While school might be out for the students and faculty of Creek Valley Elementary, teacher Beth Jorgenson is spending her summer vacation getting an education halfway around the world. This past school year, the first-grade teacher was awarded the prestigious Fulbright Scholarship, which has allowed her the opportunity to travel and learn about the culture, people and history of Greece and Turkey.
Jorgenson was accepted into Fulbright’s “Seminars Abroad Program.” Only 16 elementary teachers nationwide were selected to participate in this summer’s program, titled “Building Bridges Across the Aegean: Education through Culture.”
This summer’s Fulbright theme has proven relevant to Jorgenson’s desire to connect cultures. Though Jorgenson has said that she is most excited about traveling to a part of the world she hasn’t been, she also looks forward to sharing her experiences with her young scholars back home: “I’m excited about connecting the students at Creek Valley to a culture different from theirs.” Jorgenson is the sixth teacher from Creek Valley Elementary School to have participated in a Fulbright experience.
