities in Spain (7th) and Costa Rica (8th), but I know the Spain trip is not available to all students.
Anonymous
Post 01/08/2016 13:16     Subject: Re:FREE Study Abroad Trips for DCPS 8th and 11th Graders!
Does anyone know if every middle school has a World Languages program? It would be a shame if the kids who need it most (cost free travel) would not be able to benefit from this program simply because they go to a school that does not offer foreign language.
Anonymous
Post 01/08/2016 13:14     Subject: FREE Study Abroad Trips for DCPS 8th and 11th Graders!
Anonymous wrote:This is a wonderful opportunity. I hope they open it up to charter students as well. This would be great for the immersion charters where students have spent years learning another language.


Some of the immersion charters I know of already have trips abroad as part of their programs. For example, Bethune 8th graders have gone to Spanish speaking areas of the Caribbean, Yu Ying 5th graders can go to China, Stokes students go to Martinique or Panama.
Anonymous
Post 01/08/2016 13:12     Subject: FREE Study Abroad Trips for DCPS 8th and 11th Graders!
Anonymous wrote:This is a wonderful opportunity. I hope they open it up to charter students as well. This would be great for the immersion charters where students have spent years learning another language.


I think the charters will need to create and fund their own study abroad programs. DCPS students don't get to enjoy charter-schooled funded programs. You really can't have it both ways.
Anonymous
Post 01/08/2016 13:07     Subject: FREE Study Abroad Trips for DCPS 8th and 11th Graders!
This is a wonderful opportunity. I hope they open it up to charter students as well. This would be great for the immersion charters where students have spent years learning another language.
Anonymous
Post 01/08/2016 12:58     Subject: FREE Study Abroad Trips for DCPS 8th and 11th Graders!
I read this on FB yesterday.

BIG NEWS! DCPS 8th and 11th graders who are enrolled in a World Languages course are now eligible to apply for one of our fully funded study abroad trips happening all over the world this summer! More info and applications here: http://dcpsglobaled.org/