Funded Travel to Armenia with The GenEd Fellowship

In this interview, learn about the GenEd Teacher Fellowship program in Armenia, which fully funds a small group of middle and high school educators for a 10-day study tour of the country during July. Let’s hear a first-hand experience of the opportunity from Maria, a teacher who recently participated!

Teaching Traveling: Maria, Tell us a bit about your background.

Maria: ¡Hola! My name is Maria Esmerian-Dessipris, and I am a native of Buenos Aires, Argentina. and I currently teach World Languages and Cultures in New Jersey. I also advise the Spanish Club, the National Spanish Honor Society, and the Sociedad Hispánica de Amistad.

I hold a Bachelor’s degree in elementary and foreign language education and a Master’s degree in Urban Education-World Languages specialization. My professional and educational experiences in the Americas and Europe focus on diversity, multilingualism and globalization.

I have garnered awards and positions from The American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese, and I am a board collaborator with the AATSP-NJ Chapter. I have been teaching since 1993 — First in my home country, next in North Carolina through Participate Learning, and here I am now, 32 years and counting!

TT: Amazing! Tell us more about your travels.

M: Summer 2024 has been very exciting and well-traveled. First, I went to Costa Rica in June with The NEA Foundation Global Learning Fellowship after completing a Capstone Project on the UN-Sustainable Development Goals.

Then in July, I traveled to Armenia with The Genocide Education Project. It has been the highlight of my traveling life! As a 4th generation diasporan, and the first one in my family to ever go back to the homeland, I wrote the following as a testimonial about the experience:

“I am honored and grateful for this opportunity to be part of the continuous conversation to remember and educate about the genocide, to showcase the contributions and accomplishments of Armenians and to make an impact and a difference on programs and policies. I am extremely humbled to pay homage to my ancestors who were survivors while fostering empathy and understanding in the classroom and in the world.”

A summary of our amazing trip and activities is showcased in this link from July 7-20, 2024, and in this video. The GenEd board, its sponsors, collaborators and guides took care of every detail and our days were well-balanced with PD lectures, hands-on activities and on-site visits.

The GenEd Project is an outstanding organization! They have inspired and prepared us to be better citizens and teachers who will be disseminating knowledge about the Armenian culture and its genocide during our own upcoming workshops. Learn more about how to apply at this link here.

TT: Tell us one moment from your fellowship to Armenia that was particularly powerful, interesting, or funny.

M: Powerful! Touring the Tsitsernakaberd Armenian Genocide Memorial and Museum and seeing Mount Ararat on the right for the first time (an icon my father has mentioned for years!) and the memorial wall on the left with the word “Urfa” (Edessa) which represents the city where my great grandparents were originally from. 

Funny! Celebrating “Vardavar”, a water festival in Armenia where people drench each other with water in the fountains of parks and in the streets. It was both refreshing on a hot Summer Sunday but also exhilarating for all of us fellows in the cohort who had just arrived in Armenia after concluding the school year and embarking on this amazing PD opportunity. 

Interesting! So many to list! Getting to know the local people who are very humble and welcoming; learning about the craft of carpet weaving; tasting the most delightful foods; wandering around the Vernissage Market and visiting The Matenadaran, which is a museum, repository of manuscripts, and a research institute in Yerevan, Armenia. 

TT: How have your travels impacted you as a teacher, and a person?

M: As an educator, I advocate and promote languages ​​and cultures with passion through my lessons, my travels and my collaborations.

Traveling, cultural exchanges, “mingling with the locals” in a foreign city, or visiting family and friends in other countries have constantly shaped the person and teacher I am today. These are the perfect settings to achieve the necessary skills and get a step closer to being true global citizens.   

I met my husband while traveling many moons ago, and I like to engage and inspire my own two children and my students through culinary experiences, field trips to museums, dance shows and even trips abroad! I took a group of students to Spain in February 2024, ¡Olé!. And we will be going to Costa Rica in February 2025, ¡Pura Vida! 

My goal is to always further and foster my own, my students’, my school’s and the community’s understanding of and engagement with the global world.  

TT: Beautifully put. What advice do you have for teachers who are dreaming of travel?

M: Every time I apply for a teacher travel grant, scholarship, or an award, I do so to gain resources, knowledge or experiences with the intention to share and to pay forward in my teaching profession and beyond. If traveling is part of the equation, even better! 

Starting here with “Teaching Traveling,” there are plenty of resources out there to do so which are tailored to your subject, content, grade levels taught, etc. Go get them! Don’t hesitate to apply! Talk to colleagues, fellows or alumni from previous cohorts for advice and inspiration. One thing leads to another! 

Teach, travel, repeat! 

TT: Thanks so much, Maria! Readers, what questions or comments do you have?