Baja Bound, led by Peter Bradley and Kat Jackson, explored culture and nature in Todos Santos, Mexico, interacting with locals, at the beach, swimming, snorkeling, hiking, and most importantly, practicing their Spanish.
Peter explained how this block benefits students wanting to improve their language skills:
“You learn more in 3 weeks of immersive Spanish than you can learn over the course of a semester, 50 minutes at a time. I saw the confidence of all our students grow a ton during this experience.”
Sophomore Max Hunter noted, “Getting to do Spanish for three weeks straight really improved my language skills. When we were at the school with no teachers to help, I had to rely on my own ability.”
The students went to two schools during their trip: a high school and an elementary school. Students had time to connect with the high school kids through sports and basic conversation learning about their school day. Sophomore Avery Underell mentioned how important it was for her to be a part of this experience: “We had the opportunity to talk to other students and really delve into their culture and community.”
They bonded with the elementary students through teaching pre-planned guest lessons and playing bilingual games. Kat expressed the success of the visit: “The students really had to rely on their language skills and their preparation to deliver the lesson.” Upon leaving the school, the elementary students had parting hugs and gifts to give.
The second day in Todos Santos, the group attended a Mexican Independence Day celebration called El Grito. During the ceremony, a man announced in Spanish the long life of Mexico, its cities, and its residents. Students found this to be an impactful event to understanding culture in Mexico. Junior Lucas Bayer reflected how “It was really cool to see how the culture was celebrated.”
Outside of planned activities, students spent their time at the beach, the pool, and walking to local markets from the villa. Their final day before flying out, they went on a boat tour and snorkeled with sea lions.
¡Los estudiantes estaban muy agradecidos por las lecciones y memorias que se hicieron!
