GES third grade teacher Jane Ludwig received a 2017 Leslie Tibbie Travel Grant from the Licking County Foundation this week in a surprise visit to her classroom.
“My love of travel and everything global spills over into my teaching every day, so I am delighted to be the recipient of this generous grant,” Jane said.
In her travels to Italy, Switzerland and Spain this summer before ending her trip in Paris, Jane will observe schools and teachers, visit museums and tour cities while learning new languages, trying new foods and experiencing different ways of life. She will then share these first-hand experiences with her students. As the Global Education Chairperson at GES, Jane will also share her experiences with staff and the district to integrate global education in the curriculum.
“My family travels have always informed my teaching,” Jane said. “Meeting people and learning about their culture is the most important part of my travel experience that I will be able to share with my students.”
She will stay at an Italian farm to help out with work such as picking olives, and experience authentic cooking and family life in Tuscany. Another highlight will be meeting a fifth grade teacher in Pitigliano, Italy, she connected with through her son’s friend Elia, an exchange student at GHS. Jane’s third-graders have been writing to the class in Italy all year. She will also meet with a teacher in Switzerland whom she connected with through Ohio University years ago.