Back To School: Spending Thanksgiving With The Children of Machu Picchu

Post written by Laura Cococcia. You can follow Laura on Twitter.

For the past three years, I’ve spent the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday abroad. I didn’t necessarily planned it that way, but life brings you to different places at different times. Two years ago, I was in London. Last year, I visited Patagonia when I was on a work assignment in Buenos Aires.

This year, I spent it with the children in the village near Machu Picchu. I asked Fatima, one of the many amazing guides at Inkaterra, if we could spend the day visiting a few of the schools. She said yes.

Fatima and the school masters introduced me to the different classes, and when I walked in, I was met with a group greeting of: “Buenos Dias Senorita Laura.” Some of them came rushing up to me – I asked their names, they told me a few interesting things about what they were studying.

One of the children, whose name was also Laura, said I was “bonita.”

Aww, shucks.

Even though I wasn’t a student, it was a wonderful learning experience. Primary and secondary education in both the village and in the wider area of the Sacred Valley is much different than what I’ve experienced.

It’s evident, when walking into the classrooms, that the material resources are not as abundant. Teachers seem to take on the role of parent in a bigger way here – and many of the children need to also support their families by working on the farms or in the family businesses. Some go on to university in Cusco, some do not.

Is it better or worse? I’m not to judge.

But knowing how many opportunities I received through formal and informal instruction, my personal hope is that these children receive even more education as people become aware of their needs for material and educational resources.

Education Beyond The Classroom

Inkaterra, in fact, is meeting that need, but outside of the classroom – they offer a number of workshops to educate children about creating a sustainable environment during summer vacation.

My guess is that there are numerous corporations, organizations and hotels that are smack dab in the middle of these communities – places where education for children is needed most.  Why can’t we / they / everyone / the world get on the education bandwagon, look beyond the traditional constructs of the classroom and see what we can teach, share and learn? Something for both adults and kids?

I know I’m not the first person to have this idea, but seeing it in action makes me believe it can be done.

Extra Reading For the Curious

1. You can read more about Inkaterra’s wider educational efforts here.

2. Huge shout out to Christa and her various educational projects – education is one of her many passions. Check out the latest on her project with Citizen Schools, which we’ll share more about soon.

3. Finally, I was psyched to see Chris Brogan‘s post today, “How Could New Ideas Change Education?” Lots of great ideas, experts, thought leaders in this piece and in the comments section.Gave me some food for thought as I wrapped up my day at the school

I’ve been particularly intrigued by the idea of redesigning the entire way we learn as adults – particularly within the systems and structures of the corporate world. While many of us would love to leave and pursue our sole (soul?) passion, it may not be in the cards at the moment.

But what if it kinda could be? Maybe we’ll be the ones that come up with the innovative or fabulous fresh way to learn, at work, and have fun. And, since the words “school” and “education” often bring up bad memories from middle-school that involve braces, we can call it something else.

More to come on this in a future post – knee-deep in researching and interviewing folks now.

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Finally, tremendous gratitude to the wonderful people at Inkaterra who care deeply, not only about their guests, but about the community in which they live.

One more glorious day in Peru, now in Cusco, and a few more exciting stories to share. Stay tuned and be well.

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Tagged as: Cultural Anthropology, Global Cultures, Laura Cococcia, Learning Moments, Travel