Have you ever wanted to travel to a foreign place and spend two to three years learning about the culture of that place? Ms. Plank, a world geography teacher here at Fossil had the opportunity to do just that and from 2004 to 2006 she lived in Chuuk and Pohnpei, Micronesia. Plank stayed with the Ichitas in Chuuk, and the Werners in Pohnpei, these families taught her the lifestyle and culture in their villages.

Plank had this opportunity to travel to Micronesia because she joined the Peace Corps. “Peace Corps is a US federal government program, that sends volunteers to 60 different foreign countries to serve for 2 years. The three goals of Peace Corps are 1) Americans learn about a different country and culture and educate other Americans about that place, to promote a better understanding of others 2) Educate and expose other countries and culture to the American way of life, to promote a better understanding of America, and 3) to provide a service to another country (education, health, environmental conservation, etc).” Plank joined the Peace Corps because she had an interest in traveling and wanted to give her time and efforts to help a community.

With the Peace Corps, Plank spent two years in Micronesia and then an extra year as an employee for a different organization. While she was in Micronesia she “worked on projects that included teaching english, setting up a school library, organizing youth sports and activities, planting vegetable gardens, and writing grants for a Women’s Group.” Through these activities she learned more about the lifestyle in the village and concluded that the lifestyle there is different than ours, here in the United States. “The biggest difference between Micronesian culture and America, would be around family and community. In Micronesia, there is a very strong sense of family and community responsibility. In Micronesia family members of all generations live together and help each other, no one is left homeless or without a ‘place’ to be. Communities are very close knit and have a sense of duty to help each other.”

Some of Plank’s favorite memories include; “ becoming close with my Peace Corps friends, my host family who took good care of me, the natural beauty of living in a jungle, and swimming and scuba diving in pristine reef.” Her experience was challenging, a culture shock, eye-opening, and adventurous. If you are interested in learning more about Ms. Plank’s trip, watch her presentation during 5th period on Tuesday, November 24th.