Pleasant Valley High School welcomed 14 visiting teachers this year as part of the Fulbright Program, an international exchange designed to share educational practices and culture between countries. Over the course of a week, these teachers co-taught alongside PV staff, bringing perspectives from countries around the world, including Barbados, Peru, and Spain. With the rest of the 22 visiting teachers at Chico High, the Viking Family had the unique opportunity to engage with these global educators firsthand.
Hanson, a teacher at PV, emphasized the benefits of the Fulbright program for students living in a currently divided society. “I think growing up in Chico, and especially high school students, we don’t necessarily have this worldly perspective where sometimes we’re kind of focused on the day-to-day of our own experiences. And I think that having people come from, not only different countries, but continents and just kind of share their own experiences, it helps us relate to them a lot more and open up our eyes to the world around us,” she said. Hanson hopes that the international teachers leave with positive impressions of California and the United States. “I think one of the reasons we’re so divided is because we hold on to prejudices or stereotypes […] and I’m hoping that in doing this, a lot of our students will kind of break their own stereotypes when it comes to not only foreigners, but just people who are different than us.”
Janelle Walcott-Small, a visiting teacher from Barbados, shared her excitement at trying new experiences and exploring PV’s community. “It is absolutely essential as a developing, evolving human being to try new things, to challenge yourself to go outside of your comfort zone […] because otherwise then you’re really robbing yourself of an opportunity to celebrate being human,” she said. Janelle noted that California challenged her preconceptions shaped by movies and media. “Mainstream media… tells us it’s sunny all the time. Everybody’s just in sunglasses all the time. So it’s been nice to debunk some of those stereotypes,” she said. With Chico being greeted this year by the first snow the city has seen in several years, Janelle and Chico locals alike were both taken by surprise.
José, a visiting teacher from Peru, had similar thoughts. “I was expecting a controversial environment […] but still, the only input I had from schools was the movies, and they show, like, overly harsh [people]… you know. But when I got to PV, I had the chance of noticing that it’s quite different from what I was expecting. Students were really friendly and kind,” he said. He also enjoyed small cultural experiences with PV staff, including a visit to In-N-Out Burger with his host teacher, Señor Jaime. “Señor Jaime took me to an In-N-Out, and we ordered food, and it was like really good, it was beautiful,” José said. PV students caught word of the trip and enjoyed recounting stories of speaking with José in class, encouraging him to get their favorite orders from the fast-food restaurant, teaching him words like “animal-style” and “double-double.”
Both visiting and host teachers alike held the belief that experiencing different perspectives often brings growth and progress, even when it comes with conflict, as long as it is handled diplomatically. Janelle explained, “It is your human right to have thoughts, to have opinions, but there also has to be a manner in which those thoughts and opinions are given respectfully and mindfully and open-mindedly.” José added, “That’s how we build our societies—from conflict. You need to challenge all ideas in order to advance as a group of people. I do believe that conflict is necessary, but you need to address it from a peaceful perspective.”
For PV students, these visits are more than just a chance to meet teachers from abroad; they are an opportunity to broaden their worldview and experience perspectives that are different. When asked if he had any message he would like the students of PV to hear after his visit, José said, “I’m glad that you as a student have the chance of getting to know people from different parts of the world and different perspectives too […] if somehow we can help you guys broaden your mindset and your perspective of the world, then we are happy.” PV’s own Hanson once again highlighted the empathy students develop from experiences like the international teachers visit. “Having a better understanding helps us be a lot more empathetic in the world, and move in a more cohesive space,” she said.
Teachers may leave lessons behind at PV, but they also bring them back to their home countries. Janelle observed the autonomy PV students are trusted with, noting how she will, “Give students more autonomy and trust them. Trust them to make good decisions.” José agreed, reflecting on the ideas he will apply in Peru. “I’m learning a lot and I can apply some of the things that I’m learning here to my school and make some improvement, because we are not perfect, right?”
By sharing classroom spaces and cultural experiences, the PV Fulbright teachers program is a display of how diversity, curiosity, and respectful dialogue can connect communities. As Hanson put it, “I encourage differing perspectives and opinions, even if I don’t agree with them. I think that we should hold space for everyone […] as long as you are willing to be open and honest, not only with other people, but with yourself, that will always encourage progress and growth.”
