By Peter Sloth, BCL Teacher Fall 2023
Peter is a visiting teacher this semester from Denmark, where he teaches an immersive class called SIP.

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Back in September 2023, students from the project class at Skals Efterskole, called SIP, and the BCL 11 Honors students met each other for the first time online. It was exciting to hear about their first chat with their new partner. All the students were split up in pairs or groups, and the task was to find out more about the other culture and, more specifically, to learn more about being young in another country. (Read about this in a previous blog, Danes and Americans Connecting.)

After the students knew their partner better, it was time to dig deeper and challenge the students a bit more. Their next task was: 

With your overseas partner, pick one of the Sustainable Development Goals to explore, then develop a 3–4 minute presentation.

It probably wouldn’t had been their first choice to focus on the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) if the students could have chosen a topic themselves, but it turned out that they learned a lot about what is being done in Denmark and the US concerning these goals. 

As mentioned in the previous blog post, the six hour time difference was the biggest obstacle for the students. When the American students came home from school, the Danish students were about to go to bed. Nevertheless, all of the presentations were interesting and entertaining. Students presented on their chosen SDG with their overseas partner to their peers in BCL11 and SIP.

Another goal of this exchange was getting young people to work together across borders, and to create connections for the SIP class to visit Burlington this spring.  Now the Danish students have somebody they know in Burlington when they visit in April. I know they are all excited about reconnecting with BCL11 and meeting BCL12.

The last task for the students was to write a few sentences about their experience with this project. Here are some of their answers:

The honors program has been an amazing experience. Building a relationship with [the Danes] online and then meeting them in person will be so interesting and fun. I loved learning about their culture by doing projects and texting.

Bella, BCL

I’ve really enjoyed working with the American students the last couple months. It was an experience you don’t get every day. Even though there of course were challenges, mainly the time difference, we managed to get a nice product at the end.

Villads, SIP

I love Denmark. Working with the Danes was a very fun experience which provided valuable insights into their vibrant culture. From the start, I found my time with them to be a lot of fun. We discovered common interests and other things that we do in both countries. My time talking to them provided a window into Danish culture, allowing me to appreciate their way of life. The collaboration not only provided a cross-cultural exchange but also showcased the value of international cooperation in addressing global challenges. As we worked together towards common objectives, it was evident that the exchange of ideas and perspectives between Denmark and Vermont held the potential for innovative solutions and shared successes in our collective pursuit of a better future.

Quinn, BCL

Learning about and understanding cultures from other countries is a very valuable experience to have. Learning about the cultural differences between the Danish students and ourselves was very interesting, and I think that talking with a student our age about the differences was a great way to learn about these differences, because we have a lot in common, despite our geographic locations.

Nate, BCL

I had a fun experience with the American students, because it was an enjoyable challenge to create presentations together. It was also very interesting seeing their point of view from a different country and perspective.

Shiv, SIP

Being able to connect with other students from a different country was a very valuable experience that I really enjoyed. It was fun to learn about the Danish culture and I wish that everyone could have the opportunity to have an experience like this.

Abbot, BCL

It was really cool to get to connect with the Danes and get to learn more about their culture. I’m really grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with the Danes. The time difference made it tough at times,. but I was still able to learn a lot about Danish culture, and it was really amazing to be able to connect with kids my age. I really lucked out with my partner, and my learning went outside of just our assignments.

Lillian, BCL

I really liked working with the Americans and get to know some of them and also learning about the American culture.

Cille, SIP

I had a great time working with my Danish pen pal, it was really interesting to have a peek into their life. I have spent a good amount of time working with my Danish partner, Sofus, for several honors projects. He would sometimes send me videos of his school and life in Denmark, and it made me very interested in how Danish kids spend their time at school, and how the education system there differs from ours over here.

Adriel, BCL

This experience has been very impactful, and it was a fun and engaging way to learn. The Danish students brought a perspective to learning that was eye opening for me, working in an easy going sense is something I want to work toward. Working with people from other backgrounds is important, and the honors program has been an extreme version of this. I strongly believe that both sides have learned a lot from each other and that this program is a great thing for Burlington City and Lake to have. Overall, it has been amazing working with other students from another country. While all BCL students’ backgrounds and perspectives are different and unique, the Danish perspectives are starkly different. To hear how they eat, do work, and go about their daily life has been eye opening. To add on to this, I do also think that there is much they can learn from us Americans as well.

Naveen, BCL