Day 10 - Maastricht, Netherlands

Today we visited the United World College Preschool and Primary School in Maastricht.  This is an international preschool and primary school that is run very, very differently than most of the public schools we have encountered so far.  The school we visited was the temporary location of this school because they are currently working on completing a brand new $25 million campus on a private island on the outskirts of the city.  The school has students from all over the country working and learning together.  The classes are all taught in English, but there are certain times during the day they are able to talk to other students in the school in their home language.  We were given a beautiful presentation by the two vice-principals of the school about their philosophy, their student demographics, and the way their school works.

I couldn't help but feel like it was a little bit of a sales pitch.  I think it was a combination of the powerful effect that the previous visit to St. Maarten's had on me, and the utopian atmosphere that was created at their school, but it seemed almost eery to me.  The learning community that had been created at UWC was unbelievable.  They had students from every nationality and race working together and teaching each other about unity and understanding.  I think that the biggest thing that sat uneasily with me was the fact that there was an incredibly rigorous application process to become a UCW student.  There is also a yearly tuition which, although low, has a sever impact on the kinds of families that are able to send their students there.  I think that I need more time to reflect on this school and structure.

After the school visit we headed home, had a quick class with David, and were released for the evening. I completed my "Hour by Myself" assignment, which you can see in my Video post.  I actually had a great time finishing the assignment, even though I was very skeptical of it at the beginning.  I met Alesia and Stef in town for dinner at a sandwich shop where we met a girl named Amy from Australia that was traveling for 8 months on our own.  We shared stories and suggestions about traveling and had a great time chatting on a super rainy day.  This was one of the first night I've actually been able to relax and enjoy travelling and move at my own pace, which was very much appreciated.  We have been going non-stop and the pace is definitely catching up to all of us.