00:00:08:17	00:00:09:25	>> When it comes to expressing
00:00:09:25	00:00:11:00	themselves about international
00:00:11:00	00:00:12:23	learning, some fourth graders
00:00:12:23	00:00:14:04	at the Golda Meir School
00:00:14:04	00:00:16:25	in Milwaukee do not mince words.
00:00:16:25	00:00:18:23	>> I am so excited!
00:00:18:23	00:00:19:20	>> Because I'm like really,
00:00:19:20	00:00:20:20	really excited!
00:00:20:20	00:00:21:22	>> I could just keep on jumping
00:00:21:22	00:00:23:04	up and down, up and down.
00:00:23:04	00:00:24:16	(laughter)
00:00:24:16	00:00:25:26	>> What we try to do is have
00:00:25:26	00:00:27:07	them develop an understanding,
00:00:27:07	00:00:28:25	appreciation, interest for
00:00:28:25	00:00:30:04	people from other countries,
00:00:30:04	00:00:31:10	have them see how people are
00:00:31:10	00:00:32:22	similar in different cultures,
00:00:32:22	00:00:34:08	and how they're different,
00:00:34:08	00:00:36:13	and really get to like them.
00:00:36:13	00:00:37:23	Everybody should take out now
00:00:37:23	00:00:39:22	your Danish folder.
00:00:39:22	00:00:41:05	>> I think the earlier
00:00:41:05	00:00:42:18	that you can introduce students
00:00:42:18	00:00:44:02	to the world around them,
00:00:44:02	00:00:45:11	the better off they'll be.
00:00:45:11	00:00:46:22	My son Benjamin is preparing
00:00:46:22	00:00:48:16	to go to Denmark
00:00:48:16	00:00:50:07	with his fourth grade class.
00:00:50:07	00:00:51:12	>> In April, we will travel
00:00:51:12	00:00:52:23	to Denmark.
00:00:52:23	00:00:53:24	They will stay there
00:00:53:24	00:00:55:02	for two weeks.
00:00:55:02	00:00:56:23	(speaking Danish)
00:00:56:23	00:00:58:19	(all talking)
00:00:58:19	00:01:00:04	>> So, Mr. Horowitz happens
00:01:00:04	00:01:02:17	to have a connection to Denmark.
00:01:02:17	00:01:03:20	It's known throughout
00:01:03:20	00:01:05:10	the community.
00:01:05:10	00:01:06:24	And it's one of the reasons
00:01:06:24	00:01:09:11	parents choose the school.
00:01:09:11	00:01:10:21	>> I think I told you that one
00:01:10:21	00:01:12:19	year, I called her and said is
00:01:12:19	00:01:13:26	it okay if we come visit you
00:01:13:26	00:01:14:26	in the spring.
00:01:14:26	00:01:16:04	>> He said,
00:01:16:04	00:01:17:23	"I'm bringing 28 kids."
00:01:17:23	00:01:19:03	And I said nothing for a while,
00:01:19:03	00:01:20:13	then I said, "Well, you're
00:01:20:13	00:01:21:20	welcome."
00:01:21:20	00:01:25:20	That's 17 years ago this spring.
00:01:25:20	00:01:28:07	>> We ask parents if they would
00:01:28:07	00:01:31:09	like to commit to a trip
00:01:31:09	00:01:34:00	for their child to Denmark.
00:01:34:00	00:01:35:12	Now, what does that entail,
00:01:35:12	00:01:36:18	right?
00:01:36:18	00:01:38:06	It entails a commitment
00:01:38:06	00:01:39:20	to letting your child go,
00:01:39:20	00:01:41:02	first of all.
00:01:41:02	00:01:42:17	Also the commitment that the
00:01:42:17	00:01:44:24	kids will be learning Danish.
00:01:44:24	00:01:47:27	(speaking Danish)
00:01:47:27	00:01:49:20	>> Which means,
00:01:49:20	00:01:52:12	my dad is a police officer.
00:01:52:12	00:01:53:29	>> Then a commitment
00:01:53:29	00:01:55:20	to the financial resources.
00:01:55:20	00:01:57:03	>> We've never had a child
00:01:57:03	00:01:58:18	who was not able to go
00:01:58:18	00:02:01:06	because the trip was too costly.
00:02:01:06	00:02:02:12	We give them the opportunity to
00:02:02:12	00:02:03:22	earn as much money as they need.
00:02:03:22	00:02:04:26	So, we do fundraising,
00:02:04:26	00:02:06:06	we start in June.
00:02:06:06	00:02:07:14	>> I think this happened
00:02:07:14	00:02:08:18	because he was persistent.
00:02:08:18	00:02:09:26	You know, if there's enough
00:02:09:26	00:02:11:00	excitement around it,
00:02:11:00	00:02:12:03	people will show up.
00:02:12:03	00:02:13:08	>> Is anybody interested
00:02:13:08	00:02:15:02	in playing some Bango today?
00:02:15:02	00:02:16:10	>> What's really great about
00:02:16:10	00:02:18:08	Mark is that I can always feel
00:02:18:08	00:02:20:25	that by the time they go on the
00:02:20:25	00:02:23:25	trip, the kids will be ready
00:02:23:25	00:02:27:08	academically with the language,
00:02:27:08	00:02:29:14	and with their behavior,
00:02:29:14	00:02:31:02	so that I know
00:02:31:02	00:02:33:00	it'll be enjoyable and safe.
00:02:33:00	00:02:34:09	(speaking Danish)
00:02:34:09	00:02:35:24	(all clap)
00:02:35:24	00:02:39:00	(speaking Danish)
00:02:39:00	00:02:40:09	>> Today, we were trying
00:02:40:09	00:02:41:25	to teach them some Danish,
00:02:41:25	00:02:43:11	just little bits, and also to
00:02:43:11	00:02:44:26	get an impression as to how much
00:02:44:26	00:02:47:05	they've learned already.
00:02:47:05	00:02:49:18	Anne Skakkeback.
00:02:49:18	00:02:51:08	>> Anne Skakkeback.
00:02:51:08	00:02:52:24	>> Larke Hopfner.
00:02:52:24	00:02:53:29	>> Most of the years we've
00:02:53:29	00:02:55:06	traveled, now 17 years,
00:02:55:06	00:02:56:11	she has been the one
00:02:56:11	00:02:57:13	who organizes things there,
00:02:57:13	00:02:58:20	matching guests and hosts.
00:02:58:20	00:03:01:01	(speaking Danish)
00:03:01:01	00:03:02:08	>> Good.
00:03:02:08	00:03:06:03	(singing in Danish)
00:03:06:03	00:03:07:20	>> And I think its important
00:03:07:20	00:03:09:02	that they know some Danish
00:03:09:02	00:03:10:14	songs, because sometimes we'll
00:03:10:14	00:03:11:26	sing songs for the Danes,
00:03:11:26	00:03:13:08	and sometimes
00:03:13:08	00:03:14:20	they'll sing with the Danes.
00:03:14:20	00:03:17:09	(singing in Danish)
00:03:17:09	00:03:19:04	>> You've learned about this
00:03:19:04	00:03:21:21	for almost a year.
00:03:21:21	00:03:23:17	But you never really realize
00:03:23:17	00:03:25:03	that you're going on a trip
00:03:25:03	00:03:26:29	until, well, I realized it
00:03:26:29	00:03:28:06	when we were about to leave
00:03:28:06	00:03:30:11	for the airport.
00:03:30:11	00:03:31:22	>> The nine months that
00:03:31:22	00:03:33:10	we were waiting, I can tell you
00:03:33:10	00:03:35:16	were the longest months ever.
00:03:35:16	00:03:36:25	I'm looking forward to
00:03:36:25	00:03:38:28	staying with my host family.
00:03:38:28	00:03:40:07	>> Everybody is all checked in.
00:03:40:07	00:03:41:10	Their luggage has been checked.
00:03:41:10	00:03:43:00	They've got their carry-on bags.
00:03:43:00	00:03:44:27	>> It's my carry-on bag.
00:03:44:27	00:03:46:14	>> Ben is very excited.
00:03:46:14	00:03:47:21	>> I'm really excited, I just
00:03:47:21	00:03:49:01	don't want to show it, because
00:03:49:01	00:03:50:05	then the parents are going
00:03:50:05	00:03:52:17	to get worried, and all that.
00:03:52:17	00:03:54:16	(laughter)
00:03:54:16	00:03:55:18	>> She's going to go over there
00:03:55:18	00:03:57:01	ten and come back 20.
00:03:57:01	00:03:58:07	So, she's going to grow up
00:03:58:07	00:04:00:09	a lot.
00:04:06:29	00:04:08:11	>> There were about 200 people
00:04:08:11	00:04:10:02	there screaming and yelling.
00:04:10:02	00:04:11:10	They had signs so people
00:04:11:10	00:04:13:06	could find their hosts.
00:04:13:06	00:04:14:18	They love the idea of being
00:04:14:18	00:04:16:07	able to travel to another place,
00:04:16:07	00:04:17:13	to stay with a host family
00:04:17:13	00:04:18:18	and get to know them, and
00:04:18:18	00:04:19:28	live with them for two weeks.
00:04:19:28	00:04:21:06	The thing that they say the most
00:04:21:06	00:04:22:20	about this, is that it was
00:04:22:20	00:04:25:00	a life changing experience.
00:04:26:14	00:04:27:22	Two weeks after we get back
00:04:27:22	00:04:28:28	here, we have a dinner for
00:04:28:28	00:04:30:02	the children and their parents.
00:04:30:02	00:04:31:05	There are pictures of the kids
00:04:31:05	00:04:32:22	with their hosts.
00:04:32:22	00:04:34:13	A lot of the parent hosts were
00:04:34:13	00:04:36:04	crying, because they sang
00:04:36:04	00:04:37:09	the Danish national anthem in
00:04:37:09	00:04:38:26	Danish, and it made them cry
00:04:38:26	00:04:40:26	they did it so well.
00:04:40:26	00:04:42:05	That's Lis, the teacher who was
00:04:42:05	00:04:43:28	here, who started this program
00:04:43:28	00:04:46:01	with us 17 years ago.
00:04:46:01	00:04:47:15	And sometimes, people ask me
00:04:47:15	00:04:48:20	what was the best thing about
00:04:48:20	00:04:49:27	the trip, the best one thing
00:04:49:27	00:04:51:01	that happened.
00:04:51:01	00:04:52:09	And usually, I think, well,
00:04:52:09	00:04:53:11	I think it was the nine months
00:04:53:11	00:04:54:20	before we went
00:04:54:20	00:04:56:02	that was the best.
00:04:56:02	00:04:57:10	Because that's when
00:04:57:10	00:04:58:20	the children work so hard
00:04:58:20	00:05:00:08	and grew up so much.
00:05:00:08	00:05:01:21	They were just amazing
00:05:01:21	00:05:02:24	on this trip.
00:05:02:24	00:05:03:29	It was just incredible.
00:05:03:29	00:05:05:01	It was really nice
00:05:05:01	00:05:06:06	having the eighth graders come.
00:05:06:06	00:05:07:11	They told me four years ago
00:05:07:11	00:05:08:19	they wanted to come.
00:05:08:19	00:05:09:25	>> When I left in fourth grade,
00:05:09:25	00:05:11:00	she was crying and she said,
00:05:11:00	00:05:12:06	you know, don't say goodbye.
00:05:12:06	00:05:13:09	Don't say goodbye.
00:05:13:09	00:05:14:13	This isn't goodbye.
00:05:14:13	00:05:15:19	This is I'll see you later.
00:05:15:19	00:05:16:24	>> It was like I fit
00:05:16:24	00:05:18:00	right into the family again.
00:05:18:00	00:05:19:12	It was like I never left.
00:05:19:12	00:05:20:19	>> You can see in the pictures,
00:05:20:19	00:05:21:28	these families
00:05:21:28	00:05:23:12	love your children.
00:05:23:12	00:05:24:20	>> They are little
00:05:24:20	00:05:26:00	world travelers.
00:05:26:00	00:05:27:28	But they act so mature,
00:05:27:28	00:05:29:15	and they made us proud.
00:05:29:15	00:05:30:26	>> So hopefully, this experience
00:05:30:26	00:05:32:00	is not ending, it's just really
00:05:32:00	00:05:33:07	beginning for your children.
00:05:33:07	00:05:34:14	It's a great learning
00:05:34:14	00:05:35:20	experience.
00:05:35:20	00:05:37:20	>> I just hope this goes on,
00:05:37:20	00:05:39:09	this program goes on for many
00:05:39:09	00:05:40:21	more years, because I know
00:05:40:21	00:05:42:19	lots of kids will love it.
00:05:42:19	00:05:44:19	(applause)