Dragons Collaboration with Lumos Foundation
Posted On
10/08/19
Author
Dragons HQ
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Dragons is excited to announce a new collaboration with Lumos Foundation, a non-profit founded by J.K. Rowling that aims to end the use of orphanages and institutions for vulnerable children around the world by 2050.
Dragons will work with Lumos on their three-year campaign aiming to educate young volunteers abroad on the harmful impacts of voluntourism, especially orphanage volunteering. Ultimately, we want to be a part of the conversation to develop best practices and to spark a wider discussion on what responsible volunteering and travel looks like.
As part of this work, Dragons will be publishing our own Child Protection Position Paper which will complement our stance on Learning Service and Responsible Travel. In the meantime, if you are (or know) a past or current student who is passionate about this topic and would like to share their story, please contact Jessica Armstrong ([email protected]).
Ps. Want Dragons blog updates sent directly to your inbox? One email a week. Nothing markety. Unsubscribe any time. Subscribe to Dragons Blog and stay connected to the community. ❤️
[post_title] => Dragons Collaboration with Lumos Foundation
[post_excerpt] => Dragons is excited to announce a new collaboration with Lumos Foundation, a non-profit founded by J.K. Rowling that aims to end the use of orphanages and institutions for vulnerable children around the world by 2050.
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[post_date] => 2019-10-01 09:01:47
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[post_content] => It was extremely hard for the committee to choose, but we’ve selected our three top Dragons Visual Story contest winners:
1-minute Visual Story by Tom of Dragons Guatemala, 6-week Summer Program 2019.
1-minute visual story video by Isabelle of Dragons Peru Summer Program 2019.
1-minute visual story video by Samantha of Dragons China Summer Program 2019.
CONGRATULATIONS TOM, SAMANTHA, and ISABELLE!
And thank you to ALL those who put love into their beautiful video contest submissions. They were an honor to watch!
Sincerely,
Dragons HQ
Ps. Want Dragons blog updates sent directly to your inbox? One email a week. Nothing markety. Unsubscribe any time. Subscribe to Dragons Blog and stay connected to the community. ❤️
[post_title] => ANNOUNCING OUR THREE 1-MINUTE “VISUAL STORY” VIDEO CONTEST WINNERS!
[post_excerpt] => It was extremely hard for the committee to choose, but we’ve selected our three top Dragons Visual Story contest winners...
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ANNOUNCING OUR THREE 1-MINUTE “VISUAL STORY” VIDEO CONTEST WINNERS!
Posted On
10/01/19
Author
Dragons HQ
Description
It was extremely hard for the committee to choose, but we’ve selected our three top Dragons Visual Story contest winners... Read MoreWP_Post Object
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[post_content] => If you're wondering what type of thing reduces the Boulder HQ administrative team to tears, this is it:
(Thank you Nina Saligman, specifically, for featuring the faces of so many Dragons instructors we know and adore!)
Ps. Want Dragons blog updates sent directly to your inbox? One email a week. Nothing markety. Unsubscribe any time. Subscribe to Dragons Blog and stay connected to the community. ❤️
[post_title] => A Phenomenal Destination (Short Film) by Dragons Alum Nina Saligman
[post_excerpt] => If you're wondering what type of thing reduces the Boulder HQ administrative team to tears, watch this vide. (And thank you Nina Saligman, specifically, for featuring the faces of so many Dragons instructors we know and adore!)
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A Phenomenal Destination (Short Film) by Dragons Alum Nina Saligman
Posted On
09/19/19
Author
Dragons HQ
Description
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PHOTO: Fernanda and her homestay mom, Ouleye; dad, Ibou; and brothers, Sidikh, Rassoul, and baby Mame Cheikh.[/caption]
WORDS by FERNANDA ROMO
SENEGAL PRINCETON BRIDGE YEAR PROGRAM ALUMNI
Mungi dox literally translates to, “it walks.” In conversation, however, one might use it to mean “it’s going,” “it’s fine,” or “it works.” When I set out to write this piece, with the prompt of mungi dox in mind, I immediately thought about my family. After all, I’m living in a homestay with a total of nineteen people (I think), including three married couples and twelve kids of various ages. This is naturally bound to be a bit chaotic and might seem like a headache for people more habituated to smaller “nuclear family” living arrangements. For this reason, writing about how my household functions, how everyone pitches in, and how living in these big families actually works was sure to be a crowd pleaser. Wouldn’t everyone love to hear the conclusions I’d drawn about African family structures from my experience living with the Mbayes?
“Wouldn’t everyone love to hear the conclusions I’d drawn about African family structures from my experience living with the Mbayes? Regrettably, as appealing as that piece might sound, I’m not writing it.”
Regrettably, as appealing as that piece might sound, I’m not writing it. Mainly, because I can’t. The more I’ve thought about it, the more I’ve realized that the chances of me being able to provide a fair analysis of this family’s dynamics are about as high as those of snowfall in Dakar. The mere idea of scrutinizing the way these people behave within their family, just to arrive to the conclusion that it surprisingly “works,” feels foolish at best and condescending at worst.
However, my impending erroneousness is not the only thing holding me back from writing about the people in Senegal who are so dear to me. For a long time I couldn’t exactly pinpoint why I felt a tinge of discomfort every time I thought about turning the people I consider family into the subjects of my writing, especially when said writing is directed to Western audiences. I remember once, I considered blogging about Mame Maty, my instructor Babacar’s 10-year-old daughter, who I love like crazy and who is definitely one of the people closest to my heart here. I ended up deciding against it, because something about it wasn’t sitting right with me. And even though I didn’t entirely understand why, one thought kept popping up in my mind: she’s my friend.
That’s also what I feel today when trying to make myself produce some insightful conclusions or lessons gathered from analyzing my homestay family. I don’t want to “report back” on what Senegalese families are like, both because it’s not possible to do so accurately, and because these people are, first of all, my family. Not subjects of study, not sources of all-encompassing revelations, but people who treat me like a daughter, a sister, a friend. And just as I wouldn’t write up a couple pages about my best friend back in Mexico and send it to an audience of people who she will never meet and who will form their entire perception of who she is based on my words, I don’t particularly feel inclined to do that here.
And maybe that’s a good thing. After all, I think the main reason why the Bridge Year Program works, and is so incredibly meaningful, is because of relationships. The moments when I have felt that my time here has the greatest value have all been centered around having strong bonds, familiarity, and overall friendship with people. It’s really beautiful to think about how my Senegalese family and I genuinely care about each other, and how our lives have been enriched as a result. So I guess if you asked me, “Does it work to put a random toubab1 in the middle of a household in Dakar, Senegal, and have her be a part of this family for a few months?” I’d say yeah, mungi dox.
FERNANDA ROMO left her home in Mexico in 2017 to travel to Senegal for nine months as part of Dragons Princeton Bridge Year Program. She is currently a student at Princeton University, where she spends her days looking at pictures of her time in Dakar at 3am, facetiming her five dogs, and going on rants about the fake Mexican food in the dining halls.
Ps. Want Dragons blog updates sent directly to your inbox? One email a week. Nothing markety. Unsubscribe any time. Subscribe to Dragons Blog and stay connected to the community. ❤️
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I’m (not) Writing About My Family – An Essay by Fernanda Romo
Posted On
09/12/19
Author
FERNANDA ROMO
Description
"Wouldn’t everyone love to hear the conclusions I’d drawn about African family structures from my experience living with the Mbayes? Regrettably, as appealing as that piece might sound, I’m not… Read MoreWP_Post Object
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[post_content] => There's a lovely feature of our fearless (and fun) leader, Reed Harwood, at GetBoulder.com this week.
Here's an excerpt:
“Our most profound learning doesn’t happen in the classroom. It comes from meandering up a creek bed, peeking under stones, digging through the muck,” Harwood says. “It comes from getting into environments that surprise, challenge and divert us from our everyday context.”
Head over to GetBoulder.com to read the full story!
Ps. Want Dragons blog updates sent directly to your inbox? One email a week. Nothing markety. Unsubscribe any time. Subscribe to Dragons Blog and stay connected to the community. ❤️
[post_title] => Reed Harwood, Dragons Executive Director, Featured at GetBoulder.com
[post_excerpt] => There's a lovely feature of our fearless (and fun) leader, Reed Harwood, at GetBoulder.com this week. Read on for an excerpt...
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Reed Harwood, Dragons Executive Director, Featured at GetBoulder.com
Posted On
09/05/19
Author
Dragons HQ
Description
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[post_content] => We are loving this interview with Dragons students Danielle (South America Semester Alum '19) and Chinelle (Nepal College Study Abroad Alum '19) that played on Jamaican National TV this week. The discussion exploring their Gap Year experiences is well worth your six minutes to watch!
Ps. Danielle was a recipient of Dragons scholarships. Dragons Fund scholarships are generated entirely from the donations of generous Dragons alumni, instructors, and staff. You can learn more about how the fund ensures access for all students, regardless of their financial circumstances at: dragonsfund.org.
Ps. Want Dragons blog updates sent directly to your inbox? One email a week. Nothing markety. Unsubscribe any time. Subscribe to Dragons Blog and stay connected to the community. ❤️
[post_title] => Interview with Dragons Alumni on TVJ Smile Jamaica
[post_excerpt] => We are loving this interview with Dragons students Danielle (South America Semester Alum) and Chinelle (Nepal College Study Abroad Alum) that played on Jamaican National TV this week. It's well worth your six minutes to watch!
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Interview with Dragons Alumni on TVJ Smile Jamaica
Posted On
08/29/19
Author
Dragons HQ
