On April 8th, tens of thousands of people arrived in Burlington for the eclipse. But the distance award that week goes to a group of twenty visitors who arrived the next day. For the third year in a row, BCL hosted students from Skals International Project [SIP].  SIP is a year-long immersive program that nurtures global citizenship at Skals Efterskole in Denmark. Visits from the Danes seem like a Burlington tradition now, and have become a highlight of the spring semester.  

This visit was unique, however, because students from the fall semester already knew the Danish students. BCL11 had met them virtually during the fall semester when Peter Sloth, their teacher, was a substitute in BCL while Dov was on leave.  The Danes arrived having met students from BCL11 (at least on a screen), and were ready to meet everyone in person.

When the Danes arrived, they got an official tour of UVM with Andrew Banno, our BCL12 UVM student teacher who is also a UVM tour guide. Ivy Befeler, our Shelburne Farms fellow, a UVM alumni Class of 2023, also joined the tour.  Of course they ran into a couple of BCL alumni on campus, including Jensen Daly and Maeve Fairfax.  One day was spent with BCL building relationships, walking the city, and comparing Burlington and Danish perspectives on the 17 SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals). The Danes gave presentations about their school and Denmark, as well as Danish licorice and lots of Danish flags.  

The Danes spent a day at BHS, visiting classes with their American hosts, and they also spent a day visiting Shelburne Farms.  On a Thursday evening, both groups convened at BCL’s classroom in the Old North End Community Center, for an expansive cross-cultural potluck.  Over 80 people showed up with dishes to share, and enjoyed a meal and to meet the Danes.  It was a great success.  

On Saturday morning, they headed to New York City by train, where they went up the Empire State Building, saw a show on Broadway and much more. (Thank you in part to the generous support of Physician’s Computer Company!) They also visited two other high schools in New York City–the Hewitt School and the High School for Environmental Studies–thanks to connections made by Jen Cirillo and Aimee Østensen, from Shelburne Farms.  

During the potluck, Signe sat down with Baxter Mangrum, 10th grader at BHS and reporter for the BHS Register. He wanted to interview her about this unique cross-cultural exchange.  When Baxter asked her why we host the Danes every year, she reflected on what the BCL students expressed themselves:

They’re quiet, polite, and bring an interesting world view and it was interesting having them here.

– Ahmed

I enjoyed having the Danes here and learning about their culture. I thought it was interesting to learn about their culture and the way their systems work. It was also cool to see their reactions about Burlington and hearing how different it is than Denmark.

– Layla

It’s really fun to learn about how things, are and how the learning is out there. Just having that experience with new people it’s nice. 

– Mustafa

It was very cool to talk to to them about their experience. I learned that they are similar working towards sustainability. It was also interesting talking about their culture and small differences and similarities. 

– Rory

They are great people. They remind me of the people from Bosnia. They are very nice and polite.

– Semin

It was nice meeting them and fun learning their culture, and comparing each others’ differences.

– Zeke

It was an interesting experience hearing about just how different Denmark is from the US. While in the US you need a legal license to carry a gun, it is much more difficult to have to have any guns in Denmark.

– Kylee

It was interesting to have so many new people to get to know and find out about a country I know nothing about. I liked taking some of them on walks, I wish I could have talked more to all of them. Very interesting to see completely new kids. 

– Helen

It was really fun having them here. It was a good time. It was really fun experience.

– Riley

It’s very cool to learn about their home and community. I wish they could stay longer.

– Dylan

It’s really fun having them here and they are really nice. I wish I could spend more time with them and I wish they were here longer.

– Tobey

The visit to Shelburne Farms was particularly meaningful to Ivy Befeler, BCL’s Teaching Fellow. She writes, “Throughout our journey exploring the natural systems alongside our Danish friends, students had the opportunity to use our natural world as a bridge to showcase the uniqueness of our place here in Vermont. This not only connected students to the outdoors but also empowered them to share their knowledge.”

We often end time with community partners with gratitude. It’s simple. We stand in a circle and share what we appreciate, what we’re grateful for, and what we’re taking away. After three years of visits from the Danes, we are honestly taking away so much. We are grateful for the open-mindedness and humanity embodied by SIP students and teachers; for the host families, community partners, and BSD colleagues who have helped them feel welcome; for the courage of BCL students to try something different.

The thing about gratitude is that once it begins, it grows. SIP recently posted this gratitude reel on Instagram, and all we want to do is share that appreciation right back.