It is one thing to tell, but for these students to struggle for just a short period of time what many struggle with for their lives is very powerful. Some were quick to realize that in the back of their mind, they know the situation was temporary for them, but for others that is not the case. I take high school kids on mission trips to impoverished areas, they are quick to recognize that the people are very giving and willing to share whatever they do have.

Is there an outline of the structure of this activity that we could adapt for our 6th grade students? Of course, it wouldn't have the same impact as the overnight experience in the villages, but with some adaptations we might be able to approach your idea to make poverty personal. Help!

to see the global village on screen, and to see the landmarks that I saw, and remebered. The global village was an amazing thing that our school did. For breakfast, the "Slumdogs" (the people in the urban slums) had to cook for us. It had rained the night before and the "Slumdogs" had forgoten to put their logs in the train car. We had cold oatmeal. It tasted so good after the meager meal we had for dinner. My group and I had the privilage of staying in Thailand. We had all of the wood rights. Go Thailand!

Helle Armando,

I teach at a university in eastern United States. My students are teachers and technology facilitators in K12 schools. I'd like for my students learn more about clasrooms around the world. We could share information. My students could describe their classrooms and you can reply with information on what school is like in your area of the world.

I am the coordinator for our Community Learning Center and would like to incorporate Global awareness literacy for our high school students. Help.

This video is of my middle school, including me. Wow, it's wonderful to look back on it. Going to Heifer International was one of the most inspiring, the hardest, and the coolest trips I have ever been on. I learned so much about sustainability and I was able to carry this on into my later years. Now, I think about this trip and everything it taught me when I hear about hunger in third world countries and improving sustainability. Heifer International's mission and their ways in which they execute it are amazing. I wish more people would work with such dedication and would achieve as much as they do. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of this. It was an experience I will never forget, and one that will always inspire me to do more for other people. Thank you for making a difference in the world.

I live in Guatemala and work in impoverished villages. I try to explain to my friends and family the extent of the poverty, but it's so difficult to describe it to someone who has never spent a night without food or slept on a dirt floor. I'm so grateful that this Heifer program exists to give young people the opportunity to understand what life is like in other countries. Hopefully this will help shape their future decisions to be more globally conscious.