On June 8, a group of seven incoming juniors and I.B. English teacher Gretchen Arguedas traveled to Brazil to participate in a cultural exchange with Escola SESC. The group spent one week in Rio de Janeiro and attended classes at Escola SESC, participated in campus activities, stayed in campus housing, and toured Rio.

Gloria Soares, the SESC International Coordinator and Geraldo Neto, a SESC student who visited Riverstone in 2010, greeted the Riverstone group at the airport. Upon arriving at Escola SESC, Riverstone students received SESC uniform tee shirts and became acquainted with campus rules and culture. Escola SESC is a residential school located on the western outskirts of Rio de Janeiro. SESC, a Brazilan government-funded agency opened the school three years ago. The school is one of the first of its kind in Brazil and is unique because it offers full scholarships to all of its students. Students from all of Brazil’s states are invited to attend, and the school strives to foster “exchange of ideas and respect for individual differences.” Next year, the school is expecting to receive roughly 10,000 applications for 1500 spots.

While on campus at SESC, the Riverstone students made presentations to the SESC English classes about life in Boise, Idaho to their Brazilian counterparts. The presentations centered around outdoor recreation, regional food, Basque culture in Idaho, and sports at Riverstone. The SESC students were given the opportunity to ask the Riverstone students questions about Boise, American culture and the students’ experiences at Riverstone. Riverstone students also participated in the SESC “English Day.” During “English Day,” students watched movies in English, played American flag football, and spoke in English for the duration of the day.

Spending time on the SESC campus gave Riverstone students an understanding of how life on a residential campus differs from their experiences at an American day school. Students had the opportunity to take part in any school-sponsored activities, ranging from jazz-samba concerts to Capoeira lessons (Capoeira is a Brazilian martial arts form that combines dance, music and elements from local sports). Many students cited time on campus as their most enriching experience during the trip. Riverstone students developed close relationships with SESC students and faculty alike because of the close-knit community that the boarding school experience fosters.

While in Rio, the Riverstone students visited Corcovado, which translates to “hunchback” in English. Corcovado is the location of the Cristo Redentor (Christ the Redeemer) statue. Students also visited the Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil, which houses various art exhibits. Students viewed an exhibit by the Japanese artist Mariko Mori entitled “Oneness.” The exhibit is an interactive, multi-media installation intended to convey a sense of connection that transcends various cultural and gender-related barriers. Other excursions in Rio included attending a Botafogo soccer match, visiting Copacabana and Ipanema beaches, touring churches in the city center, and hiking in the hills surrounding the city.

Community service is a major part of the curriculum at Escola SESC. The school requires that students design various service projects and provides students with resources to carry out their ventures. Every week, SESC students visit children in a neighboring low-income community to tell stories, play games, and provide a nutritious meal. Riverstone and SESC students visited the community and spent several hours with local children. The Americans were able to practice their limited Portuguese and teach students a few phrases in English. Most importantly, the Riverstone group learned how SESC has made this particular service project a success. They are eager to share ideas with the Riverstone in regards to their own service learning projects.

Riverstone students also had an opportunity to spend a week in Brazil’s Pantanal with SESC Grade Three (similar to American twelfth grade) students. The Pantanal is a tropical wetland and is also the largest wetland of any kind on earth. Students stayed on the SESC Pantanal Private Natural Heritage Reserve, which is comprised of roughly 340 square miles of protected wetlands along the Rio Cuiaba. Students spent their days touring the Rio Cuiaba by riverboat and speed boat, viewing wildlife, hiking in the jungle, visiting wildlife conservation centers and studying the local flora and fauna. Wildlife sightings included Hyacinth Macaws, Jabiu Storks, piranhas, monkeys, caimans, and numerous species of butterflies.

On the flight leaving Brazil, one student summed up his favorite things about the exchange by saying, “I loved getting to live on campus and integrate into the social life. They really brought us in and made us feel welcome. I know that I have made friendships that will last a lifetime.”

Thanks to Gretchen Arguedas for sharing details of their trip and her fantastic photos!