Welcome
to my travel adventure blog. During the past summer I was notified
that I had been selected to participate in a really competitive
fellowship that is sponsored by the US Department of State and
administered by IREX / Teachers for Global Classrooms. (IREX
/ TGC) After filling out a great deal of paper work and signing
many releases the group of teachers became acquainted with each other
on Blackboard as we participated in a class about global education
and learning. The class started in October and culminated in December
with a big lesson plan unit and a presentation for us to deliver to
our district if we wanted or needed to do so. As we reached the end
of the class work we were all notified of which country we would be
traveling to and I'm going to the Republic of Georgia.
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| Known as the 5-Cross flag, this symbol of Georgia dates back to the 5th Century.
Since
finding out in December I have been reading about Georgian culture
and have set up a Pinterest board for photos and information. I'm
also trying to learn a few words of Georgian so I can at least greet
my hosts in their own language!
Map of the Caucasus region
On
February 3 I will get more information via a webinar that will begin
to prepare me for my specific needs while traveling in Georgia. I am
also attending a weekend symposia with my fellow travelers
in February 19 - 21 in Washington DC. I'm quite excited about
going back to DC, but I'm sure my time is going to be much more
limited for this visit. Then, on March 14 I fly!! I will be with
about a dozen other teachers. We will be visiting a variety of places
in Georgia including Tbilisi, the capitol, and other points of
interest. We will be visiting schools and meeting educators and
building relationships that we can bring back home with us.
Tbilisi, the capitol of Georgia. It's so beautiful!
The
Republic of Georgia is one of the former Soviet Republics and has
enjoyed tremendous growth since their independence. From the CIA
World Fact Book:
"The
region of present day Georgia contained the ancient kingdoms of
Colchis and Kartli-Iberia. The area came under Roman influence in
the first centuries A.D., and Christianity became the state religion
in the 330s. Domination by Persians, Arabs, and Turks was followed by
a Georgian golden age (11th-13th centuries) that was cut short by the
Mongol invasion of 1236. Subsequently, the Ottoman and Persian
empires competed for influence in the region. Georgia was absorbed
into the Russian Empire in the 19th century. Independent for three
years (1918-1921) following the Russian revolution, it was forcibly
incorporated into the USSR in 1921 and regained its independence when
the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991."
More information about the Republic of Georgia will be coming soon. I'm so excited to learn more about this fascinating country!!
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