Dr. Rifkin (WLC/Russian) and Dr. Marino (History) won a 3-year grant from the US Department of Education to internationalize the history secondary education program with an emphasis on Russia. The grant provides funding for a small group of students of Russian language at TCNJ to travel to Vladimir, Russia, a city of about 400,000 approximately 4 hours’ drive east of Moscow, for an alternative spring break experience during which time they volunteer in a K-12 school. The students who participated in this year’s trip were Kyriaki Christodoulou (3rd year Russian), Lia Lumauig (1st year Russian), Joanna Peluso (3rd year Russian), Michael Schiumo (3rd year Russian), Skyeler Sudia (1st year Russian), and Kathryn Wertheimer (1st year Russian). In addition to 5 days in Vladimir, staying with host families, going to school and helping in English language and American culture lessons, the students visited local landmarks, socialized with university students of history, and enjoyed local traditions, such as the Russian Sauna. While in Vladimir, they were interviewed on Russian television about their experience. The week they were in Russia was a week of high tension in Russian-American relations related to conflict in Crimea; the students enjoyed hearing the perspectives of their new Russian friends about this situation. After their time in Vladimir, the students went to Moscow for a day and a half and enjoyed all they could in that short time before heading back to New Jersey to finish up their spring 2014 semester at TCNJ. This photo was taken after they completed their presentation about stereotypes at this year’s Celebration of Student Achievement.
