Traveling with the Foliage East to West

Ah, the joys of travel. Sometimes it’s the language (or the accent it’s spoken in) that tells you that you’re far away from home. Sometimes it’s the architecture enveloping you in history and culture. And other times, it just might be the trees. If you’re traveling during the autumn months in the U.S., parts of Read More …

Modern-day Kids vs. the Ancient Mayans

What’s the difference between kids of today and those who lived over 1500 years ago? Not as much as you think, especially when it comes to Mayan youth. Kids of Mayan culture—an ancient tribe of people who lived where Mexico, Belize and Guatemala are today—chewed gum, learned the three Rs and even went to ball Read More …

Germany and the Berlin Wall

What do Leonard Bernstein, Pink Floyd and David Hasselhoff have in common? They all rocked a common cause—having performed concerts celebrating the reunification of Germany after the fall of the Berlin Wall over 20 years ago. With hundreds of thousands of attendees plus enraptured television audiences around the world, Berlin went from dismally divided to the official party Read More …

Coffee Culture

Sugar or the fake stuff? Cream or milk? There’s lots of personal preferences for a cup of coffee but spin the globe and the coffee culture nuances get nitty-grittier—and not just on the serving. The blending, roasting and grinding of the bean to the time of day coffee’s drunk or even the nibbles accompanying it Read More …

Back-to-School Fundraising

For North American students, late August to early September means winding down summer and getting back to school. In Central America, however, the school year started in January or February. And in India? They’re already in their second or third month by now. Comparing other cultures is a great learning experience and what better way Read More …

New Orleans: Where Cajun and Creole cultures unite

New Orleans is unlike any other city in the United States, in part because of its heavy Cajun and Creole influences. Both of these French-descended cultures show up in New Orleans architecture, food, and even the music. What exactly is the difference between the two cultures, though? Is it the Cajuns or the Creoles (or Read More …

How to meet and greet abroad

When abroad, correctly greeting locals could be the difference between coming off as a clueless tourist and a well-traveled globetrotter. Don’t leave home before you know whether to shake, kiss, high five or bow upon meeting new friends on your tour. Do you know your French bise from your Kiwi nose-rubbing smooch?

Authentic souvenirs from around the world

You spend a lot of time mapping out the perfect itinerary, taking in all the sites you can cram into each day and sometimes even pushing yourself beyond your comfort zone to experience something new. All that and you’re thinking of bringing home a T-shirt to remember your trip? Before you go on the hunt Read More …

Summer Fun(draising)

Just because school is on hiatus during summer doesn’t mean your fundraising efforts have to take a break. Turn your breather into a breath of fresh air for your moneymaking activities. For one, take advantage of being out of the classroom to crank up your creativity with unique outdoor events. Who can turn down a Read More …

Independence Days

Roughly $191 million in fireworks were imported into the United States from China in 2010. We’re willing to bet a majority of those pyrotechnics explode the eve of July 4th, celebrating America’s Independence. But before the skies light up in red, white and blue—the day is packed with parades, barbecues and well, just kicking back Read More …