Cultural Immersion Diary

I gotta confess that I'm more than anxious about the EIP beginning, and, while we're not in July, I decided to redirect all of this anxiety to researches about the Program, the host city and also to learn more about the ABA (partner institution), as well. I think it'd sounds good if I share what I've learned about it so far.

On this post, I'll talk about the ABA (Associação Brasil América - Brazil America Association), english and american culture education center, in Recife, having its official website as source for information and images .

The ABA has as mission:

"Contributing to the personal and professional development by inovative, productive and delightfull ways through educational, linguistics and cultural activities."

In Recife, the Association has two units: the Boa Viagem ABA unit and the Aflitos ABA unit.

ABA Boa Viagem- building front image

ABA Aflitos Unit - building front image

The ABA cultural outstand happens through the realization of events related to the most diverse world cultures, celebrating commemorative dates, national and international holidays, giving an intensive cultural immersion. Some examples of ABA's events during the year are: Architect or Astronaut?, Children's Week, Oscar, Fun Friday, Movie Session, Saint Patrick's Day, Easter, São João Party, Creativity Fest, Halloween, and others; it worths remembering that the Association has art galleries in each unit too, where regional and national artists artworks are shown monthly.

Futhermore, the Association develops an important role to the youth and adult qualification at the north/northeast brazilian regions, and it has already opened doors and allowed that over than 50 people had had the oportunity of studying in America, with full scholarships, sponsored by partner institutions such as the Fulbright Commission and the Institute of International Education.

Oh, I could not forget talking about Foxy, the Association's mascot, that always accompanies the students durying their learning journey.

So, here I end this post; remembering you that these are only some of the information I got. My feeling about the ABA, not only for the researches, but for what I've heard and read from former immersioners, tends to go higher and higher. I can only imagine what I'm going to live in such educational environment - it'll be unforgettable moments, for sure. =)

"At each passing moment you become someone far different from who you were a second ago."

Since 2006, in order to respond positively to the increasing number of candidates for the Youth Ambassadors Program, the US Embassy created the English Immersion USA Program.

Althought it doesn't happen in the US, the Program's schedule is full with interesting activities which will give the participants not only the oppotunity of an american cultural immersion, but the chance to improve their english and to get to know people from the most diverse places of Brazil at the same time that they learn more about the city where they stay during the course week. According to the organizadors' words, the EIP:

“(...)It's an intensive one week course in July that offers to the semifinalists [almost 120 students] from the Youth Ambassador Program selective process, an english and north-american culture immersion. Public school students from various parts of Brazil are the participants of EIP (...)."

These studants will get in touch with american themes such as US history, geography, culture and society, english language, conversation classes, tipically noth-american sports (beiseball, american football, etc.), cuisine and much more.

Moreover, once they come from diffent parts of Brazil, through formals an informals experiences exchanges they'll learn more about their own country.

In 2011, according with information, the EIP will happen on the following cities/institutions/dates:

- Brasília (Casa Thomas Jefferson) – 3th to 8th July

- Londrina (Instituto Cultural Brasil-Estados Unidos-ICBEU) –3th to 8th July

- São Paulo (Associação Alumni) – 3th to 8th July

- Belém (Centro Cultural Brasil-Estados Unidos-CCBEU) – 10th to 15th July

- Recife (Associação Brasil-América) – 10th to 15th July

As a Rio Grande do Norte semifinalist, brazilian northeast region, I'm among the students who will participate of the EIP-Recife(PE) activities, at ABA (Associação Brasil América - Brasil America Association) and I'll post here everything that happens since the very beginning, from the travel preparation until the Program very last minute. =)