The Siljes’ Summer in America - Fulbright.no

Silje Moen from Førde and Silje Paulsen from Oslo spent the summer of 2009 in the United States as Summer Institute participants. Here is their story.

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Group photo of the participants and the ITD staff.

The beginning Our journey started the 19th of June when we, Silje Moen and Silje Paulsen, met each other on the airport express train in Oslo. We had met once before and became friends immediately. We had a long, but enjoyable travel across the Atlantic and were picked up by the helpful ITD staff (Institute of Training and Development) who took us to Amherst and our nice dorm. Also during the rest of the summer we felt that the ITD staff did everything in their power to make us feel welcome and comfortable. It was the twelfth time the Summer Institute was held by the ITD and they were very professional. Everybody was treated equally and we were also given a large allowance to cover various expenses during the whole stay.

Amherst, Massachusetts

The first days we were a bit tired from jet lag, but it was exciting to meet all the teachers from around the world. We were living in two different houses the first three weeks that we spent in Amherst. Our dorm was located on the beautiful and green Amherst College campus. The town of Amherst is a small and pretty New England town. There are nice restaurants and a lot of green areas. People are very friendly and accommodating and we felt very welcome there from the beginning.

The first three weeks

After having spent the weekend getting to know the other participants, the academic program started. There were lectures and fieldtrips from 8.30 to approximately 4.00 every day, except in the weekends. The lecturers were all specialists in their fields and we learned a lot about American history, politics, literature and culture. We studied topics such as the Civil Rights Movement, Indians, Jazz and Emily Dickinson’s poetry. We also had Sunday newspaper discussions, which were very informative and gave us a deeper understanding of American culture and current political issues. Among other things it really gave us a better understanding of president Obama´s difficult job, for instance his effort trying to pass a new health reform.

Mammoth Hot Springs in Yellowstone.

Traveling After three weeks of lectures, field trips and studying we were looking forward to traveling. The first part of our trip was spent in the West and our first destination was Butte, Montana. We attended the National Folk Festival and experienced the great difference between the East and the West, both when it comes to nature, people and culture. After two days we headed for Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, which we really enjoyed. We also visited Buffalo Bill’s hometown Cody and Little Big Horn battlefield and a Crow Indian reservation.

Our next destination was Washington DC, a city we really enjoyed.  We visited beautiful Georgetown, went to the Smithsonian museums and the interesting think tank called the Brookings Institution. We were also invited to the Department of State to meet Jennifer Phillips, the program officer for Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Moreover we also visited Capitol Hill and other famous landmarks. 

The last days of our two weeks of traveling were spent in New York City. It was great, but intense! We only had two and a half days, but managed to visit Ellis Island, the Statue of Liberty, The Guggenheim, MoMa, Harlem and the Apollo Theater. In addition we had a tour of the United Nations, went to a jazz club called the Blue Note and listened to Charlie Haden. Still, we also found time for some shopping… During the whole travel we stayed at really nice hotels and were at all times taken good care of by the ITD staff. The last week Back in Amherst we had a few days to relax and finish our final project. We made a lesson plan based on Norwegian immigration to America in the 19th century. This was presented to the rest of the group and we are going to use it in our teaching at home.

Stella, Silje and Silje in New York City.

The Summer Institute has really enhanced our knowledge and understanding of American culture and society, which was the aim of the program. Furthermore, it has given us newmotivation to teach our students about this interesting and fascinating country. As a bonus we made friends from all over the world and have already made plans to visit some of them!

Finally, we would like to thank the Fulbright Foundation for this wonderful experience and recommend all English teachers in secondary school to apply!

- Silje P. and Silje M.