First Tanzania Blog Post: Monday Launch and Reminders!

Today was our Pre-Trip Orientation: a chance to bond, connect, ask questions, and get excited for Tanzania!

We began by hearing from Mr. Brown, Ms. Bustamante, and Ms. Marks, who helped us think through several important questions: What are the trip’s purposes and goals? What are the expectations for student engagement and behavior? What health precautions should we keep in mind while we are there?

From there, we moved into some fun “get to know each other” activities. In pairs, students performed a Disney song that best expressed how they were feeling about going to Tanzania. Then, in groups of four, students researched and shared information about Tanzania’s geography and environment, history and political system, and social, cultural, and religious makeup.

As a group, we also established our “community norms” using a stoplight metaphor:

Red = Behaviors we do not want on the trip
No bigotry, cliques, rumors, secrecy, inappropriate clothing, or other behaviors that undermine trust and community.

Yellow = Behaviors that require caution
Be thoughtful about sarcasm, cultural comparisons, sensitive health topics, and anything else that could unintentionally make others feel uncomfortable or excluded.

Green = Behaviors we want to encourage
Respect cultural differences, participate fully, communicate openly, be inclusive, stay flexible, try new things, look out for one another, and practice “cultural appreciation, not appropriation.”

We also discussed what it means to be a “good house guest” during our homestays. Students identified several important qualities: being polite, helpful, clean, and tidy; respecting household rules; connecting and being present; and always remembering that homestay parents care deeply about our safety and well-being.

Each student then took time to write a “letter to our future selves,” which we will open the day after we return to Menlo’s campus. These letters captured what students are feeling in anticipation of the trip—their goals, curiosities, excitements, and worries. When we open them in June, they will help us reflect on how much we have experienced, learned, and changed.

Finally, we practiced our first daily check-in, which will always include questions such as: How are you doing physically and emotionally? What do you need? We will also include a fun Tanzania-related question, such as: If you could be an animal on the African savannah that best represents how you are feeling today, what would it be and why?

We are so excited for the many big adventures ahead and are thrilled to be sharing them together as a group. We leave tomorrow!

Friendly Reminders

Please arrive today, Monday, May 18, at 4:40 p.m. at the SFO International Terminal, Air France check-in area.

Please remember:

• Bring your passport!
• Bring a crisp, clean $100 bill for visa entry into Tanzania.
• For any additional spending money in Tanzania, bring smaller bills, including some $1 and $5 bills.

Smiles,
Mr. Mitchell and Ms. Gilmartin