Closing Ceremony

While this blog cannot adequately describe the hard work done by the Brazil group during their time at Notre Dame, their dedication should be understated. They attended workshops and presentations for six weeks, producing lesson plans, projects, and activities that they would be able to take back to their classrooms in Brazil. They worked to understand the culture of the United States on a new level, and they connected with the South Bend community through their host schools.

To honor the work and participation of the Brazilian teachers, Notre Dame held a ceremony celebrating their accomplishments. Joined by so many friends they had met along the way, the teachers received certificates of their achievements and enjoyed a night of fellowship and fun.

 

We would like to give one more HUGE thank you to everyone who made the group's time at Notre Dame so special. Thank you to the South Bend Community School Corporation and all the teachers who welcomed the Brazilian teachers into their classrooms. Special thanks to Karla Lee for making that partnership happen. Thank you to the Brazil Club of Notre Dame and to Sandra Teixiera for her support to the teachers. Thank you to the numerous departments at Notre Dame that helped us with problem solving before and during the program to make sure everything went smoothly. Thank you to Stew Markel and Anne Bolster for their classes. Thank you to the language coaches for your hard work and friendship. Thank you to Katy Lichon, Clare Roach, Jenny Dees, and Joyce Johnstone for making this program possible. And thank you to everyone else who did so much to help us out along the way. We will be forever grateful.

Lake Michigan

Ever since they arrived in the United States, the Brazilian teachers were hungry for places to visit and sites to see. Near the top of their list was St. Joseph's Lighthouse in St. Joseph, Michigan. Naturally, the language coaches scheduled the outing on one of the windiest days of the program. As we winded down the roads toward Lake Michigan in St. Joseph, we crossed our fingers, hoping for the best the weather had to offer.

Despite the frigid temperatures and sand-blasting wind that greeted us on the shore of Lake Michigan, the Brazilian teachers, now almost immune to the cold weather, traversed the dunes to see the impressive lake.

 

To reward the group for braving the wind and sand, we stopped at Kilwin's in St. Joseph on the way home to get some hot chocolate to warm everyone up.

Country Dancing

After the Brazilians had a night of Samba to remind them of home, they were placed in an atmosphere that was completely new: the world of country line dancing. However, this was not your average country line dancing. The team from Tu Sei Bella Dance Fitness Studio gave us a crash course in contemporary country line dancing. Not only was it a great workout, but it was a ton of fun!

Carnaval at Notre Dame

Although it was a couple of weeks early, that didn't stop Notre Dame's Brazil group from celebrating Carnaval with style. The Brazil Club of Notre Dame went all out planning festivities to bring a little piece of Brazil to campus, and, of course, we had to take part in the fun! The first event was a showing of the film "O Samba Que Mora em Mim" (The Samba Within Me).

The next evening, the group joined the Brazil Club and many friends they made during their stay at Notre Dame for a Carnaval Celebration at Legend's. Complete with delicious food, great music, and even better company, the entire evening was a blast. After watching performances by the Flores do Samba Dance Company, based out of Bloomington, Indiana, everyone had a chance to join in the fun and get their groove on.

An enormous thank to the Brazil Club for everything they did for our Brazilian visitors during their stay at Notre Dame. The world is as small as it is large, and it was wonderful for them to have a taste of home so far away from it.

Workshop: Language Acquisition

How does a person learn a language? What is the difference between learning a language from birth or starting at a later age? How can we overcome the struggle of learning a new language? For the final week of workshops, the teacher learned about the stages of language acquisition and myths and misconceptions surrounding second language acquisition.

Click the links below to see the resources used in class: 

• Five Stages of Language Development
• First Language Acquisition
• Communicative Competence 
• Do you Speak American?

Better World Books

During the last week of our stay at Notre Dame, we were invited to visit Better World Books. This company, started by a pair of Notre Dame grads as a small fund-raiser, has grown into a world-wide business that has donated almost 12 million books, has raised nearly $16 million for literacy and libraries, and has reused or recycled 126 million books.

The global impact of this company cannot be understated. They allowed us to take a small tour of their facilities in addition to letting the Brazilian teachers go home with some books for their classrooms. We'd like to send a big thanks to everyone at Better World Books!

 

I Walked a Mile in her Shoes

During their stay in South Bend, the Brazilian teachers were welcomed into the community with open arms. Whether it was at Notre Dame, at South Bend schools, at local restaurants and shops, or even at their hotel, the outpouring of love and support offered to the group was incomparable. While it would be nearly impossible to express how thankful the group was to all those who had a hand in making them feel so welcome, they did have an opportunity to give back to the community in a small way.

For more that 20 years, St. Margaret's House in South Bend has walked in solidarity with women and children in order to make a difference in their lives. St. Margaret's House is a day center devoted to improving the day-to-day lives of women and children through meals, workshops, and community.

Each year St. Margaret's House hosts a Winter Walk called "I Walked a Mile in her Shoes." This one-mile walk brings members of the community together to show solidarity with the women and children in the community that need their help. The Brazil group was honored to take part in this walk.

During the walk, the group had the opportunity to meet Senator Joe Donnelly, who was also there to show support of St. Margaret's. 

Penn High School

In addition to the incredible welcome we received from the South Bend Community School Corporation, we were also invited to visit Penn High School in Mishawaka. The size alone of Penn High School is enough to leave an impression, and the Brazil group was able to take a tour of the school and meet some of the students who attend it.  

The technology available to students at Penn High School left the group wanting to see more of what the school had to offer. Below you will find links to some of their student activity groups and the work that they produce. 

For more information about the Penn HS robotics team, the Black Knights, visit their website at: http://robotics.phmschools.org/

They also have a rockin' YouTube Channel! 
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=UUaKS4EYNThuMYrY1gk_I9Xw

Also, the Penn HS news network, PNN, has loads of stuff for you to check out:

• Their main YouTube Channel where they post their show
• https://www.youtube.com/user/PennNewsNetwork
• Their main news website where they post stories written by students - 
• http://massmediastudies.net/
• Their Twitter profile -
• https://twitter.com/pennnewsnetwork

Valentine's Day

While missing a holiday away from family and friends can be a difficult experience, the opposite also can be true, as the Brazil group learned on February 14th. Valentine's Day, a holiday very unique to the United States, greeted the Brazilian teachers with open arms. Celebrating a new holiday in a new land can be a lot of fun.

The anticipation actually started weeks before as the advertisements and build-up to the holiday appeared in stores and on television. And so started the questions: What does this holiday mean? What should we expect? How should we celebrate? As the week grew near, Jenny was able to give a little lesson about what Valentine's Day means in the United States: a special day to show people that we care. During Jenny's lesson, the Brazilians made their own homemade Valentine's Day cards to give to people they appreciate.

Later that day, the group received a tour of Notre Dame's Snite Museum. To celebrate Valentine's Day, the Snite Museum of Art offered a special exhibit showing different types of love through paintings, sculptures, and abstract art. In addition to viewing the amazing art exhibits offered by the museum, the Brazil group also learned how to make foam Valentine's Day prints to paint and transfer onto paper. The curators, guides, and education staff of the Snite were so helpful and informative during our visit.

Basilica Tour

If you've ever visited campus, you know that Notre Dame has a slew of impressive buildings and beautiful views. However, few of these vistas are as iconic at the University's Main Building, also know as the Golden Dome, accompanied by the Basilica of the Sacred Heart. While the group had the opportunity to visit the Main Building one of their first days on campus, they didn't explore the Basilica till a few weeks later. Some group members had attended mass on campus, and some had wandered independently through the impressive doors of the Basilica. Yet, it wasn't until Jeremy Dela Cruz, a seminarian at Notre Dame's Old College, provided a tour that the Brazilian teachers were able to get a full grasp of the rich history and significance of this religious site.

 

The Basilica, which replaced an earlier church that was erected by University founder Father Sorin in 1840, was built in 1870. The mother church for the Congregation of Holy Cross in the United States, the Basilica of the Sacred Heart houses the largest collection of French stained-glass of its kind in the world, and has become a beacon of religious tourism. It is the heart of the University of Notre Dame, and it's easy to understand why as one walks through its impressive arches and columns that line the wooden pews of this old church.

The group was also lucky enough to visit Notre Dame's Log Chapel, located near the Basilica. Although the original chapel burnt down, the Log Chapel is a memento of the earliest days of the University. Built in 1831, the original chapel was a headquarters for missionary activity in the area. The rebuilt chapel is used frequently for mass and offers a more interpersonal religious experience.

 

Special thanks to Jeremy Dela Cruz for the wonderful tour he provided for the Brazil group. Dela Cruz is in his third year of religious formation. Originally from California, Dela Cruz speaks Portuguese fluently and has spent time working in schools in Brazil. He is a member of Notre Dame's Brazil Club that was so welcoming and kind during the experience of the Brazilian teachers.

A Trip to Shipshewana

The stark contrast of modern day mini vans carefully passing horse-drawn carriages on the highway to historic Shipshewana was the Brazil ND group's first taste of the blending of cultures that exists in that small, Indiana town. Famous for its surrounding Amish and Mennonite communities, Shipshewana offers a glimpse into unique subcultures of the United States that have been present since colonization.

Our first stop was the picturesque Menno-Hof Amish/Mennonite Information Center. This center and the people who facilitate it offer an incredible peek into the faith and life of Amish and Mennonites. The tour began with an introduction to the differences and similarities between the two faiths. After which, we visited a series of rooms depicting what life was like for members of these groups in their beginnings and as they transitioned into modern times. Finally, we saw how Amish and Mennonite groups function in society today. While their lives may seem foreign to what is seen as "typical" U.S. culture, their history and contribution to life in the United States is invaluable.

Seeing cultures such as these, which are so contrary to what the media portrays the United States to be, provided an example to the Brazilians teachers of just how diverse U.S. culture is, compared to the often homogenous lens of Hollywood. Additionally, it offered a chance to compare the colonization processes that happened in both North and South America.

To end our beautiful, snowy day in Shipshewana, we had a family-style dinner at the Blue Gate Restaurant & Bakery. With of group of 36, that was no easy feat. However, thanks to the patience and hospitality of the restaurant, we left full and happy.

It would be a mistake if we forgot to mention the assortment of pies we had for dessert. Heavenly.