Watkinson Students Travel to Jordan--March 2019--How a Trip is Launched

Ms OB at the Temple of Hercules in Amman

Where did it all start? Well, this trip for me began in Uganda in 2017. Having just accepted the position of Global Studies Director after 18 years at Watkinson, I was in rural Uganda working with our service trip partners and my computer finally connected to the internet at my guesthouse. An email from Global Studies student Avery S. ‘19 asked if we could meet over the summer to talk about some Global Studies ideas he had. When I returned to the US, I found out that Avery and another Global Studies student, Matteo C. ‘19 had talked with the previous director about the idea of a Watkinson trip to the Middle East.

Several months and many meetings later, a future trip to Jordan was starting to come together. Watkinson teachers, Allie Pistolessi (foreign language) and Dave Kroch (history), emerged as possible chaperones. Watkinson connections in Jordan were explored. Avery and Matteo researched options and ran a workshop on Social Justice Day called “Travel for Social Justice”. Student interest grew.

During the winter of 2018, I found that Where There Be Dragons, a leader in student and experiential travel, ran an educator trip to Jordan to explore Middle East culture and issues. Where There Be Dragons has been a pivotal part of my growth as a global educator. In 2014, I attended their Rocky Mountain Seminar where I worked with professionals from around the world on the meaning of service, trip design, risk management and experiential travel.

Dragons Jordan Educators at an UNRWA School

Skip ahead to late March, and I was sitting on roof deck in the city of Madaba in Jordan for a day of orientation at the start of my 8 day Dragons trip. Working with Dragons instructors who live in Jordan and who have worked with dozens of US high school students and teachers, I embarked on a journey that showed me the beauty, warmth, determination and complexity that is modern Jordan. We met with UN officials, visited a school for Palestinian children, talked with Syrian and Iraqi refugees, worked with social activists, hiked the ancient city of Petra, swam in the Dead Sea, ate some of the best food I have ever had, and roamed the streets of Amman amid modern shops and Roman ruins.

Camel selfie in the Bedouin village 

But what resonates most deeply with me from my trip to Jordan was my homestay with a Bedouin family in the Wadi Rum area of southern Jordan. My family embraced me and welcomed me into their home. We played games. We all laughed at my limited “survival” Arabic. We sat in their courtyard under the stars, and while I didn’t understand much of what was said, we planned for the local wedding we were attending the following day. My host “mom” and I shared pictures of our kids. The teen girls did my makeup and adjusted my hijab for the wedding. Note: I don't have any pictures of my host family or from most of my time in the village. Photos are discouraged out of modesty and a respect for their conservative nature. I drank tea and coffee, experienced Bedouin culture, walked through my family’s olive tree orchard, and gained a deep respect for the women of the village who run businesses, farm the land and are elected officials on the town council.

Through my trip to Jordan, I learned how Jordanians fiercely embrace the unity their country provides to their diverse society. I witnessed the endless hospitality extended to both travelers and refugees. I felt the hope of the younger generation in the city and the wisdom of exuded by elders in the village. I saw the past and the present coexist, practical solutions to complex problems and no better place for Watkinson students to learn, grow and become more aware world citizens.

Since returning from Jordan, the team of Watkinson students and teachers have continued to explore a trip to Jordan. We reached out to different organizations to help us plan the trip and ended up right where I started: Where There Be Dragons. With their expert Jordan-based instructors and deeply meaningful and carefully curated experiences, Watkinson students will not be tourists. Instead, they will be travelers who will meet and work alongside development experts and social activists. They will gain invaluable experience living in another culture, seeing beyond stereotypes, and witnessing modern identity in the Levant region. Students will live in homestays in the same Bedoiun village I did to experience traditional culture and the strong sense of family in Jordan. Based on the Jordan trip Dragons run for students at students at Milton Academy, I know we are in good hands.

Watkinson in Jordan - March 2019: We are continuing to plan and finalize details, but here is what we know now. Allie Pistolessi and Dave Kroch, the Jordan Trip chaperones, will travel to Jordan in July to meet with Dragons instructors, visit organizations the students will work with such as the Collateral Repair Project, experience the culture and travel both in rural and urban Jordan. Come back to this blog in July to read about their experiences!

Child's art hung at the Collateral Repair Project

In early September, we will launch the trip application process with student meetings and a parent info session. Applications will be due at the beginning of October and the group of travelers will be accepted by mid-October. Student travelers will then embark on several months of learning to prepare for the March trip: Arabic lessons, Global Studies speakers at Watkinson, work with the local Syrian community, field trips to begin experiencing Middle East culture and learn from experts.

Additionally, here is some more info about the Jordan trip we are planning: 10 day trip during March Break 2019; Goal of 6-12 students from 10th grade through PG; Cost around $4,500. Financial aid available. 

2019 Watkinson International Trips**
March 2019 Jordan: 10th grade  - PG
June 2019 Costa Rica: 7th - 9th grades
November 2019 Dominican Republic: All grades
          **Uganda returns in 2020!!


Interested? Have questions? Contact me at jennifer_obrien@watkinson.org


More Pics From Ms OB's Dragons Trip:

Dragons Jordan Educators at the world famous Hashem Restaurant in Amman

Visiting the Jadal Center for Knowledge & Culture a place for social justice activists to learn and share ideas. 

Nightly Arabic lessons with Dragons instructor, Amany

Hummus in the US will never be the same!

One of the many magical discoveries- Yemeni coffee

St. Georges Church in Madaba. The oldest map of the Holy Land is made from tile on the floor (roped off)

The city of Madaba at dusk. The call to prayer was heard at this time from the nearby mosque.

How to Beat the Desert Heat: On the drive to Petra, another magical discovery- refrigerators filled with candy bars.

The Dead Sea as seen from atop Mt Nebo- the place where Moses viewed the Promised Land

View of the city of Petra rarely portrayed- Buildings still emerging from the cliffs after an hours hike.

The Treasury at Petra- aka "My Indiana Jones Moment"

A pic the science teacher in me had to take at the UNRWA school for Palestinian children

Dragons as UNFPA after a great briefing on their work to promote reproductive health in the refugee population. Fun Fact: Wat Alum Stephanie Sibille ran trainings and team building workshops for UNFPA in Jordan in 2017.

Lunch in Bedouin tents in Wadi Rum

Camel riding through Petra