Here's What Some Educators and School Administrators are Saying
Lena Krause
Arabic and French Teacher, Beacon Academy
"ImprintEd Abroad exposes students to a spectrum of Moroccan experiences over the course of a short-term program that many travelers would not encounter during a longer period. More importantly, students engage with locals in conversation and in daily life. Herein lies the true, long lasting impact of the program.
Travel is about meeting new people, and no other program connects students to a foreign country in more local, human, and mutual way. My students experienced a noticeable shift in perspective during the trip, especially after visiting local schools and several days living with host families in a small village. They continue to talk about their program leaders, students they met, and their host families to this day. More than anything, they remember the small moments: learning to communicate in new ways, laughing, playing games, and finding shared aspects of their cultures."
Nance Leonhardt
Upper School Media Arts Teacher, Catlin Gabel School
"ImprintEd Abroad’s global education programs are groundbreaking, culturally immersive, and emphasize authentic relationship development across globally diverse communities. I've collaborated twice (so far!) on programs for our American students to visit Morocco and engage in cross-cultural conversations about Islam, gender politics, and education/youth development. ImprintEd has meaningfully connected our students to homestay communities in throughout Morocco. ImprintEd staff prepare students on both sides for examining bias and designing ways of engaging around mutually beneficial conversations and projects that help all parties meet on common ground. ImprintEd staff meet students with humor, compassion, and curiosity. My students are inspired to develop lifetime relationships with Morocco, embed themselves deeply in cultural exchange, and to become advocates for Muslim-majority nations in our American context. I highly recommend anyone with the opportunity to partner with ImprintEd do so at your earliest opportunity!"
Susan Sherrod
Certified Ecologist and Lecturer, University of Colorado Denver
"We gained experience with the "real" Morocco, outside of areas developed for tourism. ImprintEd Abroad is unique in its design for two-way communication, i.e., we were there not just to learn about Moroccans but for Moroccans to have an opportunity to learn about westerners. We were integrated into the community by staying, eating, and celebrating at local homes, not watching from the windows of a car and a hotel, even walking about town between our host home and the co-op where we helped. We were as immersed as possible and the impacts were profound and unforgettable.
Students also discovered that there are many ways to travel - you can go to a resort or you can dig deeper. Participants should be open-minded and adventurous, respectful, willing to be uncomfortable, and have a sense of humor."
Ghina Jamal
Foreign Language Teacher, Lindblom Math & Science Academy
"ImprintEd program showed the students a whole new world that existed outside their 4-wall classroom. The program opened their eyes and their hearts to new perspectives and immersed them in all aspects of the culture that they’ve only heard or read about before. The activities were well thought of and well executed by the program leaders. The mini Darija lessons, the historical sightseeing, the homestay, the school visit, the bargaining at the local market, and the camel ride are few of the adventures that will leave a huge and unforgettable impact on our students.
The highlight of the trip, in my opinion, was the lifelong friendship our students made with their homestay families, the Moroccan students, and last but not least, the insightful program leaders. Great job, ImprintEd!"
Erin Mellow
Mathematics Teacher and Co-Director of Global Scholars, Kimball Union Academy
"Having traveled with high school students in five different countries with various travel companies, I know that students learn more and have a more authentic experience with ImprintEd Abroad in Morocco. I have taken two different groups to Morocco through ImprintEd Abroad. Both trips were unique in locations as well as with themes. ImprintEd Abroad program leaders are insightful, knowledgable Moroccans whom my students came to know and love throughout the experience. The homestay component is a crucial part of the program in that it integrated my students with local Moroccans their own age.
I highly recommend ImprintEd Abroad to all students. Through this program, you will experience Morocco in a way you cannot replicate on your own."
Kimberley Bouchard
Associate Professor, Theatre and Dance, SUNY Potsdam
"I was moved numerous times by the relationships we were able to establish and the rich experiences that took us beyond the typical tourist Morocco and to something more profound that shapes the soul and expands the heart."
Isabelle Kazan
Coordinator of Academics and Program Development, St. John's University - Paris
"ImprintEd Abroad’s thoughtfully crafted Morocco programming pushes students to look at travel and tourism in a new way. Discussions, host family meals, and school visits allow for students to understand Moroccan culture and society through the perspectives of locals. Thanks to the connections formed with Moroccan youth after only six days, St. John’s University Paris students left Morocco with a desire to continue learning about Morocco and to maintain the connections that they made there."
Brooklyn Raney
Former Dean of Students, Kimball Union Academy
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"ImprintEd Abroad gave our students the opportunity to explore Morocco and discover new things about themselves with the support and supervision of the ImprintEd Abroad staff. The staff was knowledgeable, responsive, engaged, and passionate about student learning. The program was well organized and gave students access to a range of Moroccan perspectives through host families, local high school students, and Moroccan nonprofits. Kimball Union Academy students came away from the experience with new knowledge, friendships, and confidence."