Yes and No: The Paradox of Bearing Witness by Noah Potvin
In preparing for this trip, I braced myself for the complex cocktail of experience that I imagined would come with entering a concentration camp: the incomprehensibility of humanity’s ability to divorce from humanness, the fear of anti-Semitic hate so fully expressed, the sadness at the potentials for life denied by this perversion of the natural […]
Horror and Hope by Dawn Fitchwell
I am sitting here, home from Poland for exactly one week, still trying to process the experience. When I was completing the evaluation for the trip, one question asked for three words that come to mind prior to the trip. A follow-up question then asked for three words that come to mind after the trip. […]
Memory as a Living Bridge by Matt O’Brien
This week has brought intense contemplations about human mortality, and the prospect of losing the voices of holocaust survivors seems doubly tragic. Last night’s panel of second-generation survivors brought two sources of consolation and hope, however. First, we are not alone in our efforts to honor the legacy of those who have come before us. Second, listening to […]
Complex and Risky Lives by Dani Afangbedji
Before going on the Classrooms Without Borders (CWB) trip, I thought I already knew a lot about Black history. But this trip showed me how much more there is to learn—and how deep our history really goes. Some things I learned I had never even heard of before. And even the stuff I did know about, I […]
Sacred Spaces by Charles Bottoms
The first day when we arrived in Atlanta, GA, we went to the MLK Jr. memorial and saw the house he grew up in, which is currently under reservation. We also explored a small museum that had artifacts from when MLK Jr. was still alive, including clothing and accessories. Across from the memorial was the […]
Marching Down Freedom’s Road by Kennedy Gilliard
The Classrooms Without Borders’ Marching Down Freedom’s Road trip was an amazing, once in a lifetime opportunity and experience. This trip has taught me so much more about Black history and has really deepened my knowledge of what truly happened during the Civil Rights Movement. Throughout the week, we visited so many different museums, landmarks, […]
Classroom Without Borders Delivers Again By: Adam Forgie, Woodland Hills Educator/Turtle Creek Mayor
Once again, Classroom Without Borders has delivered to this student of history a life changing experience that has led me on a journey of self reflection, and self purpose. The deeper motivation / meaning behind my life, my actions, my family, my purpose and my goals have become more clear and cherished. I felt it […]
Dear Future Traveler by Pam Crossman
To next year’s Poland Personally participants: get ready for an unforgettable experience, one that will change how you teach, think, and live. From June 20–30, I traveled alongside nearly 90 educators and students from across the country (Ohio, Florida, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Montana, and more) to Warsaw, Lublin, and Krakow. Together, we confronted the enormity […]
Five Themes for Reflection by Josh Rice
Final thought: That flower to me represents the many things that we all can share aswe return to our classrooms to educate the next generation.