Today we
welcomed our international students from Denmark as part of our global, academic
focus. We spent the day learning about
what life is like in Denmark, and, in return, we taught our Danish guests what
life is like in the United States. Our
student visitors attend the Risskov Gymnasium; in Denmark, high schools are
called gymnasiums. Their school is
located in the suburb of the second largest city in Denmark, Arhus. Risskov Gymnasium
offers a three year upper secondary education; all students take international
trips abroad to learn about other cultures.
There is an
interesting difference in our two cultures: children do not go straight to
college from high school in Denmark. After gymnasium (high school), students
take a minimum one year sabbatical to explore and travel the world. Some of the students live on farms, while
others live in the city and/or suburbs.
During gymnasium, students must do well; there is no allowance for returning
to school to get better grades. How students
perform academically determines whether they can pursue a degree in medicine or
psychology, two of the highest paying fields.
We also learned they do not typically have or use business cards; they
found our system to be a very efficient way of sharing information to stay in
touch. Like us, they have a facebook
page, and we are looking forward to “liking” their page and sharing pictures
from today.
We’d like
to thank teachers Louise Kaae Soerensen and Birgitte Madsen for sharing their engaging
students with National Prep for the day.
Dr. Brown addressed the students by welcoming them to the school, and sharing
her own stories about her own educational journey. Each student interviewed another about their
life and what was unique to them. Today
was an internationally exquisite day at National Prep!
