APIA and UCLA in an on-going partnership that began years ago, developed a special course that meets the Department of State exchange program goals. This hybrid US American History course utilizes expert professors from UCLA who deliver the course content online over 19 weeks, while concurrently sending au pairs into their local community to share their culture and themselves in-person. The in-person portion of the hybrid course includes three components. Au pairs set up a Global Awareness cultural presentation using material from this website, volunteer in their local communities and tally up the many historical and cultural activities they naturally do in their own host town/city. By the course end, au pairs submit how they fulfilled the in-person portion, customizing it to fit the age of their children, their own interests and their goals for engagement.
GA caught up with some of our most recent APIA/UCLA course graduates to see what the customized course looked like for them.
Keila from Brazil delivered her cultural presentation online and donated her time as a volunteer to Send a Smile, a non-profit organization that mails uplifting special greeting cards to those with cancer.
Introduced to the classroom teacher from one of our APIA host mom’s, Vanessa from Brazil presented to the Nanny Boo’s Nursery School. She tells GA, “I talked a little about my culture in general, that we speak the Portuguese language and that each region has its own characteristics. But a party all over Brazil is the carnival. I took the children masks to color, cut and put on. I talked about the food, and especially a food that everyone loves, the brigadeiro. I took brigadeiro for the kids to try. The children were between 5/6 years old. The teacher Kim was very attentive and sent me the following message: Thank you Teacher Vanessa. We really enjoyed having you. The kids loved the dessert and project. You had a very warm presence and the class engaged well with you and your lesson.
